Four Sonoma alums earn collegiate tributes

In the wake of their achievements on the diamond, court and track, four Sonoma Valley High School graduates and former standout Dragon athletes recently earned honors competing for their respective colleges in the 2013-14 seasons.

The Valley’s Sam Alton, who was an all-league, All-Empire pitcher for the prep Dragons, played for Canada Junior College and was the ace of the Colts’ baseball mound staff, compiling an outstanding 9-1 record, with an impressively low 0.72 ERA, which led to him being named the Coast Pacific Conference 2014 Pitcher of the Year.

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Sonoma’s Jordan Samson, who was an all-league pitcher for the prep Lady Dragons, registered a stellar freshman season for Napa College, where she ranked 48th in the state for junior colleges after pitching 112 innings, striking out 71 batters, and walking 35, which earned her second-team All-Conference honors.

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The Valley’s Tori Dwyer, who was a multiple-event prep track and field standout for the Lady Dragons, turned in an outstanding season running the challenging steeplechase event for Santa Rosa Junior College’s women’s team and was named to the All-Conference team for her series of upbeat efforts.

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Sonoma’s Karly Burningham, a two-sport prep standout for the Lady Dragons who earned volleyball all-league, All-Empire recognition, was a sophomore libero for the University of Redlands volleyball Bulldogs, and, as a top student-athlete, garnered Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference All-Academic Team honors for her scholarly success.

To receive the SCIAC honor, student-athletes must own a 3.40 cumulative GPA or higher, must have completed at least one calendar year at her institution, and must have reached a minimum of sophomore eligibility.