COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS: Blue Yonder Calls Bonita Grads

From, left Bonita's Caleb Guarino and Raul Martinez are respectively headed to the U.S. Air Force Academy and Louisville University.

All that hard work has paid off for Caleb Guarino and Raul Martinez, as the two Bonita seniors signed their respective letters of intent on Tuesday morning to attend the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., and Louisville University in Louisville, Ky., this fall.

Martinez was a four-year varsity performer for the Bonita soccer team. Last summer in Alabama, Louisville coaches saw Martinez playing three games for his club team, which is all it took for the center midfielder to impress his recruiters.

“They said they liked my finesse on the ball, my ability to maneuver and my overall physicality,” Martinez said.

From the first day he set foot on the Bonita campus, Martinez dreamed of earning a college scholarship. “It’s pretty awesome to be invited to play by such a recognized Division I school,” Martinez said, as he was accepting congratulations from some of his schoolmates at the signing ceremony. “I definitely had to sacrifice a lot – my social time. Then my family had to sacrifice. I had to travel a lot, but it was definitely worth it in the end to get a scholarship to such a prestigious school.”

Guarino, the goalie on Bonita’s 2011 CIF championship team, will enjoy that perfect combination of sea (water) and air, playing water polo for the Cadets while training to be a pilot.

“I want to fly,” Guarino said.

Guarino, who has 20-15 eyesight, added that it will be difficult leaving his Bonita family. “It’s sad because I’m leaving a team I really liked. We were like brothers. But, hopefully, I’ll be able to meet new guys and it’ll be fun.”

Winning the championship in his final season has special meaning for Guarino.

“I learned that you just have to work through all the setbacks along the way to succeed,” he said.

It’s all blue sky now for Martinez and Guarino!