Eli Wopat has been part of the Dos Pueblos High family his whole life. The youngest of four children of Kathy and Ron Wopat, he watched two sisters and brother excel on the volleyball court and in the classroom.
Eli has continued that family tradition.
On Monday, the junior was honored as the Phil Womble Ethics in Sports Award winner from Dos Pueblos.
Wopat, a two-year varsity basketball and volleyball player and team captain, is a high-achieving student-athlete. He carries a 4.6 GPA, with a class load that includes chemistry, engineering, physics, advanced placement computer science, honors pre-calculus and IB English. He is a member of the National Honor Society, the California Scholarship Foundation and the DP Engineering Academy.
Wopat also is heavily involved in campus life. He is the basketball and volleyball representative for the DP Lettermen’s Club, a spirit coordinator, a member of the “Blue Men” spirit group and a Junior Statesmen of America.
If that’s not enough, he does loads of volunteer work in the community and on campus. His community service includes UCSB Junior Lifeguards, Coastal Clean-up Days at Goleta Beach, Santa Barbara Foresters baseball camp, planting trees for Beautify DP, giving freshman orientation tours at DP in August, coaching at DP basketball camp in the summer, working at the scorer’s table at DP girls volleyball matches.
“Eli is not only an outstanding student and athlete, he’s a true representative of the integrity, character and sportsmanship that we hope all Dos Pueblos students display,” said athletic director Dan Feldhaus.
“Eli has essentially grown up here at DP, following in the footsteps of his older siblings (Carly, Samantha and Jackson),” Feldhaus continued. “Ever since his freshman year, he has been a leader at our school. He is a natural leader and students look to him and follow him.”
His varsity coaches — Ehren Hug in volleyball and Joe Zamora in basketball — appreciate his work ethic and leadership.
“He is a tireless worker who wants to be the best at whatever he tries to accomplish,” said Zamora. “He has shown to be a competitor in the classroom by taking and completing a rigorous academic schedule. I know his best is yet to come.”
Said Hug: “He flat out works his tail off in the classroom and on the court, in turn encouraging other students and athletes to rise to his level. He was and still is our hype man, our guy who isn’t afraid to go all out in competition and let the world know he gives it his all each and every play. He’s a natural-born leader and he is going places in his life.”
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