Sports Envoy
Sports Envoy Program

Region: Nicaragua

Jennifer Lacy

Basketball

Served as envoy

  • 2013  –  Nicaragua
  • 2016  –  Angola

Jenn Lacy is a former American professional basketball player of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA).

A native of Agoura Hills, California, Lacy played collegiate basketball at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California, averaging 9.1 points per game in 103 games over four years. Lacy went undrafted in the 2006 WNBA Draft and joined the Phoenix Mercury for the 2006 and 2007 seasons, winning the 2007 WNBA Championship. She went on to play for the Atlanta Dream (2008-09), Tulsa Shock (2010-14), Los Angeles Sparks (2015) and Connecticut Sun (2015). Lacy played professionally in China during the 2008-09 WNBA offseason with Beijing Shougang.

Candice Wiggins

Basketball

Served as envoy

  • 2013  –  Nicaragua
  • 2014  –  Chile
  • 2018  –  Algeria

Candice Wiggins is the new Sports Director of Basketball (Girl’s Chair) for the Southern Pacific region of the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU). She will be operating clinics, leagues, tournaments and national qualifiers primarily in the Los Angeles area of the region.

After spending 12 seasons participating as a professional athlete, including a WNBA championship with the Minnesota Lynx in 2011 and concluding with the New York Liberty in 2015, Candice “Coach Ice” knows what first made her life successful on the court: AAU Basketball. In 2000, her team NJB All-Stars won the coveted 13U Girls title at the Disney Wide World of Sports in Orlando. The following year she was featured on the Disney Channel original program Totally Hoops.

A coach at heart, Candice plans to provide her service to an important sports institution, and welcomes people of all ages into the revolutionary sports platform provided by the AAU.

John Mayberry, JR.

Baseball

Served as envoy

  • 2008  –  Nicaragua

John was born and raised in Kansas City Missouri and was a standout athlete at Rockhurst High School. His stellar performances on the led him being drafted by the Seattle Mariners as the 28thoverall pick of the 1stround 2002 Amateur Draft. However, he chose to take a baseball scholarship to Stanford University in Palo Alto California. With his continued success on the field John was drafted a second time by the Texas Rangers as the 19thoverall pick of the 1stround in the 2005 Amateur Draft. John accumulated 7 years of Major League Baseball experience playing for three different teams at the Major League level: Phillies, Blue Jays and Mets. Upon his retirement in baseball in 2015 john enjoys playing baseball and spending time with his family

Jed Lowrie

Baseball

Served as envoy

  • 2015  –  Colombia
  • 2018  –  Nicaragua

Jed Lowrie is a free agent who was called up from the minor leagues in 2008 to play for the Boston Red Sox. He has primarily played shortstop throughout his career but has played second and third base as well. After playing 3 years with the Red Sox, he was traded to the Houston Astros before going on and playing for Oakland Athletics and then back to the Astros before going back to Athletics and finally, the New York Mets.

During Lowrie’s time with the Athletics, Lowrie set a new Oakland record for most doubles in a season: 49 in 2017. A year later, on July 10, 2018, owning a .288 batting average with 16 home runs and 62 RBIs, Lowrie was named as an All-Star for the first time in his career.

Lowrie and his wife Melissa are involved in several community and philanthropic initiatives, particularly around veteran and children’s issues.

Elias Sosa

Baseball

Served as envoy

  • 2008  –  Nicaragua
  • 2008  –  Panama

Born in the baseball talent hotbed of the Dominican Republic, Elias began playing baseball early in life which led to him being signed by a Major League team. Making his major league debut in 1972 at the age of 22, Elias played for 8 Major League teams during the course of his 12 year professional career. In 1973 he finished tied for 3rdfor the Rookie of the Year award finishing with 10 total wins for the season. Upon his retirement from baseball Elias still remains very active in the baseball community in the Dominican Republic. Since 2001 he has worked for Major League Baseball International working to develop baseball programs within various Latin American countries.

Cal Ripken, Jr.

Baseball

Served as envoy

  • 2007  –  China
  • 2008  –  Nicaragua
  • 2011  –  Japan
  • 2018  –  Czech Republic
  • 2021  –  Japan

Cal Ripken Jr. is baseball’s all-time Iron Man. He was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the second round of the 1978 MLB draft, remaining with the team for 21 seasons in which during his time, was managed by his father and played alongside his brother Billy Ripken

His name appears in the record books repeatedly, most notably as one of only ten players in history to achieve 400 home runs and 3,000 hits. One of his position’s most offensively productive players, Ripken compiled 3,184 hits, 431 home runs, and 1,695 runs batted in during his career. Won two Gold Glove Awards for his defense and was a 19-time All-Star. In 1995, Ripken broke Lou Gehrig’s Major League record for consecutive games played (2,130) and in 1996 he surpassed Sachio Kinugasa’s streak of 2,215 straight games and voluntarily ended his streak on September 20, 1998 after playing 2,632 consecutive games.

