Passion fuels Iliana Telles’ Division I jump

But those backyard games gave Iliana Telles that drive, that passion, that will and that hunger for victory.

“Playing on the court with my siblings and my dad, they never took it easy on me,” Telles said. “They love challenging me and my little brother Aidan. It’s a struggle, but it’s fun. The aggressiveness they show me on the court transfers to how aggressive I am. I’ve learned to never back down and to stand my ground. I have become stronger because they made me stronger. They pushed me and it made me improve.”

Telles is taking that competitive edge and relentless pursuit of perfection to the Division I level at Portland State University, where she accepted a scholarship to play golf starting in the 2017-2018 season.

Aside from her all-league athletic endeavors on the links or the basketball court, Iliana’s curiosity from crime dramas and shows sparked an interest in her criminal justice major.

The search for clues, finding the facts and coming to a conclusion are things, just like sports, that get her blood pumping.

“All of my life I wanted to be a police officer or a part of the FBI,” Telles said. “I always dreamed of being a professional golfer, too, but if that doesn’t work out, again, I would love to work in some form of law enforcement.”

Both of Iliana’s older siblings, her sister Nadia and brother Damian, previously starred for The Dalles High School in multiple sports and chose the collegiate route upon graduation.

It is their advice and words of wisdom that can help pave the way for scholastic and athletic success at the next level.

Damian was beyond proud to see his little sister make this jump, and added that it will be Iliana’s overall game and her ability to adapt to the lifestyle of being a student-athlete that will rise to the forefront.

At the University of Idaho, Damian said his first year was a wakeup call.

It all comes down to having the proper mindset.

“First of all, you are on your own. You don’t have mommy and daddy there to push you or tell you to do things,” Damian said. “You got to take that initiative as a young adult and get things done on your own, especially in the classroom, most of all. Secondly, it is all going to come down to if she wants to be part of the group or if she wants to stand out in the group. If she wants to compete against the best, she is going to have to step it up another level to get better.”

Iliana Telles is an all-league basketball player and earned all-league status in 2015 as a volleyball player.

On the golf course, she has placed in the top 10 at the Oregon 5A Golf Championships in her first three campaigns, rising in the final standings each season.

Telles turned in an eighth-place finish as a freshman with a score of 176 at Emerald Valley Country Club in Creswell.

She then carded a 155 for a fourth-place tie at Trysting Tree Golf Club in Corvallis as a sophomore.

This past spring, at the 2016 5A State Golf Tournament on Quail Valley Golf Course in Banks, Telles started off the second day with two straight bogeys, but over the final 16 holes, she rebounded with nine pars and four birdies to tally the lowest total of the field for a 73 and a two-day total of 150 to end up tied for second place.

The Dalles High School athletic director Mike Somnis has seen Iliana take her game to new heights through maturity, leadership, work ethic and drive.

He said it is always a great feeling, as an administrator and former coach, to see athletes receive college opportunities.

“Iliana has been a standout athlete for The Dalles High School for the past three-plus years. She is a great kid with great competitiveness that comes from a very supportive family,” Somnis said. “She is a great representation of what a Riverhawk athlete is all about.”

As another one of his children makes the jump up to continue athletics collegiately, Dan Telles says that there is nothing more fulfilling than to see all athletes enjoy great achievements on and off the court or field.

It is an element of parental pride, but mostly community pride, that gives young athletes and parents a sense of hope.

“My wife and I are like all parents. We are proud of our children’s’ accomplishments, we are always worrying for their safety, and we have hope that they become good, contributing citizens,” Dan said. “So, when others say that she is a good kid and will represent The Dalles with dignity and class, that’s the best compliment parents can receive. Iliana will be fine.”

Still early in her senior sports season, Iliana has a full basketball schedule to play out, and then she turns her focus to tackling the 5A golf field next spring.

Once she graduates in June, the new journey begins.

When she takes the time to soak in the moments in school, in sports or at the dinner table, she will shed a tear and crack a smile at the many battles she faced in her own backyard.

Those are memories nobody can take away.

“I was inspired by my two older siblings and they pushed me to be the best I can be,” Iliana said. “They were and still are amazing athletes. My siblings tell me how excited they are for me, so it makes me feel like I succeeded and that I accomplished my goal. I always hoped to be as good as them some day and I finally did it. My coaches and my dad have told me that it will be a challenge and to never give up and I will go through hard times, but that I should always move forward and stay positive.”