Hamand, Lundy Named Paloma Valley Athletes of Month

Erin Hamand and Fred Lundy are presented Athlete of the Month Awards by Larry Nemelka of RE/MAX Diamond Realty.

Football star Fred Lundy and volleyball standout Erin Hamand were honored this week as the first Menifee 24/7 Athletes of the Month of the school year for Paloma Valley High School.

Lundy and Hamand were presented a certificate from Menifee 24/7 and a gift card from Larry Nemelka of RE/MAX Diamond Realty, sponsor of the award. They were chosen from a group of Athletes of the Week honored in September.

Lundy, a senior, helped give the Wildcats football team a boost with a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in a victory at Tustin last month. He also had an interception and a fumble recovery.

"That game made me understand what brotherhood is all about," Lundy said. "We came into that game after two losses where we should've won. I told my team, 'I'm going to play for you guys.' Since then, we've pulled it together and we have a two-game win streak."

Lundy starts at cornerback and says he hopes to run track and play football at Riverside City College next year. Working as an electrician is also in his plans.

"The preseason was hard," Lundy said of the Wildcats, who host Lakeside for Homecoming Friday night. "It prepared us well for league, for Heritage and Elsinore. Those are our two biggest contenders."

Hamand, also a senior, is a team leader for the girls volleyball team from her outside hitter position. She is one of the reasons the Wildcats are expected to once again battle Elsinore for the Sunbelt League title.

"We have five seniors returning on the team," Hamand said. "I think we'll do pretty well. Elsinore won league last year, and it's usually between Elsinore and us in league."

Hamand has received a scholarship to Colorado School of the Mines, where she plans to study petroleum engineering.

"It's one of the best schools in the country for that, but they also have a very good volleyball team," she said. "I'm excited about going there. I don't know -- I really like science and math, and petroleum engineers make a lot of money. It's all about oil drilling and fracking. I'm looking forward to it."