Syriah Trujillo poses with her parents Gil and Angela Trujillo at Nyssa High School before signing to play softball for Salem University in West Virginia. (Submitted photo)
NYSSA – While all the other fathers walked arm in arm with their daughters at Nyssa High’s homecoming game in October, Gil Trujillo strode in carrying a giant photo of his daughter Syriah.
That’s because Syriah Trujillo, senior homecoming queen, was 2,200 miles away in West Virginia. She was touring Salem University. Fast forward a few weeks and Trujillo has signed to play softball with the Division II school.
“It just felt like home over there,” said the 17-year-old Trujillo. Trujillo plans on studying biology and hopes to one day work in the medical field.
She is no stranger to being far from home. Trujillo spent the summer on a prestigious youth national softball squad that competed across Italy.
A tri-athlete, Trujillo has also played volleyball and basketball at Nyssa. This fall, she was the captain of the volleyball team and made the all-league second team.
[ KEEP YOUR LOCAL NEWS STRONG – SUBSCRIBE ]
But she has a soft spot for softball.
“I definitely have a special place in my heart for softball,” said the senior. “I play year round and I made a lot of sacrifices for it.”
She said she spends most of her time running to practice and competing on the weekends. Trujillo plays for the Meridian-based Explosion club.
“I just like the challenge,” said Trujillo, who maintains a 4.0 grade point average. The end of the Bulldogs softball season in the spring landed her on the Eastern Oregon League’s first team for the second year in a row. That same season Trujillo was named the team’s most valuable player.
Six other schools were on Trujillo’s radar, including Pace University in New York City and Southern Oregon University in Ashland.
“I feel really good, like I’m making the right decision,” said Trujillo.
Have a news tip? Reporter Yadira Lopez: [email protected] or 541-473-3377
For the latest news, follow the Enterprise on Facebook and Twitter.
SUBSCRIBE TO HELP PRODUCE VITAL REPORTING — For $5 a month, you get breaking news alerts, emailed newsletters and around-the-clock access to our stories. We depend on subscribers to pay for in-depth, accurate news produced by a professional and highly trained staff. Help us grow and get better with your subscription. Sign up HERE.