The top student-athletes in the Santa Barbara area were honored at Tuesday’s Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table Evening with the Athletes at Marjorie Luke Theater.
Athletes of the Year for the high school and college level were handed out and a pair of coaches were named the Coaches of the Year. They were decided by the local sports media members.
On top of these awards, the Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table honored the Scholar Athletes of the Year, the Phil Womble Ethics in Sports Award winners, several special awards and scholarship winners.
Olivia Perdices was named the High School Coach of the Year for her efforts in coaching the Santa Barbara High cross country and track & field teams.
Perdices guided the Dons to their best cross country season in program history, winning the CIF-SS championship over a stacked field and their first-ever CIF state title. As a result, she was named the CCA State Cross Country Coach of the Year.
She has also helped lead the Dons to a strong Track & Field season where several individual athletes reached the CIF State Meet.
Chuckie Roth took home College Coach of the Year honors after guiding both the SBCC Women’s Water Polo and Women’s Swim and Dive teams to state championships.
In the fall with women’s water polo, the Vaqueros finished with a record-breaking 37-1 record and a 3C2A State Title.
This spring, he coached many of the same student-athletes to a 3C2A State Title in Girls Swimming, the program’s first state championship.
The special award winners included Rusty Snow as the Open Athlete of the Year and Maggie Mason as the Master Athlete of the Year.
The event also marked the end of Alison Bernal’s two-year term as the Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table president. Bryan Cornet will now step into the role.
Fall High School Athletes of the Year
Boys Water Polo: Nic Prentice – SMHS
Prentice led the Royals to a Channel League championship and the program’s first CIF-SS title since 1994. He earned Channel League MVP and CIF-SS Div. 2 MVP.
Girls Volleyball: Eliana Urzua – BDHS
Urzua was a dominant force for the Cardinals all season long, putting up big kill numbers. She was the Tri-Valley League MVP and on the All-League First Team.
Girls Golf: Sagarika Manian – DPHS
Manian made it three Channel League Championships in a row in her junior season in the fall. She was also named the Channel League MVP.
Girls Tennis: Mel Mayo – DPHS
Mayo earned a spot on the All-Channel League First Team. She came out on top over teammate Ellie Triplett for the Channel League Singles Championship.
Boys Cross Country: Andreas Dybdahl – SBHS
After a great league season earned him a place on the All-Channel League First Team, he was the CIF-SS Div. 2 individual champion and was the runner-up in the State meet.
Girls Cross Country: Kiala Haas – SMHS
Haas ended the year as the only local girls runner on the All-Channel League First Team. She placed 4th in the league meet and won the SB County Championships.
Flag Football: Gianna Nichols – DPHS
Nichols was the QB for the Chargers, helping them to an impressive 14-3 record and a 6-1 mark in league play. They averaged 24 points per game.
Tackle Football: Abel Renteria – SBHS
Renteria threw for over 2,000 yards and 16 touchdowns while rushing for just under 300 yards and 10 touchdowns. He was on the All-League First Team and was Co-QB of the Year.
Fall College Athletes of the Year
Men’s Soccer: Charles Retzer – SBCC
Retzer led the team to second place in the conference with 12 goals and 28 points, earning a spot on the All-Region Team and the All-WSC North First Team.
Women’s Soccer: Anna Kirk – SBCC
Kirk earned the conference’s Goalkeeper of the Year award and a spot on the All-Conference First Team with 57 saves in 14 matches and a save percentage of 80%.
Women’s Golf: Sophie McCoy – SBCC
McCoy’s average score on the season was 83.5, which was good for 7th in the conference, the top mark for SBCC and the honor of All-Conference First Team.
Football: Matt Croteau – SBCC
Croteau anchored the Vaquero defense all season long, flying around the field from the linebacker position. He was a Unanimous First-Team All-Conference selection.
Men’s Cross Country: Zola Sokhela – Westmont
Sokhela finished 10th at the Conference Championship meet and earned a spot on the All-PacWest Second team. He won the title at the NCCAA Championships in the 8K race.
Women’s Cross Country: Stina Johansson – UCSB
Johansson was the top Gaucho finisher in all of the team’s races in the fall, including a 103rd-place finish in the NCAA West Regional meet and 102nd in the Big West meet.
