The star-studded and championship-filled 2025-26 school year in local sports was celebrated on Monday at the annual Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table Evening with the Athletes at Marjorie Luke Theater.
The high school and college athletes of the year were announced and a pair of coaches earned Coach of the Year, as selected by the local sports media.
SBART also celebrated the Scholar-Athletes of the Year, Phil Womble Ethics in Sports award recipients, special award winners and scholarship recipients at the event sponsored by UCLA Health and The Lab.
Bishop Diego’s Dillan Bennett served as the head coach for three different Cardinal squads to strong seasons on his way to being named the 2025-26 High School Coach of the Year.
In the fall, Bennett led the Cardinal girls volleyball team to a share of the Tri-Valley League championship and to a CIF playoff game win. In the winter, he took on the role of girls soccer head coach for the first time and was at the helm of a team that placed second in the Frontier League and reached the playoffs for the first time since 2022.
He rounded out the year this spring with a CIF Division 5 championship for the boys volleyball team, its first in program history. That team went 28-8 and undefeated in league play on its way to a Tri-Valley League championship as well.
Meanwhile, SBCC Baseball head coach Jeff Walker earned the 2025-26 College Coach of the Year award.
Walker led the Vaquero baseball team to one of its best seasons in program history, and it ended with them being ranked as the 9th-best team in California. While their final ranking was ninth, Walker and SBCC were one of the final eight junior college baseball teams left standing at the end of the season as they reached the Southern California Regional Finals for the fourth time ever.
After a strong regular season showing, the Vaqueros won the Riverside Regional to begin the postseason and followed that up with a sweep of rival Allan Hancock College in the Super Regionals. SBCC then took top-seeded Palomar to a winner-take-all game in the SoCal Finals to cap off a strong campaign.
The special award winners and scholarship recipients were Charlotte Cooney (Phil Womble Memorial Scholarship), Miles Evans (Open Athlete of the Year), Dayne Gingrich (Master Athlete of the Year), Micah Smith (James Ranta Memorial Scholarship), Duke Parker (Russ Morrison Memorial Scholarship) and Brysen Martinez-Stiles (Larry Crandell Memorial Scholarship).
Fall High School Athletes of the Year
Football – Sam Crawford – Bishop Diego
Crawford capped off his high school career with a stellar season on both sides of the ball. He was named the Marmonte League Co-Most Valuable Defensive Back after putting up five interceptions, four pass deflections and 66 tackles. He also ended with 23 catches for 451 yards and seven touchdowns at receiver. He led his team to an 8-3 record and reached the CIF Division 4 playoffs.
Co-Flag Football – Rio Chesluk – San Marcos
Chesluk was a force throughout the Channel League season winning the League MVP award and helping her team to a 23-4 record, a co-league title and the Division 1 Quarterfinals. On offense, she hauled in 120 catches for 1,121 yards, rushed for 155 yards and totaled 40 touchdowns (25 receiving, 8 passing, 7 rushing). On defense, she led her team with 12 interceptions from the safety position.
Co-Flag Football – Brooklyn Hedricks – Dos Pueblos
Hedricks was named the Channel League Defensive Player of the Year, but did it all for the Chargers in their 24-3 season where they were co-league champs and reached the Division 1 Semifinals. She totaled 190 flag pulls and 14 interceptions on defense, while adding 64 catches for 1,217 yards and 19 touchdowns on the offensive end.
Co-Girls Volleyball – Charlotte Hastings – San Marcos
Hastings was the centerpiece of an all-senior San Marcos volleyball team that won the Channel League championship with an undefeated record of 12-0. She was named the Channel League MVP in a season full of big performances for the Royals. In two matches against rival Santa Barbara, she had 19 and 15 kills, and was also named to the All-Tournament Team for the SB Tournament of Champions.
