Monday’s SBART press luncheon featured four award recipients and updates from the spring sports as league play heats up.
Anastasia Brunner of Dos Pueblos softball and Logan Patterson Deakyne of San Marcos track and field were honored as athletes of the week.
Patterson Deakyne took first place in the 400 meter and 300 hurdles with times of 50.53 and 39.45 respectively at the Spartan relays. He added a fourth place finish in the 110 Hurdles with a time of 15.82. His 300 hurdles time of 39.45 is the second fastest in San Marcos history.
Brunner has been red hot this season and led the Chargers to a 17-4 non-league victory over Santa Clara as well as a two-game sweep of Buena in Channel League play. She went 9-for-13 at the plate for the week with a home run, five RBI’s and seven runs scored.
Santa Barbara High Scholar Athlete of the Year
Dane Polchin is a standout student athlete for the Santa Barbara High boys’ Lacrosse team with many gifts and interests that extend beyond the playing field. In the classroom, he maintains a 4.8 GPA, has earned multiple AP honors, and is a member of the National Honors Society. He is also an accomplished musician and plans to study aerospace engineering.
On the field, Polchin serves as a team captain and is a linchpin of the Dons’ defense.
“I’d just like to say thank you to a couple of the people that made this possible, first to my parents for supporting me in school and in sports, and in life in general,” Polchin said. “To all the great teachers that I’ve had for making learning a fun and interesting experience. “Also to my coaches, and frankly all of the coaches here, because without them, we wouldn’t be able to compete as athletes and do what we do.
“I’d also like to thank my current teammates for making this season the best one that I’ve had, and also give a shoutout to my co-captain, Liam Hickey, because I think he deserves this award as much as I do,” Polchin said. “Last but not least, I’d like to thank the Athletic Round Table and Mark (Gamberdella) here, for making all this happen.”
Phil Womble Award
San Marcos’ Lily Ruvalcaba received the Phil Womble Ethics in Sports Award for her character, leadership, and sportsmanship in girls basketball. Over her high school career, she has steadily improved, earning multiple team honors, including most improved play and All-League recognition. She also excels academically achieving a 4.66 GPA, with rigorous coursework, including eleven AP and SBCC classes. In addition Ruvulcaba participates in extensive community service, including leadership in a foster support organization.
“I would like to thank the Pintard Group and the Santa Barbara Athletic Roundtable for this award,” Ruvalcaba said. “I am honored to be up here and receiving this amazing award and representing the legacy of Phil Womble, an amazing person who didn’t let anything get in the way of what he loved to do the most.
“I can’t believe that I am the recipient of this award today. I would love to thank my parents and my coaches for always being in my corner and always picking me up when I’m down. I look forward to carrying the spirit of this award forever.”
Dos Pueblos Invitational
One of the highlights of the high school boys’ volleyball season is the 49th annual Dos Pueblos Invitational which took place at UCSB’s Thunderdome on Saturday
San Marcos and Santa Barbara High paced the local squads, finishing in second and third place overall, respectively. The Royals fell to Camarillo High 26-24 in the championship falling just short of a four-peat.
“Our school has done incredibly well in this tournament the last few years,” said San Marcos coach Dave Goss. “As you can imagine with a 28 team tournament to win it four years in a row is an incredible accomplishment and we fell just short of that.”
28 teams competed in the tournament, which is one of the longest-running high school volleyball tournaments in the country.
Bishop Diego fell to Sunny Hills 25-14 in the consolation semifinals, but received strong individual performances from John Michael Flint and Damien Krautman. Flint continued his strong play this week with 61 kills, 5 blocks and 6 aces in the tournament. Krautmann added 26 kills, 2 blocks, and 2 aces.
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