Santa Barbara High freshman tennis player Nicole Buist put the Channel League on notice with her 7-5 victory over San Marcos No. 1 player and two-time defending Channel League champion Natasha Gill.
The landmark victory over Gill, who had not lost a match in two years, earned Buiste SBART Athlete of the Week recognition and points towards her bright future.
On the boys side, Owen Lauderdale led the San Marcos High football team to a 34-14 victory over rival Dos Pueblos to garner SBART Male Athlete of the Week honors. The victory snapped the Royals’ seven-game losing streak to Dos Pueblos and gave San Marcos its first Channel League win.
Lauderdale notched 15 tackles (five solo) on defense, added four catches for 37 yards and a touchdown on offense, and swooped in for a momentum-swinging field goal block on special teams.
“Right before half as soon as I saw their kicker going on I was like, ‘Oh man this guy can kick,’”said San Marcos coach Ralph Molina at Monday’s press luncheon. “We called a time out and Owen turned around and said ‘I’ll get it coach’ so we sent him and sure enough he blocked the kick and it was a big play because we didn’t want DP to have any momentum going into that second half.”
Phil Womble Award Ethics in Sports Award
San Marcos High basketball and lacrosse standout Ellie Monson was honored for her ethics, sportsmanship, and character on and off the field with the Phil Womble Ethics in Sports Award.
Monson led the San Marcos girls’ basketball team to the state playoffs last season. She was Channel League Defensive MVP, All-CIF-SS Division 3 and helped the Royals earn All-CIF Girls Basketball Academic Team Championship with her 4.7 GPA.
In Lacrosse Monson was an All-CIF first team selection in 2022 and Rookie of the Year in 2021. Her academic achievements include the AP Scholar Award.
“This girl has the biggest of hearts among all the athletes I’ve ever coached. She does all the right things without being asked,” said San Marcos coach Paul Ramsay. “She leads by being the first in everything we do during training; she is the first to pick up a teammate.”
Bishop Diego Girls’ Volleyball Tri-Valley League Champions
An incredible performance by Eliana Urzua inspired the Bishop Diego girls’ volleyball team to overcome a two-set deficit and clinch the Tri-Valley League championship with a 14-25, 24-26, 25-19, 25-14, 15-12 victory over St. Bonaventure.
Urzua finished with 40 kills, Emma Coglizer racked up 27 digs, and Sofia Parisoto dished out 26 assists.
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