Carpinteria High standout Vivian Huskins was named the school’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year as local high school winter sports made their first trip to the Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table Press Luncheon of 2026 on Monday at Harry’s Plaza Cafe.
While Huskins was honored to begin the luncheon, she was followed by teams providing season updates as the winter sports schedule reaches the midway point this week.
A full video of Monday’s luncheon, including reports from local coaches, will be linked here when made available by SBART.
Carpinteria High Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Huskins has shined on the soccer pitch, as a track standout and as a cheerleader during her time as a Warrior, and she has done all that while also excelling in the classroom.
The senior is a captain of the Carpinteria High soccer team and currently boasts a 4.8 GPA, with a course load that includes AP Literature, AP US Government, SBCC Calculus and SBCC Physics.
“I’m so incredibly grateful to be recognized as this year’s scholar athlete of the year for Carpinteria High School,” Huskins said. “I’m incredibly proud to represent what it means to work hard both in the classroom and in competition.”
Huskins has made school history on the track, as she currently holds the 100-meter sophomore record and has earned All-League First and Second Team honors. She is also a Citrus Coast League and County Champion in the 100-meter and 200-meter, respectively.
Meanwhile, she is a two-time Carpinteria Defensive MVP and has been named to both the All-League First Team and Second Team as a soccer player.
“This award reflects the support of so many different people who have influenced me daily,” Huskins said. “My coaches have pushed me to be the best version of myself, no matter the circumstances.
“My teachers have always challenged me academically. My teammates have motivated me every day, even on the hard days. Most importantly, my family supported me through early mornings and late nights and always believed in me, even when I didn’t believe in myself.”
Huskins is the fourth of 11 Scholar-Athletes of the Year for this school year, joining Dos Pueblos’ Elliot McGuire, Laguna Blanca’s Bennett Sullivan, Providence’s Annika Haugen and Bishop Diego’s Jaymi Coronado.
The award is sponsored by Marc Gamberdella of the Gamberdella-Spruill Group of Merrill Lynch.
“Balancing academics and athletics hasn’t always been easy, but this experience has taught me so much discipline, perseverance, and most importantly, really, really great time management,” Huskins said.
High School Winter Sports Enter the New Year
With the calendar switching over to January to usher in the New Year, the local winter sports teams have entered a crucial stretch of league action leading up to the CIF-SS playoffs.
On the hardwood, Santa Barbara High boys basketball has yet to lose a Channel League game and sits atop the standings at 6-0. Meanwhile, San Marcos is tied with Oxnard in second place at 4-2 and Dos Pueblos currently stands tied for fourth at 2-4.
The league standings add another layer to an already-intense rivalry battle between the Dons and the Royals on Friday at 7 p.m. inside the Thunderhut.
“At San Marcos is always the most difficult game of the year, playing there,” Santa Barbara High head coach Greg Zuffelato said. “They have a great home venue, very tough place to play, very tough to shoot, which is our strength.
“As we go into the second half of league, we’re going to have a two-game lead, so if we can maintain the way we’ve been playing, we’re hoping to finish out strong.”
On the girls side, Dos Pueblos and San Marcos are currently locked in a three-way tie with Oxnard for second place in the Channel League basketball standings. The Chargers will be on the road against Oxnard on Thursday as they look to jump up in the standings.
As for the Channel League boys soccer race, San Marcos is knotted up in first place with Oxnard at 4-1-1 in league. Meanwhile, Santa Barbara High and Dos Pueblos are tied for fourth place at 2-4.
The Charger girls soccer team has shined in league play thus far, going 5-1 to maintain sole possession of first place in the Channel League.
In the pool, Dos Pueblos and San Marcos are both undefeated in Channel League play, leading up to a much-anticipated rivalry clash on Thursday at 3:15 p.m. at San Marcos.
Over in the Tri-Valley League, Bishop Diego’s boys basketball and boys soccer teams are currently 3-0 in league action and sit in first place. Meanwhile, the Cardinal girls basketball team has rolled to a 15-2 record and 2-0 mark in league play.
In Carpinteria, the girls soccer team has dominated its way to a 7-0-2 record and is in search of a Citrus Coast League championship. Meanwhile, the girls basketball team sits at 9-5 and 3-1 in league action.
Student-Athletes in Attendance
Carpinteria High Soccer, Track & Field: Vivian Huskins
Santa Barbara High Boys Basketball: Kash Ridgell, Jarrod Conaway
San Marcos Boys Basketball: Sergio Landeros, Jacob Wallace
San Marcos Girls Basketball: Piper Kittle, Autumn Johnson
San Marcos Wrestling: Ingrid Vargas, Sophia Garnica
San Marcos Boys Soccer: Rover Ojendis, Sergio Ramirez
Bishop Diego Boys Basketball: John Michael Flint, Damien Krautmann
Carpinteria High Girls Basketball: Jamaica Cook, Rihanna Arreola, Leona McClellan
Carpinteria High Girls Soccer: Vivian Huskins, Evelyn Lara, Lacey Zimmerman
Carpinteria High Boys Soccer: Sergio Flores, Gerardo Mejia
Dos Pueblos Boys Basketball: Evan Pinsker, Tommy Groeninger
Bishop Diego Girls Basketball: Eden Wynne, Abby Walters
Bishop Diego Boys Soccer: Ivan Gonzalez, River Castellanos
Bishop Diego Girls Soccer: Avery Galvez, Addisyn Galvez
Dos Pueblos Girls Soccer: Kacey Hurley, Aubrey Carreno
Santa Barbara High Girls Water Polo: Jules Horton, Yesenia Dunn
San Marcos Girls Water Polo: Charlotte Raisin, Natalie Klan, Scarlet Akin