Co-Girls Volleyball – Oyin Opawumi – Cate
Opawumi shined for the Rams on their way to the program’s first ever CIF-SS championship, a Division 7 title. She was the Co-Tri-Valley League MVP with 266 total kills and 230 total digs in 16 matches for an average of a double-double. In the team’s postseason run, Oyin hammered a whopping 26 kills per match.
Boys Water Polo – Grant Nelson – Dos Pueblos
Nelson was a force in the pool for the Chargers, leading them to a Channel League championship, a 25-6 overall record and a trip to the CIF-SS Division 1 Semifinals. He was named to the All-Channel League First Team after scoring 84 goals, recording 43 steals, dishing out 32 assists and drawing 38 ejections on the season.
Girls Tennis – Nicole Buist – Santa Barbara High
Buist did one thing during her senior year last fall: win. She shined for the Dons, winning the Channel League Singles Title and the Co-Most Valuable Player honors. She went undefeated on the entire season across both singles and doubles play against Channel League opponents.
Girls Golf – Celeste Alcaraz – Dos Pueblos
Alcaraz was the best golfer in town this fall, taking first place in the Channel League championship match to be named the league’s Most Valuable Player. She was the medalist, or lowest scorer, for all of Dos Pueblos’ Channel League victories as the team won the league title.
Boys Cross Country – Owen Abbott – Dos Pueblos
Abbott led the pack consistently for a Dos Pueblos cross country team that won the CIF-Southern Section Division 2 championship. He was the 2nd overall finisher in the Channel League meet to lead his team to first place, he came in 11th overall in the Southern Section championship meet, and rounded out his season in 30th place in the Division 2 state meet, where DP placed 8th.
Girls Cross Country – Elsie Tuttle – San Marcos
Tuttle was the top local runner on the girls side this season, including a fourth-place finish in the Channel League meet to lead her Royals to the league title. She also came in 31st individually at the Southern Section Division 3 meet, where San Marcos placed 6th. She ended her year in 62nd place in the State Meet to guide her team to a top-10 showing.
Fall College Athletes of the Year
Men’s Soccer – Calle Mollerberg – UCSB
Mollerberg was the centerpiece of a strong Gaucho defense this year for a team that reached the Big West championship. He was named the Big West Defensive Player of the Year and to the All-Conference First Team after starting all 18 games for a defense that allowed just 3 goals in 9 conference matches and had nine shutouts.
Women’s Soccer – Zoe Minnery – SBCC
Minnery was an offensive machine for the Vaqueros on her way to the WSC North Co-Offensive Player of the Year award. She scored a conference-leading 18 goals and ended the year with 40 total points, which was also good for the conference lead. SBCC went 14-5-4 on the season and captured the WSC North title.
Women’s Volleyball – Stephanie Groswirt – SBCC
Groswirt filled up the stat sheet all season for an SBCC team that went 20-5 and won the WSC North championship. She played in every game on her way to WSC North Player of the Year honors and a spot on the All-Southern California Region Team. She finished top three on the team with 171 kills, 446 assists, 233 digs, 34 aces, and 30 blocks.
Women’s Golf – Aidie Smith – SBCC
Smith was the Vaqueros’ number one golfer this past season, taking fifth place individually at the SoCal Championships to lead the team to a fourth-place showing. She also shot a 170 across two days at the WSC Conference Championship, where SBCC took third place as a team.
Football – Nelson Smith – SBCC
Smith was a force on the defensive end for the Vaqueros last season, anchoring the defense from the linebacker position. He led the team with 79 total tackles, 32 more than the next closest player, and 13 ½ tackles for a loss. He also added on 2 ½ sacks for SBCC, which was good for second on the roster against some of the top junior college talent in the country.
Men’s Cross Country – Zach Parker – UCSB
Parker was one of the top runners in the conference this fall, helping power his Gauchos to a fourth-place showing in the Big West Championship team. He came in third place individually with a time of 24:23, and followed that up with a 42nd-place finish in the NCAA West Regionals Meet.
