The North County Conference Student-Athlete of the Year was awarded to forward and center Zain Mehio (12) following the conclusion of the varsity boys basketball season (24-7).

“I was pretty shocked,” Mehio said. “I didn’t know I was being nominated … I was very shocked and humbled. It was a really cool moment.”

While Mehio was surprised that he was the recipient of this award, it did not come as a shock to his teammate and long time friend, Amir Sadeghi (12).

“I would say he is deserving of this award because he just exemplifies hard work and leadership on and off the court and he is someone that myself as a student-athlete can look to if I need advice or help on the basketball court, or in school,” Sadeghi said. “Ever since elementary school he is always pushing me to be better academically and just seeing everything he has done on the basketball court, and his success in the classroom has pushed me and motivated all of our teammates and others around him.”

Freshman boys basketball head coach, varsity and JV assistant coach, Griffin Jimenez (‘13) agreed.  

“I thought if he can’t get that award, then no one can,” Jimenez said. “It was very, very well deserved.” 

The NCC Student-Athlete of the Year award states that these athletes are recognized for their “leadership, dedication, excellence in competition on campus and in the community.” In the NCC, only two athletes receive the award each season. For those who know Mehio, it is clear that he displays these qualities.

“He is one of the people that is the first one in the gym and the last one out,” Sadeghi said. “Even with his busy schedule in the classroom, he has always made an effort to be at things for basketball that were completely optional.”

Outside of the court, Mehio is on the leadership counsel for Teen Volunteers in Action, Co-President of the Computational Thinking Club, a member of the Academic Team and volunteers regularly with Waves4All. While balancing these extracurriculars, Mehio attributed his ability to stay on top of everything with “balance” and “time management.” Despite his extensive schedule, Mehio still finds time to care for his teammates and those around him. 

“Zain would bring it upon himself to help [our teammates], and he would literally host mini math lessons after practice and help some of our younger players out with that on the whiteboard,” Sadeghi said. 

This season, the team went undefeated in the league season with 10 wins, contributing to their seeding in the CIF Open Division playoffs. At the end of the year team banquet, Mehio also won the Coaches’ Award — a testament to Mehios contributions to the team’s overall success. 

“On the court, whether it’s practice or games, every moment, every chance he gets to compete, he takes full advantage,” Jimenez said. “And he makes sure that it’s not just him competing, but everyone else. In practice when he’s not in he is still kind of coaching from the sideline. Even in games it’s the same thing. He is like another coach off the court.”

On top of the NCC Student-Athlete of the Year award, Mehio also received the NCC Section Scholar Captain award. The award goes to the player with the highest GPA on the All-Academic Team, with Mehio currently holding a 4.62 weighted cumulative GPA. 

“He is brilliantly smart and he is very humble about it,” Jimenez said. “He is as smart of a kid that we’ve ever had in the program.”

Looking to the future, Mehio is still deciding where to continue his academic career, but plans to major in electrical engineering. 

“I mean, I tell everyone that Zain is the future CEO or world leader, whatever he wants to do,” Jimenez said. “He is that exceptional of a student athlete, of a person, of a leader, of whatever quality you want to pick. He is just brilliant. Since [his] freshman year, I have had incredible things to say.”