Every high school football coach has to deal with roster turnover from year to year — you know, with the pesky reality that every player is going to move on eventually, most because of graduation.

It’s something that Santa Ynez High football head coach Josh McClurg deals with every year, but this year it’s pretty steep: Thirty-three seniors have moved on from last year’s Pirates team that finished 1-3 in the Sunset League and 4-8 overall, but did gain the Pirates’ first postseason victory in over a decade.

However, McClurg isn’t lacking any confidence as Santa Ynez gets ready for its season opener this Friday, Aug. 22, when the Pirates travel to Goleta to take on Dos Pueblos. After all, there’s alway reinforcements coming.

“Yes, we got hit by graduation, but I think we’re looking good,” McClurg said at a recent practice. “We’re two-deep at most positions, and I think we’re well-stocked at middle linebacker and defensive line.”

Of course, it doesn’t hurt when you have last year’s Sunset League Offensive Player of the Year, quarterback Jude Pritchard, back for one more season. In 2024, Pritchard passes for 1,661 years and 12 touchdowns for the Pirates, and also led the team with 513 yards rushing.

“Jude looks the best he’s ever looked back there,” McClurg said. “This is his third year starting and he seems very comfortable. I’m excited to see what he can do this year.”

Pritchard should benefit by some decent weapons in the receiving corps, senior WR Mason Skidmore had 28 catches last year, good for second-most on the team, for 357 yards and two touchdowns. Meanwhile, senior Diego Pulido will return after being the Pirates’ Swiss army knife. Despite being hampered by an injury for most of the season, he was able to help SYHS at wide receiver, defensive back, and as kicker.

In the offensive backfield, returning seniors Greyson Foy and Levi Snow, two of the Pirates’ captains this year along with Pritchard and senior lineman Kaj Kretzschmer, are expected to pick up most of the carries though juniors Austin Willis and Cael DeForest could also make their mark.

“We lost a lot of seniors, but we have whole lot of talent,” Foy said. “I’m looking forward to playing a lot, at running back, linebacker, and maybe even kick returner.”

On the offensive line the Pirates got some beef, as Joey Duarte (6’3”, 290), Deagan Johnson (6’1”, 290), Javier Nungaray (6’1”, 285), and Vincente Perez (6’1”, 275) anchor the group.

“I really like what he have on the line,” Johnson said. “There are some big guys for people to deal with, and we’re becoming a real tight group.

On defense, many of the offensive group will be playing both ways; Johnson is looking forward to seeing some time at noseguard, while Jaxon Glover, who had four sacks last year, will play some at defensive end, and Pulido looks to excel at free safety.

Although the Pirates start the season on the road, they will have a bonus this year: an extra home game.

Santa Ynez was scheduled to play at Lompoc for its second game on Aug. 29, but an extensive revamp of the lighting systems at LHS’s Huyck Stadium means that Lompoc and Cabrillo will have to play their home games during the daytime this year.

However, according to McClurg, who’s also the athletic director at SYHS, Lompoc wanted to play the Pirates under the lights and offered to come to Rio Memorial Field for what’s usually a well-attended.

“They called and said, ‘hey this needs to be under the Friday Night Lights,’” McClurg said. “So we said ‘sure.’ Truth is, it’s not as huge a home-field advantage as you might think: Lompoc always travels well and they’ll be here in droves. It should make it a very exciting atmosphere.”

Elsewhere on the schedule, Santa Ynez will have its Homecoming game on Sept. 26 against Santa Maria. Other nights of note include Sept. 19 against Nipomo, when the newest members of the SYHS Wall of Honor are recognized; the Go Pink game Oct. 3 against Atascadero, and Senior Night (which is also Halloween night) Oct. 31 against Righetti. All home games will start at 7 p.m. at Rio Memorial Field.

2025 SANTA YNEZ FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

Friday, Aug. 22 at Dos Pueblos

Friday, Aug. 29 LOMPOC

Friday, Sept. 5 SAN MARCOS

Friday, Sept. 12 Mission Prep at Cal Poly

Friday, Sept. 19 NIPOMO

Friday, Sept. 26 SANTA MARIA (Homecoming)

Friday, Oct. 3 ATASCADERO

Friday, Oct. 17 at Pioneer Valley

Friday, Oct. 24 at San Luis Obispo

Friday, Oct. 31 RIGHETTI

The post Pirates ready to restock for 2025 football season appeared first on Santa Ynez Valley Star.

By Mike Chaldu

michael@santaynezvalleystar.com

August is a time of bustling activity on our local schools’ campuses: Students coming back to classes, seeing old friends, getting started on extracurricular activities. And, of course, it means late summer practices on the turf in anticipation of playing the season for the Santa Ynez High varsity football teams.

Wait, did you say teams? As in plural?

That’s right! Because in addition to the traditional football season played by the male students, the females will also have their time on the gridiron as the Pirates field their first girls flag football team this year.

