Nicole Olvera

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Nicole Olvera, Frankie Mgbolu, and Mario Portillo are three high school athletes who have excelled in their sports.

The Arizona Daily Star caught up with all of them to get their takes on various issues.

Junior, Sunnyside volleyball. Olvera shows her leadership skills on and off the court.

On this year's Phoenix Suns: "They will do pretty well this year if they blend well as a team. Last year was tough with Shaq coming over during the season. I won't say they have a better chance this year than in the past, but they will have a chance."

On her family traditions: "My whole family is big on sports. We do a lot of cookouts when there is a rivalry game on, mostly for the NBA and NFL."

On Sunnyside's Ignite Mentoring Program: "I've learned how to mentor incoming freshmen and help them to deal with issues. It's been a great experience for me as well as the other mentors and freshmen. The freshmen that take part in this have a better transition to the high school atmosphere."

Sophomore, St. Gregory soccer. Mgbolu leads his team in scoring with 13 goals this year. He scored 21 as a freshman and led the Hawks to a Class 1A-3A state runner-up finish.

On his favorite pro basketball and soccer players: "I really like Chris Paul. He makes a lot of smart decisions and is a team player. I also love to watch Samuel Eto'o. He is very explosive and you never know what he is going to do next."

On his nationality: "Most people don't know I am Nigerian. I don't have an accent like my parents do."

On fantasy basketball: "This is my second year playing fantasy basketball. It's a cool way to keep in touch with what's going on in the NBA. I hope to get Paul or Kobe Bryant on my team."

Senior, Catalina cross country. Portillo has received some recruiting interest from Yale University.

On running: "Cross country helps me to keep up with my grades so I can be eligible for the team and my fitness. I really just like running."

On next year's plans: "I plan to go to college next year but I'm not sure where yet. I want to be able to run in college, so I will go to wherever I am recruited."

On community service: "I am the co-chair of the MEChA (Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán) program at Catalina. We won an award last year … for being an active community-service group. This year we plan to paint a mural on school walls. That will help to eliminate some of the graffiti."