Women’s Volleyball: Michelle Ohwobete – UCSB
Ohwobete was dominant on the outside for the Gauchos and was rewarded with a Big West Player of the Year Award as well as All-American honors.
Women’s Water Polo: Claire Daland – SBCC
Daland was the WSC Player of the Year with 13 goals, 17 steals and five assists. She helped her team to its second straight State Championship and its 9th straight conference title.
Men’s Water Polo: Dash McFarland – UCSB
McFarland earned the honor of Big West Player of the Year and Second-Team All-American. He scored 82 goals, the fifth-most in program history.
Winter High School Athletes of the Year
Boys Basketball: Luke Zuffelato – SBHS
Zuffelato averaged 27.7 points and 7 rebounds per game, broke the program record for points in a single season and points in a single game. He was the Channel League MVP and led his team to a share of the league title.
Girls Basketball: Justine Katz – DPHS
Katz put up 16.9 points and 5.3 rebounds per game, setting the program record for points in a game and threes in a game on her way to an All-Channel League First Team selection.
Boys Soccer: Jesus Miranda – SBHS
Miranda scored 16 goals and had six assists in 23 games, finishing as the League MVP Runner-Up and leading the Dons to an 8-4-2 record and a playoff win.
Girls Soccer: Madelyn Jones – DPHS
Jones was an All-Channel League First Team selection for the Chargers, who were the lone local team to reach the CIF playoffs.
Girls Water Polo: Charlotte Raisin – SMHS
Raisin helped lead her team to an overall record of 23-8, a league record of 7-0 and a Channel League championship. She was named the Channel League MVP.
Girls Wrestling: Victoria Bernard – DPHS
Bernard turned in an impressive season and made it all the way to the Channel League championships for the Chargers, but she was forced to back out due to an injury.
Boys Wrestling: Shaun Vague – DPHS
Vague had a dominant season for the Chargers with an overall record of 29-8, winning the Channel League championship at 132 pounds and qualifying for the CIF-SS Masters meet.
Winter College Athletes of the Year
Men’s Basketball: Ajay Mitchell – UCSB
Mitchell capped off his career in style, earning a spot on the All-Big West 1st Team and the District 9 1st Team. He is projected to be drafted in the 2nd round of the 2024 NBA Draft.
Women’s Basketball: Alexis Whitfield – UCSB
Whitfield was named to the All-Big West First Team. Her 14.6 points per game was second in the conference while her 9.6 rebounds per contest led the Big West.
Men’s Swimming: Austin Sparrow – UCSB
Sparrow earned All-Mountain Pacific Sports Federation First Team honors in the 200 IM and the 200 freestyle. He also was on the Second Team in five races.
Women’s Swimming: Samantha Banos – UCSB
Banos finished on the All-Mountain Pacific Sports Federation First Team in the 100 butterfly and the 200 butterfly.
Spring High School Athletes of the Year
Girls Beach Volleyball: Cora Loomer/Josie Gamberdella – SMHS
Loomer and Gamberdella led their team to a perfect league season, a Channel League championship and were named the Channel League MVPs.
Baseball: Jesse Di Maggio – DPHS
Di Maggio ended the year with a batting average of .506, 42 hits, 33 RBI, 33 runs and a program-record 10 HR. He was the Channel League MVP.
Softball: Caitlyn Early – SMHS
Early had a batting average of .465 with 20 hits, 16 RBI and 16 runs scored. She was named to the All-Channel League First Team.
Boys Lacrosse: Daniel Finneran – DPHS
Finneran helped Dos Pueblos to its best season in program history, winning the league title and reaching the CIF-SS Semifinals. He led the Channel League in goals, assists and points.
Girls Lacrosse: Mia Martinez-Tomatis – SMHS
Martinez-Tomatis helped lead the team to an overall record of 16-2 and a perfect 10-0 in Channel League play. She had 38 goals, 23 assists and 61 points.
Boys Volleyball: Cameron Earls – SMHS
Earls played a massive role in the San Marcos Royals winning the Channel League title and putting together a dominant 32-3 season. He was the Channel League MVP.
Boys Tennis: Matthew Chung – SMHS
Chung lost just one match across singles and doubles play during his senior season, and capped it off with a Channel League title in doubles.
