Two Santa Barbara High student-athletes started their spring breaks by achieving big accomplishments in their respective sports.
Wrestler Pepper Marks earned high school All-American honors with an eight-place finish at the National High School Coaches Association Wrestling National Championships in Virginia Beach.
In volleyball, Ford Harman played on a team with professional players that won the SoCal Cup 4-Man Beach Volleyball Tournament in Hermosa Beach.
Wrestling
Marks, a two-time CIF-SS champion and 2023 State Championships podium finisher, went 2-3 in the 235-pound weight class at the NHSCA Nationals.
She opened with a victory over Quincee Robinson of Idaho and then lost a tough 1-0 decision against Allie Phillips of Mark Keppel High of the Southern Section in the quarterfinals. Phillips ended up winning the national title.
“Our match strategy against Allie was to stay within a takedown into the third period and try to win it on our feet late,” said coach Marc Fidel. “Pepper executed the game plan as the score was 1-0 heading into the final period.
“We chose to be on our feet where a takedown and a ride out would secure the match, but there’s a reason why Allie is the National Champion. She is difficult to score on in any position.”
Marks bounced back with a pin against Caroline Biegel of New Jersey in the All-American Round, where a win keeps you in the top eight for national honors.
“We didn’t emphasize the importance of this match but rather discussed how far Pepper has come and how talented she is,” said Fidel. “Have fun and let it fly were the last words she heard from our corner.”
Marks faced another Southern Section wrestler, Kyree Rubio of Canyon Springs, and lost 3-0, putting her in for the 7th place match on Sunday morning.
She faced AaLiyah Grammar from Missouri in the seventh-place match and dropped a controversial 3-2 decision.
“Pepper scored the first takedown and twice got a one count for back points but couldn’t hold either one long enough to score,” said Fidel. “Grammar had choice in the second period and chose top, which is a sign that she’s a ‘turner’ and she feels comfortable scoring from top position.
“Pepper held on for all but the last two seconds of the period and got turned as time expired.
“After a brief check with the table and the ref, the ref took the points down only to have the Missouri coach challenge. After a brief discussion, the points went back up and Pepper lost 3-2.”
By finishing in the top eight, Marks joins Ati Conner of Dos Pueblos as the only area wrestlers to earn high school All-American honors. Conner placed seventh in 1996.
Beach Volleyball
Harman was recruited to a team that included beach volleyball professional and Olympian Taylor Crabb, indoor volleyball national team member, two-time Olympian and silver medalist Taylor Sander, AVP standout Troy Fields and Jihlani Tavai, a linebacker for the New England Patriots and an alum of Mira Costa High.
Harman and his team of professionals reached the side-out scoring final and played a quartet of NCAA Division 1 legends and AVP beach volleyball pros Dylan Maarek, Hagen Smith, Duncan Budinger and Curt Toppel.
Harman, a junior at SBHS who has made a verbal commitment to play indoor volleyball at Long Beach State, served an ace for the final point in a 15-10 victory.