Women’s Cross Country – Addie Oversmith – UCSB
Oversmith made a grand entrance into Isla Vista, racing her way to the Big West Freshman of the Year award. She was the leading runner for UCSB in every meet throughout the season, and particularly shined in the conference meet, taking sixth place individually at the Big West Championship.
Women’s Water Polo – Ava Barclay – SBCC
Barclay was a force in the cage for the Vaqueros, who went an impressive 34-8, won the WSC championship and came in third place in the State. She totaled 308 saves, 102 steals and 54 assists and was rewarded as the WSC Player of the Year and a member of the SoCal All-American First Team.
Co-Men’s Water Polo – Danilo Dragovic – UCSB
Dragovic was one of the top offensive weapons in the Big West this season, claiming a spot on the All-Big West First Team. He led the Gauchos with 63 goals to go along with his 20 assists, which gave him the top spot in the Big West Conference in terms of points scored.
Co-Men’s Water Polo – Brock Zamanian – UCSB
Zamanian was just as effective for the Gauchos, finishing with 59 goals and 21 assists to take second in the Big West in points scored. He was also named to the All-Big West First Team and caps off his Gaucho career with the eighth-most goals in program history.
Winter High School Athletes of the Year
Boys Basketball – Koji Hefner – San Marcos
Hefner was a dominant force on the offensive and defensive ends for the Royals all season, and was rewarded as the Channel League Most Valuable Player. He averaged 18.7 points, 12.3 rebounds, 5.4 assists. 3.5 blocks and 3.1 steals per game on the season as he helped his team to second place in the Channel League and the second round of the CIF playoffs.
Co-Girls Basketball – Carly Letendre – Dos Pueblos
Letendre had a historic senior season for the Chargers, setting the program’s all-time scoring record with 1,374 points and the all-time three-point mark with 255. She averaged 15.3 points and 5.5 rebounds per game to earn a spot on the All-Channel League First Team. Dos Pueblos had a strong playoff run as well, reaching the Division 2 Quarterfinals.
Co-Girls Basketball – Eden Wynne – Bishop Diego
Wynne was a central piece for the Cardinal team that won the Tri-Valley League and the CIF-Southern Section Division 5 Championship. She was named to the All-Tri-Valley League First Team and was the CIF-SS D5 Player of the Year, averaging an impressive 15.8 points, 10 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.7 steals per game in 20 games played.
Co-Boys Soccer – Baylor Wilson – Laguna Blanca
Wilson was in the middle of the action all season long for the Owls on his way to the Frontier League Offensive Player of the Year award. He scored 31 goals to set a new single-season program record in scoring, to go along with his eight assists. His season helped power Laguna Blanca to its first Frontier League title in 11 years.
Co-Boys Soccer – George Marin – Cate
Marin also had an impressive season on the offensive end, leading the Cate scoring charge and earning the title of Tri-Valley League Offensive Player of the Year. He consistently found himself with multiple goals in a game, helping his team to a Tri-Valley League championship and a playoff victory.
Girls Soccer – Vivian Huskins – Carpinteria High
Huskins was the centerpiece of a lockdown Warrior defense this season, earning the Citrus Coast League Defensive Most Valuable Player Award. In 11 of the team’s 19 matches, Vivian and Carpinteria pitched a shutout to power the program to its first-ever Citrus Coast League title and a spot in the Division 5 playoffs.
Girls Water Polo – Charlotte Raisin – San Marcos
Raisin capped off her historic high school season with another Channel League Most Valuable Player award and San Marcos’ fifth consecutive Channel League title. The USC signee was consistently one of, if not the top player in the pool on both ends as the Royals reached the Open Division Semifinals and the SoCal Regional Finals.
Co-Boys Wrestling – Ethan Ono – Dos Pueblos
Ono was the top 215-pound wrestler in the Channel League this year, winning the league championship and being named the Channel League Upper Weight Outstanding Wrestler. He was also the CIF-Southern Section Eastern Division champion at 215 pounds and qualified for the Masters Meet.
