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USF Junior Shortstop Tavo Hall Named USF 2007 Class Valedictorian
May 14, 2007
USA TODAY: Studies first, baseball second for San Francisco valedictorian
AP: A shortstop With Range: USF's Hall Honored As Valedictorian
(San Francisco) - Tavo Hall (Albuquerque, NM/La Cueva HS) will serve as the class valedictorian for the 2007 University of San Francisco Graduation, Friday May 18. Hall is a three-year starter for the USF baseball team at shortstop.
Hall has successfully juggled the academic and athletic demands and has excelled in both arenas. Last season, Hall suffered a broken hand in mid-March and missed more than 20 games before returning to the lineup in time to lead the Dons to the first West Coast Conference Championship and the first NCAA Regional berth in school history, hitting .333 down the stretch. Hall's 2007 season was halted when he broke his arm April 14 against No. 9 Pepperdine.
"It's a big honor," Hall said. "It's a great chance to have at least five minutes to share what my experience at USF has been like. I can't share everything, but I will try."
Combining academic and athletic pursuits can be extremely difficult, especially in time consuming sport such as baseball where the team practices throughout the academic year. Despite the challenges, Hall thrived.
"It (playing baseball) made it more difficult because of the lack of time, but in some ways it made it easier. You're taught to manage your time and develop discipline. Being an athlete can really help because you develop all the tools necessary to succeed - discipline, time management and attention to detail."
"The award of being valedictorian for the senior class is by far the epitome of what he is as a human being and as a student-athlete," USF baseball head coach Nino Giarratano said. "Throughout his career, he has worked extremely hard in every facet of his life whether as a student, as an athlete or as a person. We are extremely proud of what he is doing as a student-athlete in this program and we would like to thank him and his family for what they have accomplished."
Tavo Hall ACADEMIC HONORS:
- 2007 University of San Francisco Class Valedictorian
- 2007 CoSIDA/ESPN District VIII Academic First Team
- 2007 Charles Harney Award - presented to the student-athlete
graduating with the highest GPA (3.88 in International Studies)
- USF National Advisory Board Member
- West Coast Conference Honor Roll - Gold Honors (2005-06)
Tavo Hall ATHLETIC ACCOLADES: - Three-year starter at shortstop for the Dons as USF posted a 77-41 record (2005-06) - Three-time USF Baseball Team Academic Award - 2005 West Coast Conference Honorable Mention; WCC Player of the Week (3/15/05) - 2005 Johnny Quik Classic All-Tournament Team - Hall's Career Stats: .283, 18 doubles, 1 home run, 48 RBI, 86 runs, 38 stolen bases
