Former Buellton resident Victoria Bernard, a Dos Pueblos High School graduate, is one of six Baldwin Wallace University (Berea, Ohio) women’s wrestling student-athletes and one of 400 total women’s wrestlers across all levels of collegiate wrestling to be named as a National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Scholar All-American.

To qualify for Scholar All-American honors, a student-athletes must excel both on the mat and in the classroom by meeting one of the following academic and athletic criteria:

• A top eight placer at nationals and at least a 3.0 cumulative grade point average
• Competed in a minimum of 15 matches that are recorded in Trackwrestling and has at least a 3.5 cumulative grade point average
• Was a national qualifier and has at least a 3.25 cumulative grade point average

Bernard, who carries 3.56 grade point average in creative writing, garners her first accolade. This season, she won seven matches, tallying three falls and one technical fall.

BW, who was in its inaugural season, finished the 2024-25 campaign with an overall record of 2-1. The Yellow Jackets finished fourth at the NCWWC Region 4 Championships.

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The Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club is thrilled to announce the opening day of the 2025 polo season on Sunday, May 4, marking the beginning of another exhilarating season of world-class polo. With top-tier teams and elite players from around the globe set to compete, this year promises unforgettable moments both on and off the field. Tickets are available now and can be purchased at sbpolo.ticketsauce.com.

“The Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club continues to be a premier destination for polo players and fans alike,” said David Sigman, general manager of the Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club. “Our stunning location, stellar facilities, and competitive atmosphere make this a truly unique polo experience. Each year, we welcome both returning and new players to take part in one of the most exciting seasons in our club’s history, and we can’t wait to share this experience with our spectators.”

The 2025 season schedule can be found at sbpolo.com/web/pages/weekly-polo-schedule. The season kicks off with the 12 Goal Series (May and June), followed by the prestigious High Goal Series (July and August), and concludes with the 8 Goal Series (September and October). Spectators can enjoy polo all weekend long, starting with the Friday Happy Hour match at 4 p.m., and culminating with the highly anticipated Sunday Polo at 3 p.m (and 4 p.m. for July and August). The Club also offers polo lessons and clinics at its Polo Academy and will host a variety of social events throughout the season.

“We strive to create an unparalleled polo experience for our guests, whether they are seasoned enthusiasts or first-time visitors,” continued Sigman. “From the thrill of the matches to the vibrant social scene, the Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club is a place where tradition meets excitement. We look forward to welcoming everyone back for another incredible season.”

SUNDAY POLO

Join us every Sunday from May through October for an unforgettable day at the polo fields! The 2025 Polo Season kicks off on Sunday, May 4, with the Pope Challenge Cup. Gates open at 11 a.m., allowing guests to enjoy pre-match festivities and lunch at the Polo Grill. At 2:30 p.m., fans gather for the Pony Parade, the national anthem, and team introductions, all leading up to the 3 p.m. ball throw-in. Sunday Polo is open to the public, with general admission tickets starting at $35 and a variety of premium seating options available.

For those looking to elevate their Sunday Polo experience, luxury cabanas and fieldside tents are available for reservation, offering a premium way to enjoy the match with friends, family, or colleagues. For groups of 10 or more, the Club offers customized VIP accommodations to ensure a truly special day at the polo fields. Please contact tickets@sbpolo.com.

FRIDAY HAPPY HOUR

Kick off your weekend at the Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club! Every Friday at 4 p.m., guests are invited to enjoy complimentary admission to the Friday afternoon match, featuring Happy Hour drink specials and a relaxed, social atmosphere.

POLO GRILL

The Polo Grill offers a front-row seat to all the action with a menu featuring California cuisine, a curated selection of local wines, craft beers, and signature cocktails. Open Fridays at 2 p.m. for Happy Hour Match, and Sundays at 11 a.m. for the main match. For more information, call (805) 617-0808.

POLO BOUTIQUE

The Polo Boutique will reopen on Friday, May 2, offering a curated selection of stylish apparel and accessories. Open on Fridays at 4 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m., the boutique is the perfect place to find chic, sporty fashion, logowearmerchandise, and, of course, plenty of hats perfect for Sunday Polo.

The Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club’s 2025 season sponsors include atōst, Palm Tree, Farmers & Merchants Bank, Folded Hills, Grey Goose, Lalo, Montecito Luxury Group, Norman’s Nursery, US Polo Association, and Whittier Trust. For more information about 2025 corporate partnership opportunities, please click here. View the full season schedule by clicking here.

About The Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club

The Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club is the premier destination for polo on the West Coast. Located on the beautiful American Riviera, the Club offers three high goal fields, a Polo School, boarding facilities, polo lessons and country club amenities including eight tennis courts and a fitness facility, all alongside the Pacific Ocean. The 2025 season opens May 4 and runs through October 12. For more information about the Club and to purchase tickets please visit sbpolo.com.

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The 2025 polo season will begin Sunday, May 4, at the Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club. Photo by David Lominska

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Female spectators take in the action and atmosphere at the Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club. Starting Sunday, May 4, the polo matches are open to the pubic, with general admission tickets starting at $35. Photo by David Lominska

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The Santa Ynez boys volleyball is on a great run in the middle of its Mountain League schedule and hopes to put itself in good shape for the upcoming CIF Central Section playoffs.

After a three-game sweep over non-league opponent Cabrillo (25-12, 25-14, 25-9) on Tuesday, April 8, the Pirates stood at 4-0 in the Mountain and 13-3 overall. SYHS has won seven straight regular matches; it’s only recent blemish was the Bishop Diego Tournament in Santa Barbara on Saturday, April 5, where the Pirates won four (two-out-of-three-sets) matches before losing to host school Bishop Diego, 25-22, in a one-set final.

The success shouldn’t be all that surprising: SYHS is in the second year of the return of Hall-of-Fame coach Chip Fenenga, who actually established the boys volleyball program in 1992 and won seven CIF Southern Section championship in his first stint coaching the boys. He recently won his 500th as boys coach, and also won 199 in a previous stint as girls volleyball coach.

“Oh, I’ve had good players,” Fenenga said with a laugh after the Cabrillo game. The coach said the key with this year’steam is its defense.

“We’re very good defensively,” he said. “We are just able to force teams to get out of their game and make mistakes.”

Sophomore outside hitter Nathan Biron agrees.

“Our defense is like no other on the Central Coast,” he said. “It’s our backbone. It allows us to get our setters to pitch it out to our hitters.”

According to senior team captains Manny Sanchez and Ben Suerman, a pair whom Fenenga calls “the backbone and heart of the team,” has been a team that been very in sync.

“Our communication is how we’re doing so well,” Sanchez said. “We’re better this year at talking and making sureeveryone knows what they’re doing.”

Suerman said that extends outside the court.

“The morale on this team is amazing,” he said. “It’s the closest team I’ve ever been a part of.”

The Pirates played at Templeton on April 10, and will close out its regular season with three home games, against San Luis Obispo (April 15), Atascadero (April 17), and Arroyo Grande (April 17), all starting at 6 p.m. After that, the team will find out where it will be placed in the CIF Central Section playoffs; the Pirates were placed in Division at the season’s start, but could be moved up to Division I

“We have great expectations for CIF whether or not we go Division I or II,” Sarumen said. “We’ve scouted the teams up in the Central Valley in the Fresno and Clovis area; they’ll be tough, but were excited about playing some heavier-hitting teams.”

SYHS golfer shoots personal-best score in dual match

Santa Ynez senior golfer Brayden Mlodzik shot a career-low one under par 71 as the Pirates boys golf team defeated Sierra Pacific 403-458 in a non-league dual match on April 9 at the Alisal River Course in Solvang.

Mlodzik’s score beat his previous low by one stroke, and he has had a solid scoring average of 77 through 12 rounds this season, according to head coach Sara Ovadia.

Mlodzik also shot 78 for the Pirates’ low score in the fourth Mountain League tournament of the season, this one hosted by SYHS on the Alisal course. The Pirates shot a team low in league with a 426, with placed them fourth on the day.

San Luis Obispo was low team with 386, one stroke Arroyo Grande, who had the medalist in Ned Tarter with a score of 70.

Beach volleyball squad loses tough one to Arroyo Grande

The SYHS girls beach volleyball squad lost another tight one to Arroyo Grande, whom they lost to in the CIF Central Section final last year.

