Athlete of the Week Articles

The sound of reggae music and grunting fighters echoed as soft-spoken Javier Cardenas (pictured in white) wrestled with his partner at the Paragon Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gym in Santa Maria. With sweat running down his brow after several intense practice rolls—which are informal matches of sorts solely for practice—Cardenas said, “Jiu-Jitsu is for the smaller person […]

The smell of chalk and sound of tumbling are familiar in KT’s All-Star Gymnastics Gym in Santa Maria. As one of the largest gyms in the area, KT’s caters to a diversity of students who range from toddlers to adults. KT’ is also home to one of the most competitive youth male gymnasts on the […]

The Southside Little League All-Star team has truly stepped up to the plate this season with dominant performances and rapid individual player growth. The 13 All-Stars—elite selections from their league pool of 12-year-olds—have been playing together since before they were 5 years old. This season they’ve developed their skills further and proven their worth with […]

Sixteen-year-old Carlos Banderas has his eye set on the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. The Santa Maria native is currently ranked first in the nation for amateur boxing in his weight division. He won his first tournament at the Junior Olympics in Los Angeles at the age of 8, and he’s won many other […]

Ed. note: Olivia Patterson is the sister of Sun Intern Rebecca Patterson, who wrote up this family-influenced column for our holiday issue. Cartwheels, splits, flips, and jumps are common at KT’s All-Star Gymnastics in Santa Maria. The gymnasts endure rigorous exercise and dare meticulous stunts. One of these young gymnasts, Olivia Patterson, overcame injury and […]

Seventeen-year-old Hayley Hamer from Santa Ynez Valley Union High School is one of nine local teenagers from the California High School Rodeo Association who have qualified for the 65th National High School Finals Rodeo. They have until July 14 to perfect their events before representing the association’s District 7 at the Sweetwater County Events Complex […]

The first thing that came to Coach Ed Torres’ mind when he began describing former player Tatiana Dunlap was “intensity.” The women’s basketball coach worked with Dunlap for three years; her athletic ability and obvious passion for the game were the first things that stood out to him. “She is committed to improving as a […]

Tianna Pasko, 18, and her mother, Alicia Pasko, started off as a team of two: one diver and one coach. Together, they established the swim and dive team at Orcutt Academy High School. Since then, Tianna has set personal and school records and secured her place to continue diving in college. In 2011, during Tianna’s […]

The biggest keys for success when it comes to balancing three sports, according to Jed Hedlund, are time management and staying focused. As a senior at Valley Christian Academy, Hedlund has managed his time wisely. A tri-sport athlete, he’s found success in football, basketball, and baseball. Playing all three sports has helped him mature as […]

Senior baseball player Troy Prober is still riding high from Righetti High School’s 13-10 defeat over rival and across-the-street neighbor St. Joseph High School earlier this month. Prober, described by Righetti baseball coach Brian Tomooka as a “solid player,” was key to turning the game around. “We were down by nine runs when I came […]