The Central Coast loves its youth sports. And why not? With the accomplishments of many of the area’s talented teams, it’s hard not to become a sports fan. From first-time championship wins, to the creation of unified teams that include players of all intellectual abilities, 2016 was an exciting year for Central Coast sports.
Of course there were so many team achievements to recognize and athletes to highlight that we couldn’t possibly cover them all in this rewind of the past year. Here are some of the outstanding events that took place in the year in sports.
MAKING WAVES: Swimmer Josh Prenot from Orcutt took the silver medal in the 200-meter breaststroke at the Rio Olympics this summer. He catapulted himself in the final 100 meters touching the wall a mere .07 seconds after gold medalist Dmitriy Balandin of Kazakhstan. Prenot got his start with the Santa Maria Swim Club. The club’s coach, Mike Ashmore, said that Prenot had his sights set on the Olympics since he was 11 years old, when he gathered his parents and Ashmore and announced he was dumping baseball to focus on making the Olympic swim team. At the time Ashmore told Prenot that maybe he didn’t know what that would mean. “I’ll do anything I have to do to be there,” Prenot replied. And 12 years after that announcement, he showed everyone that he was serious.
MOVING ON: When athletic directors from 13 Central Coast schools applied for realignment from CIF Southern Section to the Central Section some parents and coaches weren’t happy. The athletic directors supporting the move held an Oct. 10 informational meeting at Righetti High School, but only a small group of parents attended. Supporters of the move said that extensive travel to Southern California, where most of the Southern Section teams are located, takes a toll on players, especially when they have back-to-back games following long hours on the road. However, those opposed to the realignment said that the teams would have to drive to the Central Valley often, having to contend with dangerous roads like Highway 166 and heavy tule fog. Supporters argued that in the Central Section some of the local teams would be more evenly matched. However, opponents argued that it would be unfair to teams that are exceling because those players won’t get challenged, or gain exposure to college scouts like they would in the Southern Section. Not all high schools joined with the application for realignment. Of the 16 Central Coast schools, all but three are included in the application. Those schools include Lompoc, Cabrillo, and Santa Ynez high schools. Approval of the application is scheduled for January.
GLOVES UP: Carlos Balderas beat the odds—and successive opponents—to become a boxer at the Olympic Games in Rio. He was an active child who got into trouble often. To get Balderas and his brothers on the straight and narrow, their uncle got them into boxing. Balderas said from that point on boxing changed everything. During the Olympic Games the 19-year-old gave his all against his quarterfinal opponent, 25-year-old Lazaro Jorge Alvarez of Cuba. However, the more experienced Alvarez, a bronze medalist in the 2012 Olympics, proved to be too much for Balderas and the fight went to Alvarez 30-27. Despite the loss Balderas has been a hero for Santa Maria youth and continues to make appearances at schools and events.
WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS: The Pioneer Valley boys’ wrestling team made school history by winning the CIF dual championship, when the sixth seeded Panthers defeated top-seeded Righetti High School 31-23. It was the school’s first CIF title in any sport. The Panthers later suffered a narrow defeat to Righetti when the two teams squared off again as part of the PAC 8 league championships. The Panthers credit their success to an intense program led by coach Kevin Ilac. For his part, Ilac said he knows how tough the wrestling program is, and that it’s an accomplishment for an athlete just to make it though the program. “We don’t cut kids, kids kind of cut themselves,” he said. Pictured, the Pioneer Valley boys wrestling team poses for a championship photo after beating Righetti High School Feb. 6 for the CIF dual title.
MOVING ON: In 2016 Santa Maria High School softball coach wrapped up a 25-year career to spend less time on the field and more time with his wife and 9-year-old son. “It was a hard decision,” Andree said. “For over 25 springs I’ve been busy, I’ve been doing the same things. I’m sure spring will roll around next year and I’ll miss it.” When Andree took over coaching for Santa Maria High he said it was a tough transition because the team hadn’t won a game, despite having a lot of talent. Through some emotional- and trust-building, Andree made a difference and the team began winning more games. Though he stepped down, Andree told the Sun he planned on continuing to teach and be available as a mentor to the players.
GETTING UNIFIED: Lompoc and Cabrillo high schools became the first schools in the county to pilot unified basketball teams that welcome disabled students. The idea is to create teams that are composed of both disabled and non-disabled students. It gives students with intellectual disabilities the chance to don a school uniform, participate in a high school game, and to feel more a part of their community. Lompoc High School special education teacher Marjorie Ledgerwood first saw the program in action in the San Francisco Bay Area and brought it to her school. Along with Sarah Leck, a Cabrillo High School special education teacher, and a partnership with Special Olympics Northern Santa Barbara County, Ledgerwood got the program started locally. CIF officially recognizes unified sports, so organizers hope that enough Central Coast high schools will get involved to form a unified league.
MAN OF HONOR: When the Righetti water polo team was moved by the CIF Southern Section Office from Division 4 to Division 1, Coach Rob Knight said of the move, “In a way, it was bigger than winning a single championship.” That’s because just being in Division 1 puts the team in the top 16 in Southern California. The team has won the CIF Southern Section crown five times and made the finals on multiple occasions. Much of the credit for that goes to the program Knight built. As a nod to the coach’s legacy of success, Righetti High School renamed the Righetti Aquatic Center the Rob Knight Aquatic Center in November. Knight was modest about the honor. “Yeah, my name is on it but it’s more about the program being good over a long period of time,” he told the Sun.
Contact the editor at scone@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Dec 29, 2016 – Jan 5, 2017.