In this matchup, on April 1, the Eagles beat the visiting Pirates 2-1. Arelie Perez and Natalie Bailey teamed up for the Santa Ynez win, defeating Bixby Hardy and Diana Sorondo 21-14, 21-18.

The Pirates’ Scarlett Ollenburger and Jordan Gann won their first game against AG’s Bella Strickland and Grace Kennedy 21-13, but lost the second game 21-16, and the decided third game, 15-8. Helina Pecile and Kailyn Snekvik also went three games, with Elizabeth Trimble and Isla Smith, as AGHS took the first game 23-21, SYHS won the second 21-15, and the Eagles’ duo won the decider 15-10.

“AG has great ball control and does a really good job of limiting their errors,” said SYHS head coach Melissa Rogers.”In addition, they are a tough serving team. Our 1’s and 3’s struggled today with their serve receive and as a result did not get into system consistently enough to pull out a win.” 

However, Rogers had praise for her winning duo.

“On the 2’s court, Arelie Perez and Natalie Bailey cruised to victory, playing a very solid match,” Rogers said. “They are playing very dominant volleyball right now.  Their strengths and weaknesses really complement one another.”

The Pirates (4-1 in league, 12-5 overall) followed up that match with wins over San Luis Obispo (2-1) and Bishop Diego (5-0). They will end the regular season with a home game against AGHS, and then await their first CIF opponent.

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The Santa Ynez Pirates baseball team has spent the first 11 games of the season trying to figure things out, and second-year head coach Craig Gladstone hopes a little winning streak right before spring break is a good omen for the stretch run of Ocean League play.

“We’ve had our struggles, but I think we’re starting to mesh and winning these last two games has put us in a good mindset for when we pick up play in a couple weeks,” said Gladstone after his team’s 6-3 non-league win over Santa Clara on Friday, March 28.

With the win over the Saints from Oxnard, SYHS improved to 5-6 overall. A day earlier, March 27, the team earned its first Ocean League win, beating Orcutt Academy 10-2.

In the Santa Clara game, the Pirates opened up a 6-0 lead over the first three innings and freshman pitcher Elijah Roberts made it stand up, tossing five scoreless while allowing just one hit and striking out seven. 

“We had an extra game this week, so it was a chance to give Elijah a start and he did great,” Gladstone said about Roberts, who also contributed on the offensive side with two stolen bases and a run scored. “It’s my second year and I think we have a good nucleus of freshman and sophomores to build up this program, and Elijah’s a big part of that.”

Meanwhile, the coach can also rely on some senior leadership, especially with catcher Jaxon Glover, who belted his first home run of the year in Friday’s game, and is batting .400 with 10 RBI on the season.

Another couple of seniors stood out for the Pirates in the win over Orcutt Academy as starting pitcher Kurran Kays pitched 5 innings of 5-hit ball for the win, and Tate Minus who’s actually a stalwart on the mound (1-3 record but with a strong 2.28 ERA), had two hits and two RBI.

After taking a week off due to the school’s spring break, the Pirates will return to Ocean League action on Tuesday, April 8 at home against Santa Maria, and then play the Saints again on Thursday, April 10, at the SMHS field. Each of the last five weeks of the regular season will consist of a home-and-home pair against the same opponent.

Boys volleyball takes first two Mountain League matches

The Santa Ynez boys volleyball team has gotten off to a strong start as its five-set win over San Luis Obispo on Thursday, March 27, gave the Pirates a 2-0 record in the Mountain League and 6-2 record overall

The Pirates defeated the Tigers, last year’s CIF Central Section Division 2 runner-up by the scores of 25-27, 27-25, 23-25, 25-19, 15-7. Ben Stuerman had 18 kills with 5 blocks, Nate Biron 16 kills with 5 aces ), and Anders Dietenhofer 14 kills. Senior setter Manny Sanchez had 61 assists on the night along with 7 digs, and defensively Will Losson and Nate Biron each had 17 digs.

“We passed well tonight with Will and especially Nate just keeping things really steady,” said SYHS head coach Chip Fenenga. “Both Anders and Ben really rallied after a close first set loss and played so maturely the rest of the way.”

Girls beach volleyball stays undefeated in league

SYHS’s beach volleyball squad picked up wins over Paso Robles (3-0 on March 25) and Morro Bay (2-1 on March 27).