On July 29, 2007 he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Cal received the 4th highest percentage of votes in history, collecting the second highest vote total ever (98%) by the BBWAA.

In 2001, he and his family established the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation in memory of the family’s patriarch. The Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, using sports-themed programs to bring police officers, youth partners and underserved kids ages 9 to 14 together on a level playing field to learn invaluable life skills. In addition, the Ripken Foundation’s Youth Development Park Initiative creates clean, safe places for kids to play on multi-purpose, synthetic surface fields that promote healthy living in an outdoor recreational facility. Over the last nine years, the Ripken Foundation has created 88 completed parks across the country in 23 states, 17 of which are Adaptive Fields for children with special needs. In 2018, the Ripken Foundation impacted over 1.5 million kids nationwide through its Youth Development Park and mentoring programs.

Dennis Martinez

Baseball

Served as envoy

  • 2008  –  Nicaragua

Born in Granada, Nicaragua and nicknamed El Presidente, Dennis is the youngest of seven siblings, all of whom were also born in Nicaragua. From an early age, Dennis excelled in the sport of baseball, having one of his most impressive performances against the United States during the World Amateur Baseball World Series. Even though Nicaragua eventually lost the game, Dennis pitched a brilliant 10 inning game at just 17 years old. Dennis spent 23 years in the Majors playing for 5 different teams and was a 4 time All-Star. He also won the ERA title in 1991. Dennis finished his Major League career totaling 245 wins in both the American and National League, the most by any Latin American pitcher. Dennis still remains very active in progressing the sport of baseball amongst the youth population. In his home country, a new stadium opened in Managua in October 2017. It was named Dennis Martinez Stadium in his honor.

Jessica Mendoza

Softball

Served as envoy

  • 2013  –  Nicaragua
  • 2015  –  Panama

Jessica Mendoza’s softball accomplishments are almost too vast to comprehend: After an incredible career at Stanford where she was a four-time First-Team All-American Outfielder and led the Cardinal to their first ever Women’s College World Series Appearance (she still holds 5 Stanford school records, including batting average & career home runs), Jessica became a member of the U.S. Women’s National Team. From 2001-10, she won both a Gold (Athens, 2004) and Silver (Beijing, 2008) Medal, in addition to being a three-time World Champion (2002, 2006, 2010) and World Cup Champion (2006, 2007, 2010).

Ruby Rojas

Softball

Served as envoy

  • 2013  –  Nicaragua
  • 2015  –  Venezuela
  • 2015  –  Colombia

• Kinesiology Professor/Head Softball Coach @ Mt. SAC College
• Health and Nutrition Professor at University of Phoenix
• 2008 Olympian-Beijing, China
• 13 year veteran on Venezuelan National Team
• BackSoftball Athlete Ambassador 2008
• Currently pursuing a PhD in Sports Management @ United States Sports Academy
• B.A. in Sociology & Women Studies @ University of Virginia 03’
• M.A. Kinesiology & Physical Education @ Long Beach State 05’

• Coaching Experience
• Head Softball Coach at Mt. SAC 2012-Present
• Assistant Softball Coach at Mt. SAC 2010- 2011
• Previous Head Softball Coach at Orange Coast College 2007-2010
• Assistant Softball Coach at Orange Coast College 2006-2007

International Playing Experience
• 2008 Beijing Olympics- 5th in the World
• Participated in ISF Women’s World Championships 2002, 2006, 2010, 2012 – 5th in the 2010 World Championships
• Participated in ISF Pan American Games 2003, 2007- Silver Medalist
• Participated in ISF Central American Games 2002, 2006, 2010- Gold Medalist
• Participated in ISF Women’s World Cup-2007
• ISF Canada Cup-2002, 2003, 2008, 2009- All Tournament Team, 2012
• Member of the PFX (Professional Fastpitch Xtreme Tour) 2011

Collegiate Experience (University of Virginia 99-03’)
• Easton All-American 2001
• 1st Team All Southeast Region- 2001
• 1st Team All-ACC- 2001-2003
• 1st Team All ACC Tournament Team- 2000 & 2003
• 50th Anniversary All ACC Team- 2003
• ACC Rookie of the Year- 2000
• UVA MVP Award- 2003
• Highest batting average in ACC, .401- 2001
• Top 25 Highest Div. 1 Batting Average in the Nation- 2001

Personal Life
• Originally from Maracay, Venezuela
• Lives in Santa Ana
• Hobbies include salsa dancing, reading, writing and traveling