Pioneer Athlete Spotlight on Jackson Ramirez, St. Bonaventure
Jackson Ramirez
Age: 13
Team: St. Bonaventure CYO
School: Diablo View Middle School
Sport: Basketball
CLAYTON, CA (July 19, 2023) — Clayton free throw wizard Ramirez recently claimed his second Knights of Columbus state free throw championship. And to make it even better, his perfect 25 for 25 performance representing St. Bonaventure CYO also earned him the Knights international championship when compared with results from around the country and beyond in the 12-year-old age group.
Ramirez keeps busy on the basketball court playing on three teams. He is part of the St. Bonaventure CYO team (his dad Stephen is a coach) and plays on two club teams, Oakland Rebels and Bay Area Lava. The Rebels are headed to a Las Vegas tournament this month.
Having just turned 13 and entering eighth grade, he has the opportunity to rack up one or two more years of trophies in the Knights of Columbus and Elks Hoop Shoot free throw competitions.
This winter he won the Elks Norcal/Hawaii free throw championship but was edged for the State title by a Southern California opponent despite making 72 of 75 overall. He was the Elks National 2019-20 Hoop Shoot champion, a competition that did not conclude until 2021 due to the pandemic.
The Pioneer congratulates Jackson 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. 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.
Jay Bedecarré
Jay Bedecarré is a long-time resident and writer in Concord and Clayton. He began his newspaper writing career while still a senior at Mt. Diablo High School and he has been part of The Pioneer since its inception in 2003. Jay also operates Bay Area Festivals, presenting events around the San Francisco Bay Area including Bay Area KidFest annually in Downtown Concord.