Eighteen girls came out for the school’s inaugural campaign, which begins Tuesday, Aug. 26, with a game at Dos Pueblos in Goleta. After another road game at Paso Robles on Thursday, Sept. 4, and tournaments at Pioneer Valley (Sept. 6) and Lompoc (Sept. 13), the Pirates will have their home debut on Tuesday, Sept. 16, against Lompoc.

The team will be led by co-head coaches Maddie Quiroga and Hannah Wright, who also coach the junior varsity girls basketball team. The two established their own legacies while at SYHS: Quiroga, a 2014 graduate of SYHS, was the captain of the varsity girls basketball team her junior and senior year, and also broke the school record for 3-point shots in a game and points in a season. Wright, then known as Hannah Cantrell, graduated in 2015, and was a captain of the girls volleyball and basketball teams before playing volleyball at Santa Barbara City College and eventually graduating from UCSB.

“We’re so appreciative of being trusted with this new program,” Wright said during a recent practice. “It’s going to be hard work, but it’s exciting — we don’t know what’s coming, it’s a big unknown.”

Quiroga echoed her colleague’s thoughts.

“It’s a huge deal to launch this program and we’re honored to do it,” she said. “It’s great to give back to the school we went to.”

While Wright and Quiroga didn’t get the chance to play football while they were at SYHS, their families have a history with the sport, and with SYHS in general. Wright is the daughter of Rob Cantrell, the Pirates girls soccer coach, and her brother Austin Cantrell played football for SYHS for four years, and her cousin Brennan Swanson played for the Pirates in the ‘90s and eventually had a short stint with the San Francisco 49ers.

Meanwhile, Maggie’s late father MIke Quiroga was a standout was a standout in four sports (basketball, football, baseball, and tennis, during his time as a Pirate. She also is sister to Ashley Quiroga, a standout in basketball, and niece to David and Lydia Quiroda, who were also athletic standouts at SYHS.

“I think there are a lot of things from other sports that we can translate over for football,” Wright said. “Plus, my husband is a huge football fan, so I watch the games with him, and I’ve even gotten into fantasy football,” she said laughing.

The football bloodline doesn’t stop at the coaching staff: Pirates junior Campbell McClurg is the niece of head football coach and SYHS Athletic Director Josh McClurg, while players like Leighton Casey and Ella Gotschall are names that have been found on the boys football roster in past years.

But the girls are thrilled to make their own legacy as trailblazers in a new sport.

“We knew in the middle of the last school year that this was probably going to happen,” Casey said. “I played basketball for Coach Quiroga and Coach Wright so I was clued in on it pretty early, and when they asked me about it, I told them I’d do it.”

“I don’t think we’ll have too much trouble learning this, because we played Powder Puff football and it’s been a good crutch to lean on, so I think we’ve got a head start””,” McClurg said.

The game will have some differences from the boys game, most notable of which is the lack of contact. As indicated by the sport’s name, a ballcarrier is down when a defender takes the flag off her belt, and blocking with any contact in prohibited — you can try to impede a defender’s effort to get to the quarterback, but you can’t touch her.

“If you want to try and keep a defender away, you need to do it like a screen in basketball,” Wright said. “So that’s familiar to us.”

Also, the field is 80 yards, split into four 20-yard zones. There are no yard markers, so the midpoint 40-yard line and each 20-yard line are each known as the “line to gain,” meaning the offensive team must get past that line to keep possession. And, every player other than the quarterback (or “passer”) is an eligible receiver when the ball is snapped.

Helping out Quiroga and Wright with the game plan is Allen Pinoli, the current track head coach who is also on the boys football staff and is considered the offensive coordinator for the girls team.

“Josh (McClurg) saw this was going to happen, so he asked me if I would step in and oversee the offense, and I was happy to do so,” Pinoli said. “I’ve actually coached my son in flag football when he was young, so I’m pretty familiar with this.”

Pinoli has been very impressed with the girls’ progress so far.

“They’re showing the things they’ve leared on a daily basis; they’re really stepping up,” he said. “The positions are being filled by girls who are showing interest in what they do. It’s really filling out nicely — I think they’ll be fine.”

The addition of Santa Ynez gives the Central Coast eight girls flag football teams this year. League opponents for the Pirates will be Lompoc (coached by former SYHS Athletic Director Ashley Coehlo), Santa Maria, Righetti, Cabrillo, Pioneer Valley, and San Luis Obispo.

Those on the roster for the Pirates include (asterisks for team captain): Isabella Rubio*, Leighton Casey*, Presley Pinoli*, Myah Dunn*, Regina Guerrero, Skyla Oslin, Angela Guerrero, Campbell McClurg, Ella Gotschall, Maleah Knightley, Lylah Rueff, Chelsea Stepien, Karely Vasquez, Danaka Cantrell, Anna Carpenter, Lucianna Chavez, Alexandra Herrera, and Chanel Batastini.

