Pioneer Athlete Spotlight on Gabby Riva

Pioneer Athlete Spotlight on Gabby Riva
Team: Carondelet High School
Grade: Senior
Sport: Lacrosse

Carondelet senior Gabby Riva’s 4th varsity lacrosse season ends early.

Riva spent four years on the Carondelet varsity lacrosse team and since she was a freshman, she envisioned the time she would walk across the field on Senior Night while her coach talked about her accomplishments on the Cougars. That day would have come this May had the coronavirus pandemic not brought an abrupt halt to spring sports. Carondelet started this season with a 4-1 record, the best start to a season since Riva was on the team. That is also the team’s final record.

Riva started playing lacrosse when she was in sixth grade at St. Agnes School in Concord. She was a team captain the past two seasons at Carondelet. She won all-EBAL honors as a junior when she was also a US Lacrosse all-American and team MVP. The center led the Cougars in scoring last year with 52 goals and 23 assists and started out hot this spring with 15 goals and five assists in five games.

The Clayton native says, “Having the season come to a halt has been extremely tough. It is very disappointing I will not be able to experience finishing my last season of the sport I love, but my teammates, coaches and family have been very supportive and assuring during this time. This team has been my family for the past four years and I am forever grateful for the bonds I have made and lessons I have learned from this sport that I will carry with me beyond my time at Carondelet.

“This team had so much potential that we sadly did not get to see. Every game we put up a battle and would not go down without a fight. The reason for our success was our team dynamic — the way we could connect passes up the field on transitions was impeccable.” The last three years the Cougars lost in the North Coast Section quarterfinals and had hopes of going further in this year’s playoffs.

She played club lacrosse at Tenacity for four years and this past season played at LAXUHR Lacrosse. For both clubs she had practice during the winter, fall and summer and traveled across the country for tournaments.

Riva hasn’t decided where she will go to college this fall. “Wherever I end up for college, I will be majoring in biology with a pre-med track with the end goal becoming a physician’s assistant. I made the decision pretty early in my high school career that I did not want to go through the recruiting process. I have always put school at a higher priority than sports. Although lacrosse has been a huge part of my life, I think college is a time to really focus on my studies and prepare for the next chapter of my life. That said, I do plan on playing club lacrosse wherever I end up.”

Riva was a math tutor at De La Salle for all classes from algebra to pre-calculus. “I really enjoy being able to help my classmates understand their material.”

The Pioneer congratulates Gabby and thanks Athlete Spotlight sponsors Dr. Laura Lacey & Dr. Christopher Ruzicka who have been serving the Clayton and Concord area for 25 years at Family Vision Care Optometry. www.laceyandruzicka.com

Do you know a young athlete who should be recognized? Perhaps he or she has shown exceptional sportsmanship, remarkable improvement or great heart for the sport. Send your nomination for the Pioneer Athlete Spotlight today to sports@pioneerpublishers.com