Natalia Ackerman, Aptos, Jr.: The 6-foot-1, two-sport athlete will try to follow up her breakout sophomore year with an even better junior campaign. Ackerman last year won Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League championships in both basketball and track and field for Aptos High.
She helped the Mariners finish undefeated (12-0) in league action by averaging a team-high 15.8 points, 2.9 steals and 2.9 blocks per game, while also recording 8.8 rebounds per contest. Ackerman scored 20 points or more on 10 occasions, as Aptos advanced to the CIF NorCal Division III quarterfinals.
In the spring, she won the SCCAL championship in the high jump and boosted Aptos to the team track and field title, too. She placed seventh at the Central Coast Section Championships by clearing 5-feet.
Editor’s Note: 20 athletes in 20 days is a daily series that will highlight one local high school athlete per day leading up to the start of 2018-19 school year.