All of whom, no doubt, are looking forward to the beginning of the season.

“I’m just super-excited to get the season started,” Casey said. “We’re making history.”

2025 SYHS GIRLS FLAG FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

Tuesday, Aug. 26, at Dos Pueblos                      

Thursday, Sept. 4, at Paso Robles (Parish Field)

Saturday, Sept. 6, Pioneer Valley Tournament

Saturday, Sept. 13, Lompoc Tournament

Tuesday, Sept. 16, LOMPOC*

Monday, Sept. 22, Madera South at Lompoc HS

Thursday, Sept. 25, at Santa Maria*

Tuesday, Sept. 30, RIGHETTI*

Tuesday, Oct. 7, CABRILLO*

Thursday, Oct. 16, at Pioneer Valley*

Tuesday, Oct. 21, SAN LUIS OBISPO*

The post Are you ready for some (girls) football at Santa Ynez? appeared first on Santa Ynez Valley Star.

By Mike Chaldu

michael@santaynezvalleystar.com

Every high school football coach has to deal with roster turnover from year to year — you know, with the pesky reality that every player is going to move on eventually, most because of graduation.

It’s something that Santa Ynez High football head coach Josh McClurg deals with every year, but this year it’s pretty steep: Thirty-three seniors have moved on from last year’s Pirates team that finished 1-3 in the Sunset League and 4-8 overall, but did gain the Pirates’ first postseason victory in over a decade.

However, McClurg isn’t lacking any confidence as Santa Ynez gets ready for its season opener this Friday, Aug. 22, when the Pirates travel to Goleta to take on Dos Pueblos. After all, there’s alway reinforcements coming.

“Yes, we got hit by graduation, but I think we’re looking good,” McClurg said at a recent practice. “We’re two-deep at most positions, and I think we’re well-stocked at middle linebacker and defensive line.”

Of course, it doesn’t hurt when you have last year’s Sunset League Offensive Player of the Year, quarterback Jude Pritchard, back for one more season. In 2024, Pritchard passes for 1,661 years and 12 touchdowns for the Pirates, and also led the team with 513 yards rushing.

“Jude looks the best he’s ever looked back there,” McClurg said. “This is his third year starting and he seems very comfortable. I’m excited to see what he can do this year.”

Pritchard should benefit by some decent weapons in the receiving corps, senior WR Mason Skidmore had 28 catches last year, good for second-most on the team, for 357 yards and two touchdowns. Meanwhile, senior Diego Pulido will return after being the Pirates’ Swiss army knife. Despite being hampered by an injury for most of the season, he was able to help SYHS at wide receiver, defensive back, and as kicker.

In the offensive backfield, returning seniors Greyson Foy and Levi Snow, two of the Pirates’ captains this year along with Pritchard and senior lineman Kaj Kretzschmer, are expected to pick up most of the carries though juniors Austin Willis and Cael DeForest could also make their mark.

“We lost a lot of seniors, but we have whole lot of talent,” Foy said. “I’m looking forward to playing a lot, at running back, linebacker, and maybe even kick returner.”

On the offensive line the Pirates got some beef, as Joey Duarte (6’3”, 290), Deagan Johnson (6’1”, 290), Javier Nungaray (6’1”, 285), and Vincente Perez (6’1”, 275) anchor the group.

“I really like what he have on the line,” Johnson said. “There are some big guys for people to deal with, and we’re becoming a real tight group.

On defense, many of the offensive group will be playing both ways; Johnson is looking forward to seeing some time at noseguard, while Jaxon Glover, who had four sacks last year, will play some at defensive end, and Pulido looks to excel at free safety.

Although the Pirates start the season on the road, they will have a bonus this year: an extra home game.

Santa Ynez was scheduled to play at Lompoc for its second game on Aug. 29, but an extensive revamp of the lighting systems at LHS’s Huyck Stadium means that Lompoc and Cabrillo will have to play their home games during the daytime this year.

However, according to McClurg, who’s also the athletic director at SYHS, Lompoc wanted to play the Pirates under the lights and offered to come to Rio Memorial Field for what’s usually a well-attended.

“They called and said, ‘hey this needs to be under the Friday Night Lights,’” McClurg said. “So we said ‘sure.’ Truth is, it’s not as huge a home-field advantage as you might think: Lompoc always travels well and they’ll be here in droves. It should make it a very exciting atmosphere.”

Elsewhere on the schedule, Santa Ynez will have its Homecoming game on Sept. 26 against Santa Maria. Other nights of note include Sept. 19 against Nipomo, when the newest members of the SYHS Wall of Honor are recognized; the Go Pink game Oct. 3 against Atascadero, and Senior Night (which is also Halloween night) Oct. 31 against Righetti. All home games will start at 7 p.m. at Rio Memorial Field.

