Athlete of the Week Articles

Just two years ago, Ashley Moody, 17, was the No. 1 girl in her age group at BMX racing. Then she took a year off to help build the new Santa Maria BMX off-road bicycle track behind the Elks Rodeo Arena. If that seems like a waste of time for a top rider, she doesn’t […]

Whether he’s hitting the ball or pitching it, Zach Kennedy knows baseball. He plays both first base and pitcher for the Northside All-Stars. This is a big accomplishment for Kennedy, who originally got started in the sport by playing T-ball in Texas. “It’s exciting and fun,” he said of why he chooses to play. “I […]

Rachael Wahl approached her first time at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Omaha, Neb., feeling only a bit tense. With 10,000 people in the stands gazing at her, it would be hard for this member of the Santa Maria Swim Club to rid herself of the butterflies in her stomach. Fortunately, this swimmer wanted […]

Multitalented must be an adjective Heidi Lethcoe hears attributed to her quite often. Playing a varied mix of shortstop, second base, and catcher for the Orcutt All Stars, this 12-year-old doesn’t shy away from stretching her abilities to cover the whole field. After all, softball is in her blood. “My dad coaches,” she said, and […]

Shea Herrera isn’t following in his brother’s footsteps; he’s following in his tracks instead. More specifically, the tracks left behind by the four tiny wheels on a skateboard. Shea is only 11, but he’s already got his first skateboarding contest behind him and he’s ready for the next one. His coach is his older brother […]

The first time Joseph Rodriguez, 12, hit a home run, he got a piece of a low pitch and lobbed it out past center field. It was a bit of a surprise, he said, when that hit sailed out of the park. But the second time Rodriguez hit a homer, it was much more definite. […]