Star columnist Greg Hansen counts down the most prominent sports figures in Southern ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ from 2018. Find out who makes the cut.
Mark Chandler ran afoul of TUSD and AIA investigators while at Sahuaro. He stepped down as Sabino’s coach in April.
One of the top prep baseball coaches in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ history, Chandler produced his first state championship, directing Sabino High School to a 28-4 record and the Class 3A state title.
First-year coach Amy Baray-Rocha has Salpointe Catholic's softball team two wins from the Division II state championship game after the Lancers beat Canyon del Oro 12-4 in 2015.Ìý
Salpointe’s softball coach guided the Lancers to the state championship, 32-4 overall, and has won 105 games in four seasons on the job.
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Felecity Willis, shown at McKale in ’99, officiates Division I women’s games for the WCC, Big Sky, WAC and Mountain West.
The former UA softball and basketball two-sport athlete has become one of the West’s leading women’s basketball referees, working her sixth season in the Mountain West, Big Sky, WCC and WAC conferences.
Cienega's Terrell Hayward (7) finds room in the red zone during the second quarter in the Bobcats' first-round playoff win versus Marana.Ìý
Cienega High School's versatile football standout rushed for 636 yards, caught passes for 763 yards, made 32 tackles and scored 17 touchdowns.
BYU tight end Matt Bushman, a ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ native and Sabino alum, yells after hauling in a 24-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter of the Cougars’ 28-23 win over ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ on Sept. 1, 2018, at ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Stadium.
Not only did the former Sabino High School tight end start as a BYU sophomore, he has now caught 74 passes for 979 yards in two years for the Cougars, including a game-changing touchdown in a victory over ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥.
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ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥'sÌýJustin Wright. Photo by Stan Liu / courtesy of ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ AthleticsÌý
In his senior year at ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Wright won the men’s 200 butterfly in the USA Championships, qualifying for the USA National team. He was fifth in the 200 fly for the Wildcats at the NCAA finals.
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ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ guard Aari McDonald (2) takes the the low road to squeeze under Northern ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ guard Regan Schenck (1) in the first quarter of their game at McKale Center, Friday, December 21, 2018, ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz.
Few basketball players in UA history got off to the kind of start the sophomore transfer from Washington did. She averaged 23.7 points through 10 games; her 39 points against Loyola Marymount tied the Wildcats' single-game scoring record.
Sunnyside’s senior soccer all-star has scored 44Ìýgoals (and counting) the last two seasons.
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Mike Urbanski leads a weekly run on Tohono Chul Park's Desert View Trail on Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2012 in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz. Photo by Ron Medvescek / ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥
Salpointe Catholic’s accomplished cross country coach piloted the Lancers girls to their second state championship in three years.
The Pima men's soccer team gather around the national championship plaque in front of their welcoming fans shortly after exiting the bus.
In PCC’s burst to the NJCAA men’s soccer championship, Zawadi — a sophomore defenderÌýfrom Cholla High School — was selected to the All-AmericaÌýsecond team.
Jada Talley
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FC ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ head coach Rick Schantz talks with midfielder Musa Morris before taking on the University of ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ in an exhibition game at Kino Sports Complex, Wednesday, May 4, 2016, ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz. Kelly Presnell / ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥
One of the leading names in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ soccer history became Phoenix Rising’s interim head coach during the USL season, led the Rising to a 12-7-1 record and then guided it to the USL title game. Schantz, a former FC ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ coach, was then named permanent head coachÌý.
Cory Petska, of Marana, Ariz., competes in the team roping event during the seventh go-round of the National Finals Rodeo, Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2018, in Las Vegas.
Tony Amato
ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥â€™s soccer coach reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the second year in a row, going 13-6-2 overall.
Hall became an all-WSFL first-team defensive back as a Pima College sophomore. The former Sahuaro High School standout made 83 tackles, fourth in the league.
Stevens coached Catalina Foothills’ girls tennis team to a 17-0 record and her 12th state championship.
Pima's Isaiah Murphy drives for the hoop around Delta's Jalen Fykes in the NJCAA Div II basketball tournament semifinal game in Danville, Ill, on March 23, 2018.
Murphy averaged 15.9 points per game for Pima College’s basketball team, guiding theÌýÌýAztecs to 31 victories and a No. 2 finish in the NJCAA.
Delaney Schnell, 18, works on one of her dives during a practice at Hillenbrand Aquatic Center on Wednesday June 28, 2017. Schnell says she started diving when she was 10 years old. She is now one of the best in the nation.
The freshman diver from ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ High was the Pac-12 freshman Diver of the Year, finishing sixth in the NCAA 1-meter diving championships.
Sunnyside Blue Devil pride adorns an entrance gate to the football stadium at Sunnyside High School in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz., Wednesday, July 22, 2015. Photo by Ron Medvescek / ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥
Sunnyside High School's soccer coach has gone 27-4-2 the last two seasons, and the Blue Devils were ranked No. 1 in the state through Dec. 20.
Salpointe's Diana Montano (11) records the last out of the game, flipping to first on ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥'s Arriana Santa Maria's (10) ground ball in the seventh inning of their state D II elimination playoff game at Amphitheater High School, Wednesday, May 11, 2016, ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz.
In Salpointe Catholic’s state championship softball season, Montano, a junior, drove in a team-high 64 runs and hit .450 with eight home runs.
More: Greg Hansen's Top 100 sports figures of 2018: 100-81.Ìý
Columnist
Star columnist Greg Hansen counts down the most prominent sports figures in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ and the surrounding region to ring in the new year. Here's …
Star columnist Greg Hansen counts down the most prominent sports figures in Southern ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ from 2018. Find out who makes the cut.
Star columnist Greg Hansen counts down the most prominent sports figures in Southern ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ from 2018. Find out who makes the cut.
Star columnist Greg Hansen counts down the most prominent sports figures in Southern ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ from 2018. Find out who makes the cut.
Star columnist Greg Hansen counts down the most prominent sports figures in Southern ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ from 2018. Find out who makes the cut.
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