Co-Boys Wrestling – Brandon Velasquez – Dos Pueblos
Velasquez was impressive in the competitive 157-pound division, where he won the Channel League title and finished as the CIF-Southern Section Eastern Division Runner-Up. He came in fifth at the Masters Meet and was the lone local wrestler to reach the State Meet, where he placed in the top 20.
Girls Wrestling – Arian Valladares – Dos Pueblos
Valladares was the top girls wrestler in town this season, finishing as the Channel League Runner-Up in the 100-pound division. She came in 5th at the CIF-Southern Section Eastern Division Championships and went 3-2 at the Masters Meet.
Winter College Athletes of the Year
Men’s Basketball – Jarrett Bryant – Westmont
Bryant led the Warriors to a strong season where they went 14-8 in PacWest play and reached the conference championship game. He averaged 15.6 points and 4.8 rebounds per game while shooting 42.2% from three-point land on his way to an All-PacWest First Team selection.
Women’s Basketball – Zoe Borter – UCSB
Borter was the leading scorer for the Gauchos this season, who went 20-10 overall and 12-8 against Big West opponents. She scored 15.1 points per game and led the Big West with a 41.3% mark from beyond the three-point line, earning a spot on the All-Big West Second Team.
Men’s Swimming – Elek Zettle – UCSB
Zettle was one of the top swimmers for the Gaucho men’s team all season long, capping off his campaign with a third-place finish in the 200 freestyle at the Big West championship meet. The UCSB men placed fourth as a team in the conference championship.
Women’s Swimming – Samantha Banos – UCSB
Banos continued her strong career with an individual Big West championship in the 200 butterfly and second-place showings in the 200 freestyle and 500 freestyle at the conference meet. She also competed in the 200 butterfly at the NCAA Championship meet, where she placed 19th in the Prelim round.
Spring High School Athletes of the Year
Baseball – Matti Di Maggio – Dos Pueblos
Di Maggio made history in his freshman season as a Charger, setting a new program record for home runs in a season with 11. He ended with a .508 batting average and a 1.743 OPS, totaling 36 hits, 37 runs scored and 22 RBIs in 31 games. He was a consistent dominant force at the leadoff spot for Dos Pueblos, which shared the Channel League title and reached the CIF D3 Quarterfinals.
Softball – Anastasia Brunner – Dos Pueblos
Brunner capped off her Charger career in style, leading her team to a share of a Channel League title and into the CIF D3 Semifinals. She had an impressive .588 batting average and a 1.749 OPS with 60 hits, 10 homers, 37 RBI and 46 runs scored in 28 games. Brunner was crowned the Channel League Most Valuable Player to commemorate her season.
Co-Boys Volleyball – Matteo Burdick – San Marcos
Burdick was an electric force on the outside for the Royals, who went 25-3, won the Channel League championship and reached the CIF Division 1 playoffs. He was named the Channel League MVP after leading his team in kills, aces and blocks. He was also the SB Tournament of Champions MVP, leading his team to the tournament title.
Co-Boys Volleyball – John Michael Flint – Bishop Diego
Flint had a standout season as Bishop Diego’s outside hitter, helping lead the team to a CIF D5 championship. He was the Tri-Valley League MVP and a member of the All-CIF team. In 99 sets played, he totaled 440 kills, 56 service aces, 34 blocks and 190 digs for the Cardinals’ historic team.
Girls Beach Volleyball – Cora Loomer/Evyn Miller – San Marcos
Loomer and Miller were the top duo in town all season long, going undefeated in league play throughout the regular season to help the Royals to a Channel League title. The pairing won the league pairs championship and was named the Channel League Most Valuable Pair. In the postseason, they took ninth place at the CIF-SS Individual Pairs Tournament.
