2011: The Year In Sports

1) EXCUSE OUR DUST: : Motocross riders are a dedicated and paranoid lot, and many pros came from miles around in 2011 to ride and jump their Kawasakis, Suzukis, and Yamahas on one of the few sanctioned dirt tracks on the Central Coast. Where is it located? A) If I told you, I’d have to kill you. B) Somewhere near Los Olivos, give or take. C) Your mom’s house. Oh snap! Credit: PHOTO BY JEREMY THOMAS

2) A CYCLIST’S DREAM: : In February, amateur cycling enthusiasts took a practice run on the 15-mile course laid out in preparation for the Amgen Tour of California. One of the biggest cycling races in the United States, the Tour of California rolled into Solvang for an individual time trial on May 20, drawing thousands of spectators to the Santa Ynez Valley. Despite its success locally, the tour will skip the Central Coast next year. Who ended up winning the 2011 Solvang stage? A) Pee Wee Herman. B) Lance Armstrong. C) Dave Zabriskie. Credit: PHOTO BY JEREMY THOMAS

It’s hard to believe another year has fallen off the calendar. Though it’s next to impossible to condense 365 days of thrills, chills, and spills into one page, here were some of the highlights of 2011:

In February, behind the play of star forward Ali Langford, the Allan Hancock College men’s basketball team enjoyed its best season in more than a decade, capturing the Western State Conference North title outright for the first time since 1974. Langford, now playing for Niagara University, led the conference in scoring and rebounding and was named the conference MVP. The Bulldogs made the state playoffs for the first time in more than a decade, where they lost to Los Angeles Harbor in the first round 59-52.

3) RESTORING HOPE: : The Pismo Beach-based Association of Amputee Surfers (AmpSurf), which incorporates adaptive surfing as therapy for wounded veterans and others with disabilities, held its annual year-end “Operation Restoration” surfing event in October. “High level” amputee Julie Carruthers, shown here being carried from the water by volunteers, came from Hollywood to ride the day’s waves. What inspired AmpSurf co-founder Dana Cummings, a San Luis Obispo resident, to start the nonprofit in 2003? A) Taking up surfing after losing his own leg in a car accident. B) A similar adaptive surfing camp on the East Coast. C) A suggestion from a pro surfer who had continued surfing after losing his sight. Credit: PHOTO BY JEREMY THOMAS

4) FIGHT NIGHTS: : Once again, Chumash Casino Resort played host to regular professional boxing matches televised nationally on ESPN and Showtime. On Aug. 5, the “Clash at the Chumash” showcased several Santa Maria boxers, including Rufino “El Animal” Serrano. In the night’s main event, Detroit welterweight Vernon Paris (left) put a licking on champion Tim Coleman, dropping him with an uppercut in the seventh round. The bout was ripe with bad blood, and was preceded by what incident? A) A scuffle between the two fighters on the casino floor, resulting in both men being kicked out of the hotel. B) A high-stakes poker game, in which Coleman won Paris’ Cadillac Escalade and diamond-studded watch. C) A Night Ranger concert. Credit: PHOTO BY JEREMY THOMAS

On March 26, St. Joseph girls’ basketball won the program’s second state championship ever with a 53-42 victory over Bishop O’Dowd in the CIF Division III finals. The Knights, who rolled through the season undefeated at 12-0 in the league and 29-6 overall, were led by junior center Aly Beebe, who averaged 20 points and more than 12 rebounds per game. Unfortunately for the Knights, Beebe tore a knee ligament in May and will miss her entire senior season. She signed on with Stanford University in November.

Prep baseball saw Nipomo, led by senior pitcher Ryan McNeil, capture a share of the Los Padres title with Cabrillo in its first season in the league. The Titans eventually lost in the second round of CIF.

In the fall, after struggling in 2010, Hancock College’s football team bounced back to post a 7-4 record, earning the Bulldogs a spot in the Western State Bowl, which they were host to on Nov. 19. Hancock crushed Los Angeles Harbor in the game 56-11.

5) PAINTING THE TOWN: : Lompoc residents Jim and Audrey Mosby fought to keep their River Park Paintball arena open after Santa Barbara County officials demanded $24,000 in conditional use permits. The Mosbys built their urban-themed course completely out of recycled materials, so children could paintball legally. Vandenberg Air Force Base resident Jeremy Boris (pictured) took advantage of the opportunity in June, doing some serious damage to some unfortunate victims. How fast do paintballs travel? A) About as fast as a New York City cab in rush hour traffic. B) Roughly 280 feet per second. C) Faster than you can say “Ouch, that smarts!” Credit: PHOTO BY JEREMY THOMAS

6) SPORT OF KINGS:: In May, the Sun traveled south for the start of the Santa Barbara Polo and Racquet Club’s milestone 100th season. One of the premier polo destinations in the United States, the upscale club regularly draws the world’s elite players for its tournament season, which runs from May to October. Pictured is Jenny Luttrell, swinging the mallet for Cotterel Farms. In July, the club made national headlines with a visit from what British power couple? A) David Beckham and Posh Spice B) Dame Edna and Benny Hill C) Prince William and Kate Middleton Credit: PHOTO BY JEREMY THOMAS

The Santa Ynez girls’ volleyball team brought their winning streak in league competition to 58, running the table with a 12-0 record and bringing home another league title for coach Chip Fenenga. The Pirates made it all the way to the CIF semifinals, where they lost to Santa Monica on Nov. 12. Fenenga’s boys’ volleyball team also won the league title for the 19th consecutive time in May.

