Vista Murrieta awarded with National Interscholastic Program of Excellence
Vista Murrieta has valued itself on the four "A's"- Academics, Activities, Athletics, and the Arts.
On Wednesday, the school was honored for excellence in each. Vista Murrieta received the National Interscholastic Program of Excellence Award from Coach and Athletic Director magazine.
It's an award of merit not based on wins and losses but what student athletes do in addition to participating in athletics.
"It's a measure of a balanced program," said Vista Murrieta athletic director Ray Moore. "Our philosophy is we want (student-athletes) to do all of that stuff and you can still excel and you can still be a great student."
Vista Murrieta won the award for public schools with over 1,000 students. St. Anthony Village (MN) won for public schools with less than 1,000 students.
Mary Institute Country Day (MO) received the award for private school with over 500 students and Overlake School (WA) for a private school with less than 500 students.
The winners were selected by an independent panel of judges. Community service as well as unique methods to promote participation in activities outside of athletics were among the factors used by the judges in their decision making.
"(Vista Murrieta is) a school where academics, athletics, activities and the arts are emphasized equally, allowing their students to be actively involved in all areas so that they become well rounded citizens," said Coach and Athletic Director magazine editor-in-chief Michael Austin.
Last season the Broncos' football team won their first CIF championship. A negative light was cast on the program when Vista Murrieta was forced to forfeit five games for using an ineligible player. It arguably kept them out of competing for a state championship. The award announced Wednesday is a positive against any negative attention that may have resulted from those forfeitures.
"It was never a black eye," said Moore of the five forfeits. "In our minds it was 14-0."
Moore credits the coaches for being teachers to the students and says it was a group effort for the school to win the award.
"Vista Murrieta is a unique 'Way of Life,' said football coach Coley Candaele in a text message. "I am spoiled - when you can (have) success in the classroom, on the playing fields, in the after school activities such as ASB, band, drama, and ROTC, you are at somewhere special and have an administration that gets it.
"I am so thankful for the support and love that I have received at Vista Murrieta."
The school will receive the award at a pep rally on Friday and there will also be a presentation at the football game later that night against Redlands East Valley. The game will be shown on FOX Sports West at 8:30 p.m.
"We're ecstatic," Moore said. "We're so fired up we can hardly stand it. It's quite an honor for our program."