2025 SANTA YNEZ FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

Friday, Aug. 22 at Dos Pueblos

Friday, Aug. 29 LOMPOC

Friday, Sept. 5 SAN MARCOS

Friday, Sept. 12 Mission Prep at Cal Poly

Friday, Sept. 19 NIPOMO

Friday, Sept. 26 SANTA MARIA (Homecoming)

Friday, Oct. 3 ATASCADERO

Friday, Oct. 17 at Pioneer Valley

Friday, Oct. 24 at San Luis Obispo

Friday, Oct. 31 RIGHETTI

The post Pirates ready to restock for 2025 football season appeared first on Santa Ynez Valley Star.

The Santa Ynez Valley High School District has named Maddie Quiroga and Hannah Wright as its girls flag football co-head coaches. Wright and Quiroga both graduated from SYHS and currently coach the JV girls basketball team.  

Maddie Quiroga graduated in 2014, where she was captain of the varsity girls basketball team her junior and senior years. Maddie broke the school record for 3-point shots in a game and the record for points in a season, while also being named to All Los Padres League team her senior season. She is currently finishing school to become a teacher.

Hannah (Cantrell) Wright graduated from SYHS in 2015, where she was a captain of the girls volleyball and basketball teams. She was all-league in basketball for three years and was all-league in volleyball twice.  While playing volleyball, she broke the school record for hitting percentage in a game. Wright went on to play volleyball at Santa Barbara City College, where she was named all-conference both years. She graduated friom UCSB and is currently teaching at Jonata Middle School in Buellton.

“We are extremely excited to be starting girls flag football at SYHS,” SYHS Athletic Director Josh McClurg said. “It is one of the fastest growing sports in the country and we had to make it a priority to get it started. I have been impressed with watching Maddie as our girls head JV basketball coach the last three years. She has a great rapport with the girls and brings a positive energy that is needed as a high school coach. The girls program added Hannah as a JV coach this year, and the two of them work extremely well together, so it was a no-brainer on who we needed to have as our inaugural girls flag football coaches.”

Both coaches have deep ties with the Pirates athletic program. Wright’s father, Rob Cantrell, has been SYHS’s girls soccer head coach since 2005. Her mom and brothers all graduated from SYHS, with her brother Austin playing football for the Pirates the last four years. Her uncles all played football for the Pirates in the 1990s, and one of them, Brennan Swanson, went on to play football at Cal State Northridge and then had a short stint with the San Francisco 49ers. Her cousin, Harloe Swanson, will be a senior and is a member of the girls track 4×100 team that broke the 30-year-old school record this past season.  

Quiroga is a proud Santa Ynez Valley Chumash descendant of the first students/athletes to become Pirates in 1896. Her father, Michael Quiroga, graduated in 1980 after being a standout basketball, football, baseball, and tennis athlete. Mike was considered one of the best basketball shooters in school history. Since his passing, Maddie and her family have started the Mike Quiroga Scholarship Fund at SYHS in honor of his legacy. Maddie’s uncle, David Quiroga, was an all-star athlete at SYHS along with her aunt Lydia Quiroga.  Her sister, Ashley Quiroga, was a four-year varsity basketball starter for the Pirates as well.

“The fact that both coaches come from a long line of standout Pirate athletes is pretty special,” McClurg said. “I remember playing men’s league basketball at 18 years old and having to defend Mike Quiroga, who literally could shoot the lights out of gym. Hannah’s uncle, Brennan, and I were teammates on the Los Padres League champion football team in 1993, and went to elementary school together as well. The small-town connections of the Valley are what make our school so special and it is what helps to instill Pirate Pride in all of our athletes.”

The Pirates girls flag football team will play its first game on Tuesday, Aug. 26, at Dos Pueblos (time TBA) and will play at Paso Robles on Thursday, Sept. 4. After weekend tournaments at Pioneer Valley and Lompoc high schools in September, SYHS will play its first home game on Tuesday, Sept. 16, against Lompoc.

A story on the two new coaches and the outlook of the Pirates’ first girls flag football team will run in the next issue, coming out Aug. 19.

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The Santa Ynez Valley Union High School District has named Sean Yamasaki as its wrestling head coach. 

Yamasaki just graduated from San Francisco State with a BS in Kinesiology with Cum Laude honors. He is a 2020 graduate of Dos Pueblos High School in Goleta.

“We are extremely excited to bring Sean on board as our new wrestling coach,” SYHS Athletic Director Josh McClurg said. “Coach Yamasaki comes from a highly decorated and well-known wrestling family on the Central Coast. His father and brother were highly decorated wrestlers, and his father coached at Dos Pueblos High School as well. 

“Sean has amassed a ton of honors as a high school and college wrestler, and we can’t wait to see him pass his knowledge on to our wrestling team. Our athletes will benefit greatly from his wrestling knowledge from competing at the college level, as well as the top-level coaching staff he is currently assembling.”

