Athlete of the Week Articles

Being a team leader means setting an example for the rest of the guys through the good and bad, and Ryan Duran has done just that, serving as a role model for the rest of his team during a tough first start to the season. “Ryan leads by example,” said Offensive Coordinator Joe Robledo, back […]

Cabrillo High School has turned out some great runners in the last few years, and coach Louie Quintana was excited to recruit four of them to run for the Allan Hancock College cross country team this season. One of these guys in particular has been putting up some great finishes for the Bulldogs. Oscar Torres, […]

Gwen Pryor loves a particular kind of music: the sweet sounds of the cardiovascular system humming. She’s been helping her students fine-tune their bodies for the last 14 years. Now, thanks to an essay she wrote likening her students’ bodies to musical instruments, Pryor and her fellow teachers in the P.E. Department at Tommie Kunst […]

Since his freshman year, Josh Marzett, 16, has had his heart set on beating the Santa Maria High School record for yards run in a single game: 340. In the team’s recent game against Gonzales High School, Marzett got so close he could almost taste it. The junior running back ran for 220 yards on […]

Summer is over, and 9-year-old Austin Kranz is taking a break from golf. After six junior golf tournaments this summer, and five tournament wins, he’s been forced to slow down—“Because my teacher gives me homework every day and I have to do it,” he explained. That doesn’t mean he’s stopping for good. No, this golfer […]

Dan Ando wasn’t expecting to rush for 180 yards in his first game this season. He was hoping to play well, but a guy never knows. “First game, I knew coach would give me a couple carries,” Ando said. But he prepared, just in case. He’s practiced hard all summer, he’s been eating well, and […]

Just three years ago, Rene Rodriguez, played competitive youth football for the first time. Today, at 15, he’s the quarterback for the Pioneer Valley High School junior varsity team. It’s safe to say that Rene ’s skills progressed fairly quickly. “Once he tried it, we were really proud of him, he really got it,” said […]

Some athletes are dedicated to their sport, and some athletes are really dedicated to their sport. Anthony Robinson, 17, falls into that second category. He loves soccer so much, he drives to Santa Barbara twice a week for practice and down to Los Angeles—or, if he’s lucky, Santa Barbara again—for games. “That’s where the best […]

The Balderas brothers are back in the spotlight in the junior boxing world after coming back from the 7th annual Desert Showdown National competition in Coachella. Carlos, 11 (left), and Rudy, 12, both made it to the final round in the 75-pound weight class (though in different age groups). Just making the finals is a […]

Ryan Newman ran his first triathlon on a whim. That’s right: on a whim. His cousin was in town for the Lompoc Sprint Triathlon in April 2007 and her friend couldn’t race, so they had an extra spot. Newman borrowed a bike and gave the race a shot. “The first one was brutal,” Newman said. […]

Dr. Brenda Forsythe and Kadence are quite a pair. She’s a 45-year-old veterinarian practicing in Orcutt, and he’s a 16-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding who likes to jump. Together, they’re winners, and they’ve taken home countless blue ribbons throughout the years in hunting, jumping, and dressage competitions. They’ve even taken home a few division championships. “He’s […]

After scoring his team’s only goal in the Santa Maria All Stars vs. Chivas USA exhibition game, Andy Contreras has been receiving a lot of attention. For a kid who hopes to play professional soccer someday, that’s a good thing. “He got a lot of compliments from the Chivas’ head coach,” said coach Al Garcia. […]