Boys Tennis: Jed Greenwald – SMHS
Greenwald had a dominant year of his own for the Royals, earning the Channel League singles championship. He also lost just one league match.
Boys Swimming: Jackson Melton – CARP
Melton set new individual school records in the 50 free, 100 free, 200 free and 100 breaststroke. He was also a part of the record-breaking 4×50 free and 4×100 free teams.
Girls Swimming: Taylor Steelman – SMHS
Steelman placed fifth in the 500 freestyle at both the state meet and the CIF championships. She placed 8th in the 200 IM at the CIF meet and 15th at the state meet.
Girls Swimming: Sierra Tallman – SMHS
Tallman finished 7th in the 100 freestyle and 200 freestyle in the CIF meet. At the Mt. SAC Meet of Champions, she broke a 44-year-old school record in the 200 individual medley.
Boys Track & Field: Blaise Snow – SBHS
Snow won the Channel League in the 800 meter and helped the 4×800 relay team to a program record. At the CIF State meet, he ran a PR and placed 8th in the 800 meter.
Girls Track & Field: Avery Leck – SMHS
Leck was the County Champion in the 100 hurdles, the 100-meter dash, the long jump and the high jump, while also ending the year undefeated in league meets in the 100 hurdles.
Boys Golf: Shams Jahangir-Arshad – SMHS
Jahangir-Arshad shot 13 under par to win the individual Channel League title, nine strokes ahead of the pack. In 19 rounds in the regular season, he finished a total of 38 under par.
Boys Golf: Teddy Vigna – DPHS
Vigna was 4th in the league championship and won the CIF-SS Northern Region Individual Title with a course record of 9-under-par.
Spring College Athletes of the Year
Women’s Beach Volleyball: Olivia Medina/Ashley Rossi – SBCC
Medina and Rossi finished as the 3C2A State Pairs Runner-Up, the WSC Pairs Champions, the SoCal Pairs Regional winners and the WSC Pair of the Year.
College Baseball: Ryan Gallagher – UCSB
Gallagher wrapped up the season with a 2.27 ERA and a WHIP of 0.82 (1st in nation) in 83 1/3 innings pitched. He went 9-1 with 93 strikeouts.
College Baseball: Tyler Bremner – UCSB
Bremner was just as dominant, ending with an ERA of 2.63 and a 0.84 WHIP (2nd in nation) in 82 innings pitched. He went 11-0 with 96 strikeouts.
College Softball: Madelyn McNally – UCSB
McNally finished off a historic Gaucho career with her fourth straight First Team All-Big West selection. She leaves UCSB as the school’s all-time leader in career batting average at .403.
Women’s Swimming: Maddie Myers – SBCC
At the state meet, Myers placed 1st in the 100 freestyle, 2nd in the 200 freestyle and 3rd in the 50 freestyle. She also anchored the state champion 400 relay, 200 medley relay and 400 medley teams.
Men’s Volleyball: Geste Bianchi – UCSB
Bianchi earned a spot on the All-Big West First Team and the title of All-American Honorable Mention. He was first in NCAA in kills at 4.82 per set and second in points with 5.48 per set.
Men’s Tennis: Pablos Masjuan – UCSB
Masjuan was named the Big West Player of the Year. In the postseason, he reached the Round of 16 at the NCAA Championships.
Women’s Tennis: Amelia Honer – UCSB
Honer won her second consecutive Big West Player of the Year honor. In the NCAA Championships, she reached the Elite 8.
Men’s Track & Field: Ryan Gregory – SBCC
Gregory won the 3C2A State Decathlon Championship, where he totaled 7,044 points, a modern-day SBCC record.
Women’s Track & Field: Kennedy Johnson – UCSB
Johnson ended the year with a second-place finish in the triple jump at the Big West Championship meet with a program record. She set and broke her own record three times in 2024.
Women’s Water Polo: Leigh Lyter – UCSB
Lyter led the team with 40 goals for her third straight 40-goal season. She ends her career at UCSB as the ninth-best goal scorer with 128 total goals.
Men’s Golf: Jacob Aaron – SBCC
Aaron helped the Vaqueros to a third-place finish at the 3C2A State Championship this season, shooting a 72 on the final day of competition.