At Dos Pueblos High, Sean finished his high school career as one of only three wrestlers in Channel League history to be a four-time league champion. He was a three-time CIF Southern Section top 10 competitor, finishing second, third, and sixth. He was a top 12 finisher at the CIF Southern Section Masters two different years and was named Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table Athlete of the Year in 2020. After high school, Sean wrestled for four years at the NCAA Division II level for San Francisco State. He was named team captain and finished in sixth place at NCAA Super Region 6 tournament as well as third in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation conference tournament.
 
“In my opinion, Sean’s biggest accomplishment is being a four-time NCWA Academic All-American,” McClurg said. “This is a great example for our athletes to see that their coach excelled in the classroom and on the mat.”

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A sold-out crowd of 300 gathered in boots and fancy hats at the Piocho Ranch on Sunday, June 29, for the 13th annual 2025 Santa Ynez Valley Polo Classic.  

Proceeds from the event benefit People Helping People (PHP), the Valley’s lifeline for vulnerable residents in need of food, shelter, medical care, and connection to other critical services. 

Holding an American flag under a bright blue sky with the mountains as a backdrop, Sean Pitts, one of the owners of Happy Canyon Vineyards, kicked off the main match.  “There is no greater honor than to help People Helping People,” announced Pitts. 

Sean and his wife, Jodi Barrack Pitts, and TJ Barrack are longtime supporters of the Classic. The trio took over running the event when a more elaborate version became an organizational burden for the small nonprofit. It has transitioned from an ultra-chic day in the country to a casual event that is pure Valley, bringing together barbecue, wine, and horses. 

“I just am so grateful to them,” PHP Board President Becky Barieau said. “They chose to maintain the continuity and the legacy of the polo event and it still benefits us. It’s a great thing. It’s a really great thing.” 

“It’s about the community that People Helping People supports that are near and dear to our hearts,” Sean Pitts said, noting PHP’s support of ranch and farm laborers. Jodi Barrack Pitts’ family has been part of the Santa Ynez community for well over three decades. She added, “We really love where we live and we want to give back where we live. And we love what they do.” 

Joel Baker, a local high-goal player and national coach, started the Santa Ynez Valley Polo Classic with People Helping People in 2012. That relationship is especially meaningful to PHP this year as they just helped facilitate the first residents to move into Polo Village, a beautiful, new, affordable housing complex in Buellton. 

The Polo Village development is built on the very land where the Classic started, a polo field formerly owned by Baker. Forty-nine family members and individuals now have permanent housing at this complex designed for seniors, veterans, and working families, along with PHP support services to ensure they stay in that housing. 

This year members of La Herradura Polo Club run by Memo Gracida, the legendary polo player, took to the field in the Polo Classic to face off in two matches. The lone woman on the Red team, Gina Padilla, scored four of the team’s five goals. Despite her success, the opposing team won, leaving Guille Aguero, Brent Hamill, Jim Mintie, and Matt Thake to lift the celebratory bottles of Happy Canyon wines. 

To learn more about People Helping People go to  syvphp.org, or call (805) 686-0295.

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Jeff Hartman opened the Highline Adventures outdoor adventure park near Buellton in 2023 to give people more opportunities to get outside and active.

Now, Hartman is looking to expand his customer base to families and younger kids, and in the process, he jokingly says, make “Skynet” known more than just being the name of the fictional computer system that threatened mankind in the “Terminator” movie franchise.

This “Skynet” refers to the park’s new Skynet Playground, a first-of-its-kind colorful, elevated netted zone featuring 10 enclosed adventure spaces designed for safe climbing, bouncing, and motor skill development, all while parents can relax or join in the fun. This expansion, which opened at the end of May, complements Highline Adventures’ existing adventure park, which features a variety of thrilling courses and challenges for teens and adults, according to Hartman.

“The Skynet’s been great for us because we can get the whole family out here and give them something to do,” Hartman said of the playspace, which is made for children as young as 2, as well as adults and older kids. “The zipline and adventure course I limit to ages 10 and up and between 75 and 275 pounds, and I was missing out on that younger kid demographic, which I can see clearly now, being the father of a 2-year-old and 6-year-old. I thought to myself we were missing out on whole families who have nothing to do out here.”

The Skynet is an elevated structure nestled between the adventure courses at the park, which is located just outside the Buellton city limits off Highway 246. Participants can ran back-and-forth between the “zones,” play games like basketball and volleyball (with added elevation), and even just jump up and down on the bottom like a trampoline.

“This netting is the same kind they’ve started to use in what they call ‘netparks’ in Europe, but are finally coming to the U.S.,” Hartman said. “The technology for the nets came from fishing netting, and it’s very strong and very bouncy, like a trampoline.”

Hartman also looks at the Skynet as more of a free-form activity, for the park attendees.

