The spring sports have taken over the weekly SBART press luncheon as teams dive head first into league competition.
There were four Athlete of the Week award presentations on Monday as Vivian Huskins of Carpinteria High track and field and Brandon Velasquez of Dos Pueblos wrestling were honored for the week of February 23 through March 1.
Velasquez made it to the round of 20 at the CIF State Tournament. He upset the No. 4 wrestler in the state with a pin at 157 pounds. He was the only Santa Barbara area wrestler to reach the state tournament.
Huskins took first place in the 100 meter and 200 meter races in a dual meet against Santa Paula. She was also a member of the first place 4X100 relay team.
The current athletes of the week are a pair of talented freshmen. Matt Di Maggio of Dos Pueblos baseball and Emily Morici of Dos Pueblos softball.
Morici went 4-for-8 with two doubles at the plate and added 14 strikeouts and just four earned runs over eleven innings pitched in a two-game sweep of Channel League rival Ventura.
Di Maggio went 6-for-9 with three home runs, five runs batted in, three stolen bases and eight runs scored offensively. On the mound he added four strikeouts and zero earned runs over three innings pitched. Dos Pueblos went 3-0 with a two-game sweep of Ventura and a non-league win over Foothill Tech. The Chargers are 8-1 overall.
Phil Womble Award
Carolina Duron Angeles, a junior at Laguna Blanca, received the Phil Womble Ethics in Sports award at Monday’s press luncheon after distinguishing herself as a multi-sport student-athlete and strong academic performer.
She competes in basketball and cross country while maintaining a 3.88 grade-point average and earning Honor Roll recognition during her first two years of high school. The Phil Womble Ethics in Sports Award recognizes athletes who demonstrate accountability, respect, honesty, reliability, sportsmanship, and a commitment to team values above individual recognition.
Duron Angeles has been selected to the All–Tri-Valley League First Team in girls basketball for three consecutive seasons and has also received All-League Honorable Mention recognition in cross country. Beyond athletics and academics, she participates in community initiatives including Flower Empower and Laguna Summer Camp.
Her basketball coach, Charlie Aslesen, who has worked with her since middle school, highlighted her consistent character and leadership both on and off the court. Duron Angeles credited her school administrators, coaching staff, and family for their support throughout her athletic and academic journey.
“I want to thank my athletic director, Mr. Peeters. Thanks so much. My coach, who’s been alongside me for four years now. Thank you for guiding me and coaching me. Thank you, Mr. Pintard, for presenting this award. I want to thank my parents and my number one cheerleader and supporter, my brother,” Duron Angeles said.
Bishop Diego Girls’ Basketball CIF Champs
The SBART luncheon also recognized the girls basketball team from Bishop Diego High School for capturing the CIF-Southern Section Division 5 championship. Under head coach Jeff Burich, the Cardinals secured the title with a 42-41 victory over Burroughs High School, marking the program’s first CIF championship since 2015 and the fourth in school history.
Bishop Diego finished the season with a 27-5 overall record and recorded six postseason victories. Despite the school’s relatively small enrollment of roughly 260 students, the Cardinals defeated several larger programs during their championship run.
The championship roster included Jaymi Coronado, Natalie Rodriguez, Kasey Seashore, Eden Wynne, Yessenia Mendez, Jeisa Coronado, Alyssa Chrestenson, Luz Castro, Amy Rojas, Elissa Mendez, Dulce Ledezma and Abby Walters.
We figured out that the schools we played had (combined) enrollment over 13,000 in the six games we played and we are like 260 kids, so credit to these girls” said Bishop Diego coach Jeff Burich.
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