Bones Brigade changed the landscape of skateboarding

Stacy Peralta, front, with his Bones Brigade skateboarding team in the 1980s.

Videos were the rage in the 1980s.In pop music, artists became megastars by promoting their songs with funny, titillating or provocative videos.The same held true in the world of skateboarding. The incredible tricks performed by the skateboarders in the Bones Brigade videos of Stacy Peralta revolutionized the sport and helped launch  Tony Hawk, Rodney Mullen and others into stardom.The Bones Brigade were a super talented group of teenagers with bad haircuts, wearing high shorts and … [Read more...]

Ace free-throw shooter draws attention of local coaches

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A seventh grader from St. Raphael’s School was the most sought-after person at Monday’s Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table press luncheon.Mitchell Cota’s excellence at the free-throw line drew the attention of high school and college basketball coaches in attendance in the Ranchero Room at Harry’s Plaza Cafe.Why all the fuss?Cota won district and Southern California titles in the annual Elks Hoop Shoot free-throw contest. He made 25 of 25 in the district competition and … [Read more...]

Laguna’s Elder, DP’s Vilander honored as Athletes of the Week

Logan Elder, Laguna Blanca basketball player

Defense got rewarded with Athlete of the Week awards at Monday’s Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table press luncheon.Logan Elder of Laguna Blanca boys basketball and Britten Vilander of the Dos Pueblos girls water polo team were the award winners.Elder scored 27 points in a 59-45 win over Condor League rival Cate and then shut down one of Providence Hall’s leading scorers, holding him to just four points, in a 79-35 victory.Vilander, the Chargers’ goalie, made 11 saves, including … [Read more...]

Spieler goes all out in class and on volleyball court

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Katie Spieler gets after it on the volleyball court and in the classroom.On the court, the senior libero for the Dos Pueblos girls volleyball team has the mindset she can pass any serve and dig every spike. In academics, it’s also about doing her best and achieving the highest grade.Spieler on Monday was honored as the Scholar-Athlete of the Year for Dos Pueblos at the Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table press luncheon.Spieler’s academic credentials include a 4.71 grade point … [Read more...]

Round Table Athletes of the Week

Westmont College basketball player Preston Branson and UCSB women's basketball player Kelsey Adrian have been named Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table Athletes of the Week.Branson had a monster performance in No. 16 Westmont's 90-85 victory at sixth-ranked Irvine-Concordia in the GSAC game. Branson, a junior from Texas, scored 35 points, making 12 of 14 shots from the field and 10 of 13 three throws. The win snapped a 10-game losing streak against Concordia and ended the Eagles' 24-game … [Read more...]

Double bills at Westmont worth the price of admission

Westmont men's basketball coach John Moore, left, with Athlete of the Week Preston Branson, right

Talking about the exciting basketball being playing at Westmont College this season, Warriors men’s coach John Moore harkened back to the days when movie theaters showed double features for the price of one.“We used to have doubleheaders at movie theaters, where you get to see a twin bill,” Moore recalled at Monday’s Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table press luncheon at Harry’s Plaza Cafe. “Well, it’s great to come to Westmont these days because you can see a great twin bill. … [Read more...]

Teens collecting sports equipment, clothing for 3rd Sports Drive

For the third year, local students are collecting new and gently used sports equipment and clothing for the third annual Sports Drive.This event is organized by teenagers with the goal of giving sports equipment and clothing to more than 750 kids in-need in the Santa Barbara community, and increasing membership and participation at the Santa Barbara Boys & Girls Club.The Sports Drive is scheduled to take place on Saturday, Feb. 25, from 9-11 a.m., at the Santa Barbara Downtown Boys … [Read more...]

Becerra, Lund receive special recognition at SBART luncheon

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Monday's Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table press luncheon was the first of 2012, and a host of coaches, athletes, and community members dropped by Harry's Plaza Cafe to share how they're doing in the new year.Twenty teams were represented in total, with each giving a report on their team's seasons. San Marcos High School was recognized with several awards before the coaches' reports, as Jordan Lund, Tony Becerra, and Sam Strong received special awards. Dos Pueblos' Jessica Escalante was … [Read more...]

Escalante, Strong named SBART Athletes of the Week

Female Athlete of the Week Jessica Escalante

Sam Strong took home the Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table Male Athlete of the Week award on Monday for scoring in both of San Marcos' soccer games last week.Strong's game-winner on Tuesday lifted the Royals to a 2-1 win over Dos Pueblos. The sophomore scored again on Thursday as the Royals managed to tie unbeaten Ventura 1-1.Dos Pueblos' Jessica Escalante won the Female Athlete of the Week award by leading the Chargers to a pair of victories last week. Escalante tallied 14 points, … [Read more...]

A look back at 2011′s local Sports Figures of the Month

John and Mardi Warkentin made an impact in 2011 with a $500,000 donation that made the new turf field at San Marcos High School a reality.

Presidio Sports is proud to have been able to highlight 11 local sports figures in 2011 as part of our Sports Figure of the Month series that we began back in February with the support from presenting sponsor American Riviera Bank.The series was created to recognize individuals in our athletic community that do big things, whether it be on the playing field, in the workplace, or in the community.Our Sports Figures of the Month profiles, written exclusively by Presidio Sports … [Read more...]

VIDEO: Todd Heil talks Coach of the Year award & ‘Nosotros’

Dons players react to clinching the victory in a penalty shootout at Peabody Stadium

Todd Heil recently learned he was selected by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America as a national Regional Coach of the Year for the second straight year.Heil led Santa Barbara High School's boys soccer team to its first CIF SoCal Regional title in Division II, which capped a season in which the Dons returned to the Southern Section Division-I title game for the second straight season.Heil is currently in his 13th year as head coach of the Dons program.Heil took the time … [Read more...]

Club West honors top youth performers of the year

Recipients of the Club West High School and Junior High School Athlete of the Year Awards:  From left, Bryan Hernandez (Dos Pueblos), Natalie Klapp (Goleta Valley), Jack Randmaa (La Colina), Hannah McDaniel (San Marcos, Cal Poly), Kaylin Koopmans (San Marcos), and Elysia Hodges (San Marcos, Westmont).  Not pictured:  Marie Brashears (San Marcos, UC Irvine).

The San Marcos High girls 4x400 relay team, which rewrote the school record book several times last spring and capped the track and field season by winning a bronze medal at the CIF State Meet, was honored as the High School Female Athletes of the Year by the Club West Track Club.Bryan Fernandez of Dos Pueblos was named the High School Male Athlete of the Year.The Club West Junior High Athletes of the Year were Natalie Klapp of Goleta Valley and Jack Randmaa of La Colina.The San … [Read more...]