In the sweep over Paso Robles, Scarlett Ollenburger/Jordan Gann (SY) defeated Kai Stoltzfus/Pricilla Utter (Paso) 21-5, 21-11; Arelie Perez/Natalie Bailey (SY) defeated Macoy Sill/Kate Harrington (Paso) 21-8, 21-16; and Helina Pecile/Kailyn Snekvik (SY) defeated Khylan McKee/Presley Hienbach 13-21, 21-9, 16-14.

“The girls played some solid volleyball today!” SYHS head coach Melissa Rogers said. “They did a really nice job of staying in system and executing aggressively.  Our offensive game is pretty physical at all three levels, but in order toutilize that physicality, we have to pass and set well.  Today we were firing on all cylinders.  In addition, Scarlett Ollenburger’s jump spin serve was on fire.  She literally took over the game at the 1’s position with her serve.”

SYHS golfer Armenta co-medals at dual vs. Arroyo Grande 

The Santa Ynez boys golf team played a non-league 18-hole match March 26 against Arroyo Grande at the par-72 Alisal River Course. Arroyo Grande won the match 388-422, but Cody Armenta of Santa Ynez was co-medalist with Shane Moncrief of Arroyo Grande, both shooting 74s.

Other Pirates on the links that day included Brayden Mlodzik, 79; Seb Perez, 83; Ernesto Suarez, 92; Max Andrade 94; and Elijah Navarro, 94.

Santa Ynez also began Mountain League play, finishing fifth out of six teams in each of the first two league tournaments.

In the second league event on March 24, at the par-72 Santa Maria Country Club, the Pirates had a team score of 443, led by Brayden Mlodzik with an 80. The low score of the day was from Nate Tartar of Arroyo Grande with a 67.

Other Pirates golfers were Cody Armenta, 86; Seb Perez, 90; Ernesto Suarez, 92; and Max Andrade, 95.

The Mountain League “tour” will stop off at Alisal Ranch, the Pirates’ home course, next Monday, April 7.

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Coming off a runner-up finish in the CIF Central Section playoffs in 2024, the Santa Ynez High beach volleyball has gotten off to a 7-4 to the 2025 season. However, the big news with the program is not only how it’s done so far, but where it’s being done.

After playing their home matches at Sunny Fields Park in Solvang for their first three seasons, the Lady Pirates now have an on-campus sand court to call their own thanks to the efforts and generosity to the Pirates Foundation and others.

“It’s really great to have a place here on campus,” said SYHS head coach Melissa Rogers on the court that’s located in the southwest corner of the campus, right along Highway 246. “Playing our games at the park, every practice, every game, I’d have to take the equipment to the park and back to the school, and that was a pain, so we don’t have to worry about that anymore.

“But mainly, I think it’s the camaraderie and the connection with the school, because now other students supporting us,and checking the team out. They weren’t doing a lot of circling back to Sunny Fields Park to watch us play.”

The school dedicated the new court on March 4, with Pirate supporters and contractors and workers who donated time and materials to make the court a reality. Also, sand was delivered from the Guadalupe Dunes for use on the courts.

“It’s really a great facility, we have the grassy berm, where people can sit up high and get a good view of the action,” Rogers said. “Plus, I like the visibility from the highway, having people drive by and say ‘hey, what’s going on here?'”

Rogers also said the court also makes the program more desirable as a tournament host.

“We tried to get [a tournament] here this year, but couldn’t because we didn’t know when the court would be completed,” she said. “Now that we have it done, we would like to get lots of tournaments.”

With the court now done, the emphasis is on the people who play on it. Now that the SYHS girls basketball season is done, Rogers gets back Helina Pecile, who the coach said is one of her top players. Also, Rogers is high on freshman Scarlett Ollenburger, whom she described as a “huge impact player.”

“She’s supremely talented and will definitely be playing at the next level,” Rogers said. “You will be hearing a lot about her.”

Other key players Rogers noted are Arelie Perez, who returns as a senior after taking last season, and Jordan Gann and Natalie Bailey, whom the coach said have been jelling as a team.

The Lady Pirates will be back in action on Thursday, March 20, to kick off Mountain League play with a home match against San Luis Obispo. Game time is 3 p.m.

