Athlete of the Week Articles

Making a splash is exactly what some women athletes are doing at Allan Hancock College this spring. With a brand-new swimming team in its first year, these girls are setting the stage for future generations of the sport at this local institution. Standout swimmer Leanna Bramble is one of 11 women who hope to put […]

Some people just don’t take breaks. On almost any weekday afternoon, one could find wrestler Andrew Ibarra, a senior at Righetti High School, being challenged by one of his dedicated coaches on the mat, or perfecting his favorite maneuver, called the “High C Single.” After devoting 11 years to the sport, Ibarra’s love of wrestling […]

Junior Alexis Topas has been swinging her bat for the Santa Maria Saints’ varsity softball team all three years of her high school career. As a freshman, she beat out several seniors for the position of shortstop—even though she’d been playing third base prior to tryouts. “We weren’t sure what we were going to do […]

There are those who say life is a constant barrage of hurdles to be overcome. Some people run around these hurdles; others go right through them. Senior track stud and uber-competitor Allie Molesky would rather jump over them. At the recent Atascadero Memorial Meet, Molesky led the Nipomo Titans with a winning triple jump of […]

When the Sun spoke to basketball star Simone Swain, she had just returned home from the state games in Fresno. The junior said despite having a strong first quarter, Valley Christian Academy lost to Emmanuel High School in the first round of CIF play. Regardless of the outcome, Swain said she is happy with how […]

  Humility is something Katie Chenault—a freshman pitcher for Allan Hancock College softball and a four-year varsity player from Ernest Righetti High School—knows well. “It’s made me really humble to be achieving what I am in my softball career right now,” Chenault said. “I know I’m not better than anyone else. It’s just the game […]

For Miguel Limon, a Varsity soccer player in his junior year at Santa Ynez High School, the sport is more than just an extracurricular activity: it’s a lifelong passion that runs deep in his entire family. “My mom signed me up for the American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) when I was 9 and I loved […]

Wearing a black bomber jacket and a gauzy black skirt, her blonde hair blowing in the wind, Christina Jenne looks like any other sophomore girl trudging through the grass outside of St. Joseph High School in Santa Maria. Come the weekend, however, Jenne will don her green-and-white Asics singlet, step on the mat, and join […]

Baseball season and daily practice is in full swing on the diamond at Allan Hancock College. Pitchers throw balls back and forth to one another, and then toss their mitts on the third baseline and join their teammates for a run around the field to end their two-hour practice. Ryan Bower—a sophomore starter and four-year […]

The wrestling room at Pioneer Valley High School in Santa Maria is a humid, black-and-teal-padded alcove filled with grappling teenagers. To Mikey Ruiz, one of the senior captains, it’s like home. To the rest of his team, Ruiz is a leader with a reputation for staying calm and alleviating the stress of others. Coach Kevin […]

St. Joseph High School’s varsity baseball is underway with new coach Victor Heredia leading the charge. According to Athletic Director Tom Mott, Heredia has been on the job for three weeks. He was previously the head coach of the junior varsity team. “The kids like him, and we are very excited to have him take […]

Sometimes the teacher goes back and becomes the student; this is definitely the case for fighter Tony Topas. Three years ago, he was training his friend for a mixed martial arts (MMA) match when he thought to himself: I have an MMA background—why not give it a shot? Since then, he’s been actively training and […]