Athlete of the Week Articles

When Santa Maria High School soccer coach Jose Navarro was asked to describe senior sweeper Osvaldo Aquino, he responded with one word: “heart.” A captain of the team, Aquino leads the Saints’ defense with an energy that affects the whole team. “He loves coming to play, he never gives up,” Navarro said. Aquino’s teammates chimed […]

Righetti girls’ water polo opened its PAC 7 season with a 9-2 victory over Paso Robles Jan. 7. A driving force behind that win was sophomore Erin Freeman, who came up big with four goals. Head coach Roxanne Eastwood said Freeman is manning the set position this year, and she has been working on perfecting […]

After going 10-5 in pre-season play, the Lady Bulldog basketball team opened conference play last night against Moorpark. A driving force for the ’Dogs comes from sophomore Veronica Sua. The center has scored back-to-back career high points for Hancock; she averages 8.3 points and six rebounds per game. Head coach Cary Narelli has known Sua […]

Righetti High School wrestling is off to another successful start this season, taking third place as a team at the Duca Tourney Dec. 7 and the junior varsity wrestlers dominating the duals at Pioneer Valley Dec. 14. At the Mann Classic on Dec. 21, four varsity wrestlers placed in the top 10 at the tournament. […]

Sara McGilliway, the girls’ soccer coach at St. Joseph High School, said the Lady Knights are coming into this season with a secret weapon on their side: senior attacking-mid Monique Brunello. “She is a strong leader with actions on and off the field. She is very competitive in a positive way,” McGilliway said. Brunello started […]

Boxing is a sport that requires tremendous personal motivation and discipline. Local boxer Manny Flores counts on these traits to bring him success in the ring. Only boxing for three and a half years, the lightweight fighter is determined to move up through the ranks. Flores said he knew he could find success in the […]

For the first time in school and community record, both of the St. Joseph High School cross country teams have earned the right to race in the highest level of competition for the high school sport, the California State Championship meet. Coach Luis Escobar said both of the teams raced against 16 other teams for […]

Desiree Gillaspy, a senior at St. Joseph’s High School, is swinging her way into the next stage of her career: the realm of college golf. The young athlete signed her letter of intent to play golf for Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo on Nov. 19—a match Gillaspy said she always wanted. “I’ve been talking […]

Outfielder Kyle Smith was one of the 25 prospective players scouts had their eyes on during a four-hour event at John Osborne Field on Nov. 15. A 2012 graduate from Pioneer Valley High School, Smith said he was excited about the Scout Day. “It was exposure to the next level, but there was a lot […]

Eliza Nash and Paige Jensen comprise a formidable force on the tennis court. Both sophomores at Santa Ynez High School, they were recently named female athletes of the week at the Roundtable luncheon. The doubles team outplayed competition to hold onto the No. 2 seed this season. That is, until they played Bree Jensen and […]

Jordan Jantzen is truly a Renaissance gentleman, although a very young one. He was quite precise when he said he’s 15-1/2 years old, and that precision is what’s garnered him tremendous respect in local soccer circles. That’s because he’s not just a first-rate soccer player, he’s also a highly respected coach and referee for Arroyo […]

On most days, you’ll see Javier Ventura running to school. Fast and light, Ventura isn’t running from bullies or because he’s late—he’s simply running because he can and he loves it. An eighth-grade cross-country runner at Fesler Junior High School, Ventura is the top runner for the Falcons. Lupe Alindajao has coached the runner since […]