Girls basketball eliminated from state playoffs in second round

After making it to the final of CIF Central Section Div. IV, the Santa Ynez girls basketball team earned a berth in the CIF state playoffs, coming back to win its first-round game at home March 4, before losing in the second round two days later.

In the first-round game, the Lady Pirates trailed Serra High of Gardena by 6 points with less than two minutes left, but came back to post a 44-40 win. Rylan Agin scored 13 points, included some key free throws to clinch the game.Leighton Casey was also credited for here play coming off the bench.

In the second-round game, Santa Ynez was beaten by third-seeded Granada Hills Charter 53-29, ending its season despite 13 more points from Agin.

“I’m incredibly proud of their achievements and the dedication they’ve shown throughout this season,” girls basketball coach Jennifer Rasmussen said. “We’re excited to build on this momentum and come back even stronger next year!”

The Lady Pirates finished the season with an 18-12 overall record.

Pirates boys golf loses to Arroyo Grande

The Pirates played a dual match against Arroyo Grande on March 10 at Cypress Ridge golf course, with the Eagles winning 393-449.

Brayden Mlodzik was the top SYHS player, shooting a 76. The other scores were Cody Armenta’s 78, Seb Perez’s 91, Max Andrade’s 101, Ernesto Suarez’s 103, and Elijah Navarro’s 113 

The Pirates will return to Cypress Ridge today, Jan. 18, for the first Mountain League tourney of the season.

Boys tennis wins tournament bracket

The Pirates boys tennis team wins tourney bracket

The Santa Ynez boys tennis team took part in the California Tennis Classic in Clovis the weekend of March 7-8. The Pirates won their bracket after losing their first two matches, but then beat Torres 6-0 and Mission Oaks 3-3 (6-6, 47-46).

Pirates No. 1 singles Bryce Wilczak did not give up a set in the tournament, winning four matches by identical 6-0 scores.

Santa Ynez played a non-league road match against Laguna Blanca on Monday night, and return to league play Thursday at San Luis Obispo.

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While one state playoff-bound basketball team is keeping winter sports alive for at least another day, the spring sports teams at Santa Ynez High are starting up.

The Pirates baseball, led by second-year head coach Craig Gladstone, posted its first win of the year on Saturday, March 1, beating Channel Islands 5-1.

Jaxon Glover drove in two runs, with a run scored and a stolen base, against the visiting Raiders, while Nic Palacios and Dylan Ross had two hits and one RBI apiece. Elijah Roberts earned the complete-game win, allowing a run on five hits and striking out five.

The win on Saturday stemmed a rough start for the Pirates. On Wednesday, Feb. 26, SYHS opened the season at home against Pioneer Valley and lost 11-2 as the Panthers scored nine runs over the last two innings. Glover was a bright spot for the Pirates in that game, going 3-for-3 with three runs and two RBI.

Two days later, SYHS was held to two hits in a 14-2 loss at Mission Prep on Friday, Feb. 28. Roberts and Tate Minus scored runs for the Pirates.

Santa Ynez played Bishop Diego on Monday, and travel to Ojai to face Nordhoff High on Tuesday, March 4.

Girls beach volleyball team beats Dos Pueblos

The Santa Ynez girls beach volleyball team defeated Dos Pueblos in a non-league duel 4-1 on Tuesday, Feb. 18 to even its record at 2-2.

“The girls did a great job of staying in system against a solid DP squad,” said coach Melissa Rogers. “Tough serving, controlling the ball and minimizing our errors were key.”

Match results:

1. Jayden Jones/Halle Rillie (DP) defeated Scarlett Ollenburger/Arelie Perez (SY) 21-14, 21-8
2. Jordan Gann/Natalie Bailey (SY) defeated Grace Posey/Ella Payne(DP) 22-24, 21-18, 15-10
3. Kailyn Snekvik/Lila Cassidy (SY) defeated Eleni Becker/Tanner Love (DP) 21-18, 21-17
4. Scotty Losson/Ella Miller (SY) defeated Atasha Black/Gia Haas (DP) 21-14, 21-10
5. Kendall Herthel/Nora Eliason (SY) defeated Allie Ben-Yaacov/Char Welch (DP) 21-18, 21-16

The Lady Pirates are in the midst of a busy week: They faced off against Santa Barbara on Monday, the start of a four-matches-in-four-days stretch. They face Laguna Blanca today (Tuesday), Nipomo on Wednesday, and St. Joseph on Thursday, all home matches starting at 3 p.m.

