Isabella Montes de Oca respected for work ethic, fairness

The love and respect she has for the sports she plays, her teammates and her opponents make Isabella Montes de Oca a special student-athlete.

“Even if she scored a game winner, she still gets high-fives and handshakes from all of her opponents, which in this day and age is absolutely amazing,” Cate athletic director Wade Ransom said of Montes de Oca.

Isabella Montes de Oca of Cate School.
Isabella Montes de Oca of Cate School.

The Cate School junior was recognized on Monday as the school’s recipient of the Phil Womble Ethics in Sports Award.

“She embodies that spirit,” Ransom said of Montes de Oca always striving to do her best and respecting others. “We at Cate are grateful to have her.”

The daughter of Emma and Ray Montes de Oca of Carpinteria, Isabella is a three-sport athlete, competing in cross country, soccer and track.

She is a day student at Cate but is heavily involved in campus life.

“As a day student, it takes a little extra effort to make Cate work, and she is on campus every day, is someone you see every day and certainly a leader in our community,” Ransom said. “So many of our young students, girls especially, look up to Isabella and want to be like her some day. That’s a pretty great place for kids to be looking.”