Pioneer Valley High School boys’ and girls’ wrestling coach Kevin Ilac is well aware of how grueling his wrestling program is. And he’s quite upfront about it. “We work insanely hard,” Ilac told the Sun. “We don’t cut kids, kids kind of cut themselves. To just make it through the season is an accomplishment on […]
PETER JOHNSON
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Matt Willkomm
Matt Willkomm has been spectacular at guard for the Allan Hancock College men’s basketball team this season. The sophomore scored a career-high 38 points in a win over Oxnard College on Feb. 3, burying six three-pointers and keeping the Bulldogs in the running for a Western State Conference title. “We were just moving the ball […]
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Cabrillo High takes rivalry games
Cabrillo High School’s soccer teams squared off against Lompoc’s last week, and the classic crosstown rivalry matchups didn’t disappoint. Cabrillo boys’ soccer defeated Lompoc 3-2 in a double overtime while the girls’ team earned a 1-0 win over the Braves on Feb. 2. James Baca, head coach of the Cabrillo boys’ team, might have summed […]
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Tiffany Santana
Pioneer Valley High School senior Tiffany Santana is wrapping up her Panthers wrestling career in dominating fashion. Santana helped Pioneer Valley take first place at the Central Coast Wrestling Tournament at Nipomo High School on Jan. 30, and she will bring her 26-3 record this season into the CIF Southern Section Northern Regional Tournament on […]
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Pick-up sticks: Lacrosse grows in popularity on the Central Coast thanks to the efforts of dedicated community members
If you thought lacrosse was a sport reserved for the East Coast Ivy League elite and not California’s Central Coast—then think again. Come out to the Pioneer Valley High School athletic fields this spring—at night after the varsity sports have wrapped up their practices—and you’ll find about two dozen Santa Maria teenagers chasing a lacrosse […]
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Hannah Walls
Hannah Walls, a senior at Valley Christian Academy, is the rare point guard in basketball who is also the team’s tallest player. At 5 feet 9 inches tall, Walls runs the Lions’ offense in addition to leading the team in rebounding. The decision to be a point guard wasn’t hers, but Walls has embraced the […]
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A swarm of sharks: Football team of Santa Maria youth standouts wins 2016 Big Dog Bowl national tournament
The Central Coast Sharks, a local youth football team, was born from a simple curiosity: If the best football players in Santa Maria joined forces onto one team, how would they fare against the best players from other regions around the U.S.? On Jan. 10, we found out the answer: best in the nation. The […]
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Erin Williams
Santa Ynez High School senior Erin Williams was kicking a soccer ball around before she started kindergarten. Next fall, she’ll be doing it under scholarship at UC Santa Barbara. Though Williams committed to play for UCSB more than a year ago, the excitement around her future hasn’t diminished. “I’m going to be studying economics,” Williams […]
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Beyond our border: Righetti high centerfielder spends winter break on baseball trip to Cuba
When Righetti High School sophomore Jaden LyBurtus found out that he would be spending five days in Cuba over winter break, he started scouring the Internet to try to familiarize himself with the far-off island. “I tried to read up on Cuba before I went; I didn’t want to be too clueless,” LyBurtus told the […]
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Gabrys Sadaunykas
Gabrys Sadaunykas, a senior basketball player at St. Joseph High School, had himself a New Year’s to remember. Sadaunykas led his team to two tournament championships in less than a week, earning Most Valuable Player honors at both the Las Vegas Invitational and the White Mountain Holiday Classic in Arizona. “I was excited,” Sadaunykas told […]
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From the ground up: Nipomo high school girls’ wrestling emerges as a force to be reckoned with
To see the Nipomo High School girls’ wrestling team in action, walk through the gates of Nipomo High School, and bypass the main gym. Meander through a stretch of classrooms and arrive at a cluster of unremarkable portables. Inside Room 127, though, is perhaps the most creative use of a portable you’ll ever see. Here, […]
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Jose Rios
Jose Rios of Pioneer Valley High School is every soccer coach’s dream. Fast as lightning, the senior is also smart, skilled, and versatile. Rios plays right midfielder for the varsity team, but his coach said he has the skill set to play anywhere on the field. “There’s so many good things about Jose,” head coach […]