One interesting aspect about these matches is that they are all now being played closer to home: A new sand volleyball court has been built next to the west parking lot on campus, so the Lady Pirates can actually play at home after using Sunny Fields Park as their “home” venue in previous years.

Boys tennis gets a win

While coach Jennifer Rasmussen is leading the SYHS girls basketball team through its postseason run, her boys tennis team is getting thing started on their season.

The Pirates eked out a win, 5-4 over Orcutt Academy.

Adam Angel (6-1, 6-1), Andrew Kozlov (6-1, 6-1), and Devin Van Schmus (6-0, 6-0) swept their singles matches, while the doubles teams of Jeremy Shehab/Xavier Lovering (8-4) and Angel/Evan Lemay (8-0) won their crucial matches.

Winter sports squads bow out

The Santa Ynez High boys basketball and girls soccer teams were eliminated in the second round from their respective CIF Central Section playoffs on Wednesday night, Feb. 19. The boys basketball team lost 61-43 to North High in Bakersfield in Division III. The girls soccer team fell 4-1 at Santa Maria High, also in Division III. In both cases, the SYHS teams lost to the top seeds in the division.

Feature Image: Santa Ynez High’s Jaxon Glover connects for a double in the Pirates season opener against Pioneer Valley on Feb. 26. Glover went 3-for-3 in the game. Photo by Mike Chaldu/SYVS

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The Santa Ynez High girls basketball squad battled through three home playoff games as the No. 2 seed to earn the right to play for the CIF Central Section Division IV championship in Fresno.

It was there on a Friday afternoon, Feb. 28, that the Lady Pirates met up with the division’s top seed, Immanuel High of Reedley. The Eagles (27-5), who won their three CIF playoff games by an average of just over 43 points, proved to betoo much for the Lady Pirates, beating them 58-36 at Selland Arena.

With the win, Immanuel captured its second straight section title and raised its season record to 27-5. They showed their No. 1 seeding was no fluke with lopsided postseason wins over McFarland (70-6), Fresno (53-25) and Atascadero (67-29) leading up to the title game. 

SYHS (17-11 on the season) landed in the title game after winning three home games in the tournament, over Pioneer Valley (52-33), Coalinga (48-33), and Torres (49-42).

However, the season is not over yet for the Pirates: By reaching the Central Section title game, SYHS has qualified for the CIF state playoffs, which combines all the federations sections. It was announced Sunday that the team would return home for a first-round game Tuesday night, March 4, against Serra High of Gardena.

The state tourney is split into two sections, Northern and Southern, and the Pirates are seeded No. 6 in the Southern with the Cavaliers seeded No. 11.

Although the result in the Central Section final wasn’t in her team’s favor, SYHS head coach Jennifer Rasmussen took nothing but positives from its time in Fresno.

“We had set goals before the season began, and that was to get farther than we did last year,” said Rasmussen, whose team lost in the second round in 2024. “You always want to win your last game, but getting here and playing together in Fresno was a great experience.

“The girls just enjoyed taking in the environment, riding to the hotel and staying there, entering this big-game atmosphere, coming through the smoke in the player introductions, and playing in a big arena. It was all so surreal.”

It was that feeling that spurred the SYHS players to hang tough against Immanuel, according to Rasmussen.

“We played with them in the first half; we actually had the lead a couple times early, and it was close at halftime,” she said.

Indeed, the Eagles, whose town lies about 25 miles southeast of Fresno, led by only 26-19 at the half, but were able to break it open in the last two periods.

“They played at a very high level,” Rasmussen said. “They were quick and aggressive and just too much too handle, ultimately. But I’m proud of my players, and with the game out of reach late, I was happy to get all the players in so they could experience playing in that kind of situation.”

For the Pirates, Helina Pecile, who’s led the team in most categories this season had 8 points and 6 rebounds and was named Player of the Game for SYHS. Kailani Ladera actually led the team with 13 points and 11 rebounds, while Kylie LaPointe (6 points) