Championships were won, rivalries were renewed, and the history books were rewritten in the world of Santa Barbara sports in 2023.
From high school to the professional level, Noozhawk was there to cover the biggest sports stories around the South Coast this year.
Here are some of the biggest moments from the last 12 months.
Santa Barbara High boys cross country team put an exclamation point on its season by capturing the CIF Division 2 State title on Nov. 25 in Fresno.
The championship was the first in school history.
We’ve targeted this race all year with these boys, and it’s incredible to have it come together, Santa Barbara coach Olivia Perdices said.
I love these guys! They don’t care how it gets done. They just trust each other to do the job.
The state title was fresh off a team victory in the CIF-SS championship meet the weekend before.
The team win was led by a second-place finish in the state meet from UCLA commit Andreas Dybdahl and a CIF-SS individual championship after finishing the three-mile race in 14:04.5.
It was a fantastic way for Dybdahl to cap off a historic year, as he was responsible for another one of Noozhawk’s top sports moments for 2023.
Dybdahl ran the race of his life and won a stirring 1,600 meters at the CIF State Track & Field Championships in May at Buchanan High School’s Veterans Memorial Stadium in Clovis.
The top-seeded Royals outscored crosstown rival Dos Pueblos 5-1 in the second half en route to a 9-6 victory for the Division 2 title before a full house on Nov. 11.
The Elings Aquatic Center was an electric atmosphere for the championship matchup, with student sections for both Goleta Valley schools showing up in full force.
In the end, it was the Royals coming out on top, earning the program’s first CIF boys water polo championship since 1994.
Both Cate School tennis teams came away with CIF-SS Division 3 titles this year, with the boys winning in May and the girls coming out on top in November.
The squads rattled off undefeated seasons en route to the championships, with the girls going 17-0 and the boys accumulating a record of 12-0.
Pepper Marks did it again for the Santa Barbara High wrestling program.
Marks repeated as a CIF-Southern Section champion in February, winning the 235-pound weight class title at the Central Division Tournament at Canyon Springs High in Moreno Valley.
She also was honored as the tournament’s Most Outstanding Wrestler in the upper weights after pinning all of her opponents en route to her second championship.
It was a special year for San Marcos baseball in 2023, making the CIF-SS quarterfinals, semifinals and finals all for the first time in program history.
After winning their third straight Channel League title in the regular season, Royals head coach Wes Ghan Gibson led his squad to a championship matchup against Aliso Niguel High School in Aliso Viejo.
San Marcos dropped the CIF title matchup, but the historic run was just the latest showcase of the local baseball talent throughout Santa Barbara.
The Vaqueros turned in arguably the best season in state history, rattling off a 37-1 record in which the team was undefeated against California Community College Athletic Association opponents.
It was capped off by an 8-5 win over Riverside College, giving SBCC its third title in six seasons, and making them the first repeat champions since 2012-2013.
Standout guard Ajay Mitchell powered UC Santa Barbara men’s basketball to its second Big West Conference championship in three years in March.
Mitchell, who averaged 24 points in the tournament, was named the tournament MVP and led the Gauchos to a 72-62 victory over CSU Fullerton in the title game.
It was pretty surreal, Schoenwetter said of being drafted.
You spend a lot of time in the weight room and on the field to make this dream come true. It’s a pretty amazing feeling being able to do this for my family and to represent the 805.
In his high school career, he ended with a 1.82 ERA across three seasons with the varsity team to go along with 211 strikeouts in 123⅓ innings pitched.
Schoenwetter eventually signed a deal with Cincinnati that included a $1.9 million signing bonus.
A 2-under-par for Leo Metzger on the final day of the Santa Barbara City Championship was enough for the San Marcos High School senior to secure back-to-back titles at the annual tournament held at the Santa Barbara Golf Club in May.
This is pretty special, he said. The first one last year, I’ve been dreaming of winning this tournament for so long, and to finally get it done felt really good, especially with my brother (Sam) on the bag.
To be able to defend it this year, especially before I go to college, it’s very special. I have been playing this course since I was 3 years old. My house is two minutes away, and just to win my hometown tournament again is really cool.
After establishing a winning tradition and an outstanding reputation in the NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics), capturing 10 national championships and boasting 637 All-Americans, Westmont moved to the NCAA Division II.
We welcome the challenge, athletic director Robert Ruiz said. We’re driven, competitive, and want to be great.
Many of the local area high schools welcomed a new sport to town in 2023 as girls flag football became an official CIF-regulated sport.
Santa Barbara High, Dos Pueblos, San Marcos and Bishop Diego all fielded 7-on-7 girls flag football teams in the fall and played a highly competitive season.
After strong showings from every local team, the athletes in town made it clear that the future was bright for this up-and-coming sport in Santa Barbara.
While Dos Pueblos boasted the best record from the local squads, Santa Barbara High took home the City Championship.
There were some big changes made for the future of high school football in the Santa Barbara area.
The changes were made to ensure competitive equity.
In late June the man whose name is synonymous with baseball in Santa Barbara died.
Fred Warrecker, who served as the baseball coach at Santa Barbara High School for 43 years and coached in the community for more than 60, died at age 84.
Warrecker coached Santa Barbara High baseball into his 70s, retiring in 2015. He produced a countless number of collegiate players and had five players make it to the Major Leagues.
The world of Santa Barbara sports in 2023 was filled with triumphant moments, championship victories, and historic achievements. From the Santa Barbara High boys cross country team clinching their first CIF Division 2 State title to the UC Santa Barbara men’s basketball team securing their second Big West Conference championship, remarkable stories unfolded on the South Coast. Additionally, the introduction of girls flag football as an official CIF-regulated sport exhibited the promising future of this up-and-coming athletic endeavor in Santa Barbara. As the year comes to a close, the local sports community reflects on a memorable and successful 2023.
Keywords: Santa Barbara, sports, championships, victories, historic achievements, Santa Barbara High, CIF Division 2 State title, UC Santa Barbara men’s basketball, Big West Conference championship, girls flag football, CIF-regulated sport
