With countless competitions throughout the year, Dos Palos High School (DPHS) celebrated two seniors who have shown remarkable athletic talent. This award was presented to recipients who have demonstrated dedication, growth and success within one or multiple sports.
The 2025 Athletes of the Year Award was presented to Marissa Merrell and Jacquez “JQ” Jones. The recipients of this award have been recognized within their leagues and were actively being scouted by schools because of their abilities.
Merrell participated in four years of volleyball, two years of swimming and two years of track and field. Her skills on the volleyball court and track are what eventually set her apart from all other student-athletes.
Merrell explained that her participation in these sports was because she received encouragement from DPHS peers and staff.
“I actually did (volleyball) in middle school because one of my friends had dragged me out to go try out,” Merrell said. “Mr. Calbert called me out in volleyball and dragged me out (for track).”
Throughout her athletic career, Merrell has received countless awards and has even broken records. In volleyball, she was awarded the West Sierra League Most Valuable Player Award for three consecutive years. Merrell loves both sports and feels at home on the court.
“Whenever I play (volleyball), I can be a different person out on the court,” Merrell emphasized. “I am not being judged, and I feel a lot like myself when I play, a lot more comfortable.”
Apart from this achievement, Merrell also broke a long-standing school record that Lacy Turner set in 2000. Although Merrell’s jump of 5 feet 6 inches beat a 25-year record, she claimed to have no prior knowledge of it before beating it.
“I didn’t even know what the previous record was until I broke it,” Merrell explained. “I was just jumping, doing my own thing.”
Merrell’s performance was actively being scouted during her senior year, as Fresno State University recruiters reached out to her track coach. Although she is still considering Fresno State, she plans to continue her athletic journey with track and volleyball at the college level.
“The feeling of colleges trying to talk to me and looking at me—it made me feel a little proud of myself, like all my hard work paid off,” she said. “I feel like I made a lot of the people around me proud.”
Jones has excelled in basketball, football and track and field. He has participated in two football league championships and a track league championship.
Jones started his athletic career as a 7-year-old because of his dad. As he transitioned to high school, he played football alongside friends and was encouraged by a coach to try out for track.
“I get to do what I love with no cost,” Jones said. “I get to play with my really good, close friends and create bonds with people .”
During his athletic career, he beat multiple school records, including the pole vault school record for a high jump of 9 ft 2 inches and the record for 213 receiving yards in a football game. He also placed second in the school district for running hurdles and the high jump.
The DPHS track and field coach, Edwin Gibb, claims Jones is one of the best he’s ever seen.
“It is remarkable to have seen his growth over his time at Dos Palos,” Gibb said. “He is one of the best jumpers/hurdlers to ever have come through here, and he will continue to be a leader on his teams and in FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) in college.”
Jones mentioned that a highlight from his basketball career was his winning shot during a vital game. “We were down by two points with seconds on the clock, and I had the game-winning shot. We won the game,” Jones explained.
“I knew that if I missed, we weren’t going to lose, and we weren’t going to go to the playoffs. If I made it, we were going to go. So it was a lot of pressure,” he added.
He ended his senior year as the Utility Player of the Year for the league and Offensive Player of the Year for football.
Jones was also named Hurdler and High Jumper of the Year for his time in track and Offensive Player of the Year in the basketball league. He additionally had more than 1,000 career points throughout his time in basketball.
Jones has big plans for the future, as he will continue his football career at the college level. Although Jones is still considering what school to attend, Sterling College in Kansas is one of his top contenders.
Assistant Principal Alison Hurd is extremely proud of both these students and claims the community is, too.
“We have a very small community, so I consider everyone is pretty close, and they have a lot of support behind them, not only from our school but from the community,” Hurd said. “We look forward to hearing all the amazing things they do after high school.”