“With the zipline and adventure courses, we need to go through a little training and orientation, and have to supervise the whole process,” he said. “With the Skynet, I can just get the group and let them loose in there.”

The playground is the latest addition to the park, whose main feature is the zipline, which takes harnessed riders 1,000 feet above ground, giving them what Hartman calls “the best views in Santa Ynez Valley.”

Hartman is a “sixth-generation” Santa Barbara County native who graduated from Laguna Blanca School in Santa Barbara, and then went to the University of Colorado.

“I started a couple of action sports companies in Colorado before I moved back to Santa Barbara County in 2016,” he said. “I was some ag business for awhile but decided I wanted to do something else. My dad and his partner had the idea for zip course, and I added the adventure course and we submitted it to the county in 2020 and got approval in 2022.”

Hartman said his park is a response to those who wish for more activities to do in the Valley when they speak out at City Council meetings or events like the recent economic summit.

“Our mission is getting people outside and active, since we live in such a digital age and let them have fun things to do in a curated and safe environment,” he said. “They want something to do other that just drink alcohol — I mean, how much wine can you drink in a day. We say that you come to our park and be active and then do your wine tasting or have a Danish and do the Solvang experience after.”

In additions to folks just coming in to enjoy the park, Highland Adventures also is available for events, like birthday parties and corporate retreats.

“We have a clubhouse and lawn where people can gather and hang out between activities,” he said. “We’ve hosted parties and brought food trucks, and provided lawn games, seatings and other things.”

Hartman, who lives on the property with his wife Hannah, and daughters Pearl, 6, and June, 2, (with a baby boy on the way soon) said he is open to further new additions to the park, which he said is further encouraged by the ag enterprise ordinance passed the county last December.

“We’re looking at what we can do,” he said. “That ordinance was a great thing for ag zone parcels.”

But for the time being, Hartman’s happy providing a local destination to enjoy some neat outdoor experiences.

“We just encourage people to get out and active in a fun environment,” he said. “Our tagline is ‘Explore Through the Trees.’ You can come out as a family and activities for ages 2 years old to 100 years old, and have fun.”

Highline Adventures is located at 700 E. Highway 246, with the entrance to the access road just east of Ostrich Land. To book reservations or to get more info, go to highlineadventures.com.

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The USRowing Youth National Championships, held in Sarasota, Florida, from June 12 to June 15, brought together the best youth rowers from all across the country for four days of intensive racing one of them was Santa Barbara Community Rowing’s Jacie Dingman, 15.

The Santa Ynez Valley teen came home from the 2025 USRowing Youth National Championships as the seventh-fastest U17 single sculler in the nation. 

Dingman clocked a time of 8:28.97 for her seventh-place finish in the A Final. The winner, Sydney Vilhelm of the South Orlando Rowing Association, had a time of 8:03.24. 

“We were super excited going into the race because this is the first time that Jacie has raced a single at Nationals whichis one of the most competitive boat classes alongside the 8+,” said SBCR coach Gracie Barbara. “She raced last year in a double and placed seventh with partner Elsa Loya, but the single is a whole different kind of race — mostly mentally.

“There were 27 girls in this category, and we did some research and knew Jacie was going up against some girls who were in this category last year and did well, so we knew she was going up against some speed — especially girls from the southeast region who row year-round and have raced on this course before,” Barbara continued. “So, our goal was to make top 16 in the time trials Thursday, and top 4 in the semis on Friday, which would put Jacie in the A finals on Sunday — both of which she did. Jacie does super well doing head-to-head, which was evident in her semifinal on Friday.”

Dingman was in agreement about her semifinal.

“ I had a really good semifinal,” she said. “I went in with the goal of making the finals and was able to execute my race plan and be very aggressive. Plus, I was able to time my final sprint well and start it early enough to make a difference.”

Barbara confirmed this, saying, “Jacie was neck and neck with a girl from Winter Park Crew for the first 1,750 meters, but Jacie has an amazing sprint, which meant she was able to get the last stroke and beat her by .02 second to come away with a second-place finish.”

However, by day 4 the heat and humidity in the Sunshine State were starting to take a toll on Dingman. 

“The heat is always a factor in Florida and we prepped for it, with Jacie rowing in long sleeves in the sun on Cachuma in the weeks leading up to Nationals. And we flew out early to Sarasota to acclimate,” Barbara said.

Dingman, though admitted she couldn’t fully counteract the high temperatures.

“By Sunday I wasn’t really feeling my best,” she said. “And the wind was crazy. I got blown off the starting block and was hitting buoys for the first 250 meters before I was able to get straightened out. So I started pretty far behind.”

Continued Dingman: “I wasn’t sure how much ground I could make up because I also just got hit by fatigue, but I decided just to try not to lose more ground.”

That presence of mind earned her a seventh-place finish and the admiration of many.

