SBART Press Luncheon: Abel Renteria and Silke Leonard Receive Athlete of the Week Awards

Silke Leonard of Carpinteria High girls’ tennis and Abel Renteria of Santa Barbara High football received SBART Athlete of the Week awards at Monday’s press luncheon. 

Renteria completed 31-of-40 passes for 330 yards and added three rushing touchdowns in Santa Barbara’s 21-7 victory over Oxnard.

Leonard led Carpinteria to victories over Channel Islands, Villanova and Hueneme. She was a perfect 9-0 in singles matches during that stretch. 

Phil Womble Ethics in Sports Award

Santa Barbara High multi-sport athlete Carter Battle was selected as the school’s Phil Womble Award Recipient and was honored for his achievements in athletics and in the classroom at the press luncheon.

The Phil Womble award is presented to a member of the junior class at each high school, who demonstrates the highest standards of ethics and sportsmanship.

Battle maintains a 4.5 G.P.A., has accumulated 134 community service hours and was a captain of the Santa Barbara High boys’ basketball team as a sophomore. He was named 1st Team All Channel League Boys Basketball in his sophomore season and Santa Barbara County High Jump Champion in his Freshman Year.

“In 25 plus years of coaching I have not had the privilege to coach a better human than Carter Battle,” said Santa Barbara High basketball coach Greg Zuffelato. “I get emotional because he is also my son’s best friend and I feel like he is part of our family also. On the court, on the track in the classroom he truly epitomizes all the characteristics of the Phil Womble award.”

Carter credited his teachers, coaches and family for supporting him on his journey, including his older brother, Andre Battle, who was Santa Barbara High’s Student Athlete of the Year in 2022 for helping mold him as a basketball player.

“I want to thank this man right here coach {Zuffelato}, who off the court has been like a second father to me. He has been coaching me for four or five years now and he is the greatest coach I’ve ever had. It’s really an honor to play on his team,” Battle said. “I want to thank my parents for just making so many sacrifices for me. Dedicating time, money and sleep to allow me to do the things that I love. Finally I want to thank my brother because without him I wouldn’t be a basketball player. All of those days in the driveway playing one-on-one with him is something that I will cherish forever.”

SBCC Athletics Roundup

The SBCC Raíces  program will be sponsoring Noche de fútbol Con La Familia as a part of Hispanic heritage month. The Vaqueros will be taking on College of the Canyons on Tuesday, September 19 beginning at 7 p.m.

The SBCC football team improved to 2-1 on the season with a 48-14 victory on the road at Orange Coast College. Will Doherty tossed a career high four touchdown passes to four different receivers. The Vaqueros were once again dominant on special teams as Maurice Saulsbury returned the opening kickoff 89 yards for a touchdown and Terrance Biser-Coleman returned a punt 39 yards for a touchdown.

The SBCC WOmen’s Water Polo team is an unbeaten on the season at 8-0 following a perfect 4-0 run at the Riverside CIty College Tournament over the weekend 

SBART Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

On Monday, September 18, the Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table inducted seven new members into its Hall of Fame. Athletes Alex Mack (San Marcos High), Sami Hill (Dos Pueblos), Paula Charest Lilly (Bishop Diego) and Jenna Ridgway Corliss (San Marcos); tennis coach Greg Patton, a Bishop Diego and UCSB alum; San Marcos alum Harvey Bottlesen, who founded the Santa Barbara Tennis Club; and journalist John Zant, a UCSB alum, for his seven decades of providing quality sports writing for the community, including as a longtime writer for the Santa Barbara Independent. The Round Table also honored Bill Bertka at the ceremony. One of the organization’s founders, he has a long history as a coach and consultant with the L.A. Lakers.