Finally, living up to preseason expectations, Lompoc High once again dominated the Los Padres, finishing an undefeated 14-0 and winning the CIF Northwest Division championship for the second straight season, with a 21-0 victory over cross-town rival Cabrillo on Dec. 10. Despite ending the season ranked 20th in the state, the Braves were snubbed from an appearance in a Division III bowl game.

Now see how your memory fares with some snapshots of the year’s other big events in sports.

7) RUNNING BRAVE: : Lompoc High’s star running back Lavon Coleman filled the departed Marcell Blow’s shoes in fine fashion, leading the Braves to their second straight CIF title in December. Though the Braves went undefeated at 14-0 (6-0 in league), they were denied a spot in the state playoffs in favor of lower-ranked Fresno Washington Union. Coleman racked up 1,889 yards on the ground and 25 touchdowns, and was awarded the Los Padres League’s MVP award. What nickname did Coleman give himself at the start of the season? A) “The YAC President.” B) “The Galloping Gnu.” C) “The Lavonator.” Credit: PHOTO BY JEREMY THOMAS

8) BIG SPLASH: : Santa Maria Swim Club star Josh Prenot had a banner year in 2011. Over the summer, he went to the USA Swimming Nationals, where he made the finals in the 400-meter Individual Medley, his strongest event. In August, he qualified for the World Junior Championships in Peru, placing fourth in the 400 IM. In the winter, he signed a letter of intent to swim for national champion UC Berkeley and attended the USA Winter Nationals in Atlanta, where he finished third in the 400 IM. What’s next for the 18-year-old? A) He’s going to Disneyland. B) He’s heading to the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Omaha, Neb. C) He’s completing his mutation into a marlin. Credit: PHOTO BY JEREMY THOMAS

Answers

1) B: The Zaca Station MX Park is located off of Zaca Station Road near the intersection of the 101 U.S. Highway and Highway 154.

2) C: Zabriskie completed the course in 30 minutes, 35.92 seconds, averaging 29.3 miles per hour. American cyclist Chris Horner won the overall tour.

3) A: Cummings learned to surf just four months after his accident to help recover and rehab from his injuries. Eight months later, he competed in his first surfing contest

4) A: A war of words on Facebook culminated in an altercation on the casino floor. Security was called and everything!

5) B: For comparison, a bullet shot from a 9mm handgun travels about 1,100 feet per second.

6) C: The royal couple arrived at the polo grounds by helicopter on July 5, so Prince William could participate in a charity polo match. He led his team to victory by scoring four goals and earned a reported $4 million for charity.

7) A: “YAC” means Yards After Catch and refers to Coleman’s penchant for breaking tackles.

8) B: Prenot will head to Omaha, Neb., for the Olympic Trials held June 25 to July 2, 2012. He’s expected to face off against gold medalist Michael Phelps.

9) B: The Titans finished 6-0, the first water polo league champions from Nipomo High School since the school was established in 2002.

10) A: A former teacher at Cabrillo High and Allan Hancock College, the 88-year-old Hicks fought in World War II with the Airmen, the first African-American military pilots in American history.

9) POOL SHARKS: : Nipomo High senior Connor Cavazos (shown here scoring a goal against Cabrillo) and the rest of the Titan boys’ water polo team reached new heights in 2011. The team made it all the way to the CIF semifinals, and though they ended up losing to No. 1-ranked Don Lugo of Chino, the team achieved what significant milestone during the regular season? A) They made it through the season without a single player getting “prune hands.” B) They went undefeated and won the program’s first-ever league title. C) The entire team learned how to Dougie. Credit: PHOTO BY JEREMY THOMAS

10) FOR THE VETS: : Powerlifters from all over the state visited Santa Maria for the Patriot Games Challenge on May 21, a memorial for Vandenberg Air Force Base Senior Airman Daniel Johnson, who was killed in Afghanistan in October 2010. Weightlifters, men and women, competed in powerlifting, bench press, deadlift, and push-pull competitions. Pictured is Zandra Cebuano, who won the event’s Best Women’s Lifter award. In addition to veterans from World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and Afghanistan, who else made a special appearance? A) Art Hicks, one of the last surviving members of the Tuskegee Airmen. B) Russian weightlifter and former Olympic gold medalist Vasily Alexeyev. C) Steven Seagal. Credit: PHOTO BY JEREMY THOMAS

Staff Writer Jeremy Thomas’ New Year’s resolution is to take up curling. Contact him at jthomas@santamariasun.com, or follow him on Twitter at @JThomasSMS.

This article appears in Dec 29, 2011 – Jan 5, 2012.