“This really something to cheer about —for our club and for Jacie — especially as she was the  youngest girl in the race,” Barbara said. “Jacie is only 15 — She’s technically U16 — but we raced her in the U17 group because she’s fast enough and she’ll be in this category next year, so it’s good practice.”

Barbara said Dingman has the potential to return to nationals in 2026.

“If she’s lucky enough to qualify again next year there are obviously things we’ll work to improve, but we’ll also for sure be trying for a medal,” Barbara said.

Reflecting on the experience, Dingman said, “Nationals is so much fun and such an incredible experience, and I have so much respect for everyone I met there. I’m also so grateful to everyone for making it happen — parents, Coach, my fellow rowers at SBCR, and I’m ready to come back and try to medal next year.”

For now,  the work continues. Following Nationals, Dingman went straight to USRowing’s Pathways Development Camp in Chattanooga, Tennessee, where she was invited to participate in the Girls Elite Pairs Camp, which places the top 16 athletes in the camp into pairs — a kind of boat with 2 rowers, each with one oar — coached by former Olympic medalists.

Santa Barbara Community Rowing is the only rowing organization in Santa Barbara County, based at Cachuma Lake. SBCR offers summer camps for youth ages 11+, as well as Learn to Row programs throughout the year for adults and kids.. For more information visit www.rowsbc.org/

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People who came to check out the Old Santa Ynez Days on the weekend of June 21-22, also had the chance to witness some pro rodeo action as the 6th Annual Old Santa Ynez Days Rodeo at the Chumash Arena at the corner of Meadowvale Road and Highway 246.

Professional riders, calf ropers, and steer wrestlers show their talents to a packed house at the Chumash property between 246 and Sagunto Street. Two grandstands, as well as the huge VIP tent, were nearly filled to capacity as the spectators enjoyed the action.

The big winners of the weekend, as reported by www.kirchmannmediagroup.com, were cowboys Jacek Frost, riding What’s Crackin’, and Rocker Steiner riding Kahlula, in the Big Bucks ProRodeo bareback horses event. Both had 87.5-point rides to split the win, with each cowboy earning $2,989.

In saddle broncs, the bronc Keoki matched up with Jasper Frost for 86 points and $3,384. Queensland, Australia, cowboy Warwick Southern scored 83.5 on Big Bucks Rodeo’s Freckles for $2,594; Jake Barnes from Stephenville, Texas, also collected a check on Heart N Soul of Big Bucks ProRodeo string for fifth place.

The unridden bull, Jimmy Hoe, continues his streak after 11 trips during the 2025 season.

In addition to the rodeo events, the crowd was treated to flyovers by the Tiger Squadron, billed as “Southern California’s premier formation flying team,” as well as Kate and Tera Flitton, known as the Stellar Trick Riding Cowgirls, who performed between events.

Young competitors, meanwhile, got to try the mutton bustin’ competition and stick horse races.

Hailee Taylor, 18, of Buellton presided over the event as the newly crowned Miss Old Santa Ynez Days Rodeo Queen for 2025-26.

Full results of the Old Santa Ynez Days rodeo (courtesy of prorodeo.com):

All-around cowboy: James Mann, $2,557, saddle bronc riding, tie-down roping and steer wrestling.

Bareback riding: 1. (tie) Jacek Frost Frost, on Big Bucks Rodeo’s What’s Crackin’, and Rocker Steiner, on Big Bucks Rodeo’s Kahlula, 87.5 points, $2,989 each; 3. Bradlee Miller, 86, $1,918; 4. Darien Johnson, 83.5, $1,241; 5. Kashton Ford, 80, $790; 6. Cole Franks, 79, $564; 7. Waylon Bourgeois, 78.5, $451; 8. (tie) Clayton Biglow and Colton Clemens, 76.5, $169 each. 

Steer wrestling: 1. Grant Peterson, 4.0 seconds, $2,811; 2. Jace Melvin, 4.7, $2,444; 3. Bryar Byrne, 4.8, $2,077; 4. Stan Branco, 5.5, $1,711; 5. Drew Madden, 5.8, $1,344; 6. James Mann, 7.7, $978; 7. Taite Stickler, 8.4, $611; 8. Brandon Green, 10.7, $244. 

Team roping: 1. Cutter Machado/Dalton Pearce, 5.1 seconds, $3,316 each; 2. Chase Helton/Wyatt Hansen, 5.3, $2,926; 3. Blake Van Stavern/Stoney Boy, 5.5, $2,536; 4. Doyle Hoskins/Will Cowden, 5.6, $2,146; 5. Lane Lowry/Monty Joe Petska, 6.0, $1,951; 6. Mike Christensen/Trey White, 6.4, $1,755; 7. Ryan Bettencourt/Scott Gulley, 6.8, $1,560; 8. Derrek Hee/Chris James, 6.9, $1,365; 9. Yogi Davis/Gene Harry, 12.1, $1,170; 10. Preston Burgess/Cody Cowden, 15.0, $780. 