Co-Boys Lacrosse – Koa Birchim – Dos Pueblos
Birchim was named the Co-Channel League MVP after helping Dos Pueblos to a Co-Channel League title, the program’s third straight. He scored 27 goals and led the Chargers with 26 assists, 53 points and 70 ground balls. Birchim and the Chargers went 9-5 in the regular season and reached the CIF-SS Division 2 playoffs.
Co-Boys Lacrosse – Mason Bosma – Santa Barbara High
Bosma was also named the Co-Channel League MVP and had a key role in his team being crowned Co-Channel League champions for the first time in program history. He scored nine goals, dished out seven assists, scooped up a team-high 97 ground balls and won 62% of the face-offs he participated in. The Dons went 12-3 and competed in the CIF-SS Division 2 playoffs.
Co-Girls Lacrosse – Linnea Clapinski – Dos Pueblos
Clapinski was one of the most prolific scorers in the state this year, leading her team to second place in the Channel League and earning the Co-Channel League MVP award. She scored a whopping 103 goals to finish second in the CIF Southern Section and third in California, and led the entire Channel League in points with 113.
Co-Girls Lacrosse – Victoria Aldana – San Marcos
Aldana was a key member of San Marcos’ third consecutive Channel League championship team, doing a little bit of everything to share the Channel League MVP award. On the season, she scored 46 goals and recorded 38 assists to total 84 points, and also collected 32 ground balls and forced 14 turnovers. The Royals went 16-4 and reached the second round of the D2 playoffs.
Boys Track & Field – Kellan Cotter – Dos Pueblos
Cotter racked up the awards this spring, including winning an individual CIF-SS D2 championship in the 400-meter race. He was also the Channel League champion and Santa Barbara County Runner-Up in the 200 and 400-meter races. It was a record-breaking season as well, as he set new program records in each of those races to help his team to a County Championship and a share of the league title.
Girls Track & Field – Elina Stump – Santa Barbara High
Stump stood out in several events throughout the season, claiming Channel League titles in the 100 hurdles, triple jump and 300 hurdles, while finishing as the league runner-up in the long jump. She was the CIF-SS D2 Runner-Up in the triple jump and 100 hurdles, and reached the preliminary round of the State meet in the long jump and 100 hurdles.
Boys Swimming – Eli Carnaghe – Dos Pueblos
Carnaghe had a season to remember, headlined by Channel League and Tri-County individual championships in the 50 freestyle and 100 freestyle. He set a new school and Channel League record in the 50 freestyle with a time of 20.61 seconds. He also came in second in the 100 freestyle and third in the 50 freestyle at the CIF D2 Championship meet.
Girls Swimming – Tierney Clark – Bishop Diego
Clark racked up the accolades this spring, beginning with Tri-Valley League championships in the 50 freestyle and 200 freestyle. She was also the Tri-County Runner-Up in the 100 freestyle and 200 freestyle. She capped off her season in style, claiming CIF Division 4 championships in the 100 freestyle and 200 freestyle races.
Boys Tennis – Ciaran Tober-Bridges – Dos Pueblos
Tober-Bridges made his mark in his freshman year, dominating his way through Channel League action en route to an undefeated singles record. He won the Channel League Singles Championship and played a pivotal role in Dos Pueblos capturing the CIF-SS Division 4 Championship.
Co-Boys Golf – Austin Downing – San Marcos
Downing improved as the season went on, capping off the regular season by claiming the Channel League championship after shooting three-under-par across 36 holes. He also advanced to the CIF-SS Individual Northern Regional and shined at the SCGA Team Qualifier, shooting six-under-par in an 18-hole match to finish first in a field of 130 golfers.
Co-Boys Golf – Andy Keenan – San Marcos
Keenan was the other half of San Marcos’ formidable top duo, taking second in the Channel League Championship match. As an individual, he advanced to the CIF-SS Northern Regional and competed in the Individual Championships. He finished the season ranked as the No. 6 overall golfer in the CIF Southern Section.
Spring College Athletes of the Year
Baseball – Jackson Flora – UCSB
Flora has been arguably the best pitcher in the nation all season long, claiming the Big West Pitcher of the Year award and helping his team to a share of the Big West regular season title. In the regular season, he ended with a nation-best ERA of 1.03 across 87 ⅓ innings. He struck out a total of 115 batters and held a 0.89 WHIP, going 10-0 in his Friday starts.
Softball – Dani Rauscher – UCSB
Rauscher made an immediate impact in her first year in Isla Vista for the Gaucho softball team, winning the Big West Freshman of the Year and earning a spot on the All-Big West Freshman Team and All-Big West First Team. She led the team with 64 hits and a .410 batting average to go along with 35 runs scored and a strong .868 OPS.
Women’s Beach Volleyball – Stephanie Groswirt/Camryn Chapman – SBCC
Groswirt and Chapman played a pivotal role in the Vaquero beach volleyball team capturing the WSC North Conference title with a record of 11-1. The duo went a team-best 14-2 on the season and was the lone SBCC duo to come away with wins in each of its matches at the State Championship.
Women’s Swimming – Trinity Link – SBCC
Link filled up her individual trophy case this spring and helped the Vaqueros to a WSC championship and a State-Runner Up team finish. She claimed state championships in the 100 fly and 100 IM, and was a member of the state champion 200 medley relay team. She also took third in the state in the 200 IM, and her state-champion time in the 100 IM was a new school record.
Men’s Volleyball – George Bruening – UCSB
Bruening was the leader of the UCSB offensive attack throughout the season, powering his way to the All-Big First Team and an All-American Honorable Mention. His impressive 306 kills led the team, while his marks of 3.73 kills per set and 4.3 points per set were top 20 in the nation. He also chipped in 97 digs and 60 blocks on the defensive end.
Men’s Tennis – Lucca Liu – UCSB
Liu was a force to be reckoned with, no matter where he was in the matchup, earning a spot on the All-Big West Singles First Team and the All-Big West Doubles First Team. He went 16-9 in singles to help the Chargers to an 18-8 record and the program’s fifth straight Big West Championship.
Women’s Tennis – Ekua Youri – UCSB
Youri was a consistent presence throughout the season for the Gauchos, wrapping up the year by earning the Big West Player of the Year award. She was named to the All-Big West First Team for both singles and doubles play, going 18-11 in singles. Ekua and the UCSB Women’s Tennis team captured the Big West Championship.
Men’s Track & Field – Finn Andrews – UCSB
Andrews was one of the top sprinters and hurdlers for the Gauchos this season, and his season ended on a high note with a Big West championship in the 400-meter hurdles. He set a new UCSB school record in the event with the win, crossing the finish line in 49.88 seconds. He broke his own record in the event, as he previously earned the top mark when he finished in third in the Mt. SAC Invitational.
Women’s Track & Field – Kiala Haas – SBCC
Haas turned up her performance late in the season for the Vaqueros, shining at the WSC Finals at the 3C2A State Meet. She claimed first place in the 800-meter race and second in the 1,500-meter race to lead the charge at the WSC Finals, and she followed that up with a podium finish in the state meet by taking third in the 800-meter race.
Women’s Water Polo – Cami Mras – UCSB
Mras was the top offensive threat for the Gauchos all season long, earning a spot on the All-Big West Honorable Mention list. She scored a team-high 28 goals in the team’s 28 games played, including tallying four hat tricks throughout the year.
Men’s Golf – Reynaldo Rodriguez – SBCC
Rodriguez was the top golfer for the Vaqueros this spring, earning a spot on the All-Western State Conference Team and reaching the State Championships as an individual. He shot a 139 across 2 days at the WSC Championship to finish atop the field. His consistent presence in the SBCC lineup helped the team to a WSC team title.