Pioneer Athlete Spotlight on Ella Habermeyer of Clayton Valley Charter
Name: Ella Habermeyer
School: Clayton Valley Charter High School
Grade: Senior
Sports: Cross Country, Track, Soccer
Exceptional runner and dedicated student, Ella Habermeyer is known for her hard work and determination in both athletics and academics. As she starts her senior year she is also on the Clayton Valley Charter varsity cross country team for fourth year and has also been a varsity distance runner on CVCHS track during her sophomore and junior years.
As a freshman Habermeyer also participated on the Ugly Eagles frosh-soph soccer team. Habermeyer was awarded cross country rookie of the year as a freshman, as well as most inspirational runner as a junior. Initially, she joined cross country to condition for soccer and because her older brother Tyler also ran on the team and inspired her to try it out.
She played six years of competitive soccer for Mount Diablo Soccer Association and Walnut Creek Soccer Club but she decided to quit soccer after her freshman year to focus on running, which she believes is one of the best decisions she’s ever made. Her extensive soccer background taught her how to be a part of a team, gave her the drive to reach for her goals and taught her to never back down from a challenge. Habermeyer is incredibly grateful for her soccer career as it inspired her a new sport and made her the runner and person she is today.
The senior’s favorite part about representing CVCHS as an athlete is the sportsmanship and community that the school upholds. She notes that Clayton Valley’s cross country team makes a point to cheer on other teams and build bonds with other runners instead of solely focusing on competing.
In school she is the co-founder and vice president of both the Mock Trial and Business and Entrepreneurship clubs at Clayton Valley, secretary of Choir Council and has been a CVCHS Link Crew Leader for the past three years. She maintains an unweighted 3.9 GPA and volunteers in her free time for CVCHS Public Service Academy. Habermeyer is looking forward to applying to colleges this fall and hopes to pursue a career in kinesiology or political science.
She has had many supporters throughout her experience as a student-athlete, but specifically thanks her family, soccer coach Heidi Brown and cross country coaches Kevin White, Tim Martinez and Anthony Munch. She also shouts out her best friends and biggest supporters Katherine and Skylar.
CVCHS student journalist Katherine Pugh wrote this Spotlight.
The Pioneer congratulates Ella and thanks Athlete Spotlight sponsors Dr. Laura Lacey & Dr. Christopher Ruzicka who have been serving the Clayton and Concord area for over three decades at Family Vision Care Optometry.
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
Katherine Pugh
Katherine Pugh is a junior at Clayton Valley Charter High School. She enjoys running on the CVCHS cross country team in the fall in addition to the track and field team in the spring. Pugh also swims recreationally for Oakhurst Country Club in the summer. She is a part of the CVCHS Engineering & Design academy and finished her sophomore year with a 4.33 GPA. She’s also excited to be a representative for CVCHS’s ASB leadership group during her junior year. In addition, Pugh works as a hostess at Ed’s Mudville Grill in Clayton. She is very excited to be writing the Student Athlete Spotlight for the Concord Clayton Pioneer.