Saddle bronc riding: 1. Jasper Frost, 86 points on Big Bucks Rodeo’s Keoki, $3,384; 2. Warwick Southern, 83.5, $2,594; 3. (tie) James Mann and Q McWhorter, 81.5, $1,579 each; 5. Jake Barnes, 81, $790; 6. Denton Mars, 79.5, $564; 7. Lefty Holman, 79, $451; 8. (tie) Tucker Bourdet and Cameron Messier, 78, $169 each. 

Tie-down roping: 1. Macon Murphy, 8.7 seconds, $2,757; 2. Gator Goodrich, 8.9, $2,432; 3. Paden Bray, 9.7, $2,108; 4. Brushton Minton, 10.1, $1,784; 5. Roan Hudson, 11.1, $1,622; 6. Jason Andersen, 11.5, $1,459; 7. Cody Stewart, 11.7, $1,297; 8. J. Cody Jones, 12.0, $1,135; 9. Tyler Forsberg, 12.3, $973; 10. Caden Farquer, 12.7, $649. 

Barrel racing: 1. Makenna Shook, 14.91 seconds, $3,225; 2. Kathy Petska, 15.17, $2,580; 3. Emily Harryman, 15.31, $2,096; 4. (tie) Meghann Pearce and Christina Porter, 15.36, $1,451 each; 6. Ann McGilchrist, 15.49, $968; 7. Ally Wheeler, 15.51, $806; 8. Madison Camozzi, 15.53, $726; 9. (tie) Kayla Hurl and Maren Powers, 15.54, $605 each; 11. Shelby Bates, 15.56, $484; 12. Shy-Anne Jarrett, 15.57, $403; 13. Tarryn Lee, 15.58, $323; 14. Julie Ketscher, 15.63, $242; 15. Paloma Alvarado, 15.67, $161. 

Bull riding: * 1. Colby Demo, 85 points on Empire Rodeo’s Boots, $3,887; 2. (tie) Clayton Sellars and Mason Spain, 81, $2,769 each; 4. Colby Strickland, 73, $1,762; no other qualified rides. *(all totals include ground money).

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After a season in which it finished the season 22-4, going undefeated in the Mountain League, and winning CIF Central Section Division II  before losing in the California state semifinals, the Santa Ynez Pirates boys volleyball team saw numerous members selected All-Mountain League by the coaches, SYHS volleyball coach Chip Fenenga announced recently.

Sophomore right-side hitter Nate Biron was named the Mountain League MVP. He led the Pirates with 343 kills, 54 aces, and was the top passer on the team. Biron finished, according to the Max Preps website, as the fifth-most efficient hitter in the United States.

“Nate could do it all and was such a hammer from the right side for us this year,” Fenenga said. “He is competitive, athletic, and able to play multiple positions.“

All-League first-team awards went to senior Ben Stuerman, senior setter Manny Sanchez and sophomore outside hitter sophomore Anders Dietenhofer.

“Manny was the setter for this team and performed at an elite level all season,” Fenenga said. “He had almost 900 assists this year and was a team leader and captain.”

Deitenhofer was especially efficient and powerful as a hitter with 266 kills, 42 aces, and 227 digs. “At the end of the season, no one was hitting at his level and range,” the coach said.

Ben Stuerman was the senior team captain and physically the most dominant player for the Pirates leading the team in blocks with 28, while adding 300 kills. “Ben was asked to move from his middle position to outside and teams had so much trouble matching up to his strength, his block and effective hitting,” Fenenga said. “He also was one of Max Preps top 50 in the nation.”

All-league second-team recognition went to middles Jadon Bailey and Wyatt Minus. Wyatt primarily was a blocking force, at the net matched up against opponents top middles. He hit efficiently and was second on the team with 22 solo stuff blocks. Bailey had 115 kills and 18 stuff blocks. “Both of these athletes were forces in the middle that opponents had to honor,” according to Fenenga.

Pirates defensive specialist libero Will Losson was also selected to the second team. He led the Pirates with 256 digs and was the most effective server for the Pirates including a key run at Arroyo Grande in the fifth set of a regular season match with the Pirates down 13-10. Losson served an ace and the next four points for the win. Losson also gave the Pirates a 14-10 lead in the fifth set of the teams’ CIF Central Section second-round game 5 win, after being tied at 10-10.

Honorable Mention went to senior Griffin Bruner. He had 229 serves along with 12 aces and 68 digs. “Griffin was a key part of our run as a talented athlete, returning to play volleyball his senior year,” Fenenga said. “His impact as a server and defensive specialist was vital to our success. He is fast, smart and aggressive. He had some remarkable digs that sparked us against league rivals San Luis Obispo and Arroyo Grande.”

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