USA FOOTBALL U.S. NATIONAL TEAM ALUMNI SOPHIE GUITRON WINS NFL LATINO YOUTH HONORS

Redondo Beach native and 2024 Junior National Team alumni recognized at Thursday’s NFL Honors  

REDONDO BEACH, CALIF. & NEW ORLEANS, LA. – Mira Costa High School’s (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) Sophie Guitron was announced as a winner of the 2024 NFL Latino Youth Honors program at Thursday night’s NFL Honors. The award adds to Guitron’s trophy shelf, which already features a gold medal from her time spent with USA Football’s 17U U.S. Girls’ Flag National Team.  

NFL Latino Youth Honors celebrates high school seniors who thrive on and off the field in tackle or flag football. The Los Angeles Rams nominated Guitron for the second annual award. She joined Los Angeles Chargers nominee and fellow 2024 17U U.S. Girls’ Flag National Team gold medalist Paula Nicole Cruz as one of eight finalists from a pool of 59 candidates.  

As program winners, Guitron and Mariano Talamantez will receive a $25,000 grant to be used for college. Cruz and the other finalists will receive $5,000. All finalists were invited to New Orleans to participate in a variety of memorable events during Super Bowl LIX Week. Guitron and Talamantez will receive invitations to the Hispanic Heritage Foundation’s National Youth Awards later this year. 

Guitron and Cruz represented the U.S. as part of the 17U U.S. Girls’ Flag National Team at USA Football’s 2024 Junior International Cup. The tournament took place in Los Angeles at Dignity Health Sports Park, home of the LA Galaxy. Teams from Canada, Japan, Mexico and Panama competed at the 15U and 17U levels. Guitron and her teammates defeated Panama 27-7 in the 17U Girls’ Gold Medal Game. 

Images are available of Guitron from the Junior International Cup and U.S. National Team Training Camp courtesy of USA Football.  

USA Football, the governing body of American Football in the United States, selects, trains and leads the adult and junior U.S. National Teams for international competitions, including when flag football makes its Olympic debut on home soil in Los Angeles in 2028. 

Guitron is a champion on and off the field. During the 2024 high school season, she led Mira Costa to the Bay League Title, won league MVP honors, was named Daily Breeze Player of the Year and earned an All-CIF-SS Division 2 selection. She also recently competed at the first-ever Under Armour Next All-America Girl’s Flag Football Game in Orlando alongside five fellow U.S. National Team alumni.  

“I’m really proud of this group and their determination,” Guitron told the Daily Breeze in January. “There were so many times we could’ve quit but we gave 110 percent each game. I was able to build so many memories with everyone and our success couldn’t have been possible without the bond and support that we have for each other. Our senior season couldn’t have finished on a sweeter note, so I’m really grateful for this past season.”   

Guitron’s athletic career hasn’t always been smooth sailing. She underwent open heart surgery for a congenital heart condition at 11 years old but rebounded to become one of the nation’s premier flag football stars.  

“I think [the surgery] was probably one of the hardest things,” she told NBC Sports. “It was harder than being hospitalized and catching up with all that work that I missed because, for me, sports was such a way of life, so it was really hard for me to accept the fact that I couldn’t run. I couldn’t speed walk because they were afraid that my heart rate was going to kind of get too high. Then I’d just collapse.” 

Guitron undergoes annual tests with her cardiologist to monitor her health. She is committed to play flag football at NAIA powerhouse Keiser University in West Palm Beach, Fla. The Seahawks have produced several members of the U.S. Women’s National Team, including reigning Continental and World Champions Kennedy Foster and Ashlea Klam.  

About USA Football: USA Football is the governing body of American Football in the United States. As a Recognized Sports Organization of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee and the sole U.S. member of the International Federation of American Football, USA Football selects, trains and leads the U.S. National Teams in tackle and flag football disciplines, while delivering world-class football development resources, sport standards and competitive opportunities to empower athletes at every level. USA Football is committed to ensuring every athlete has access to develop and compete in the game through safer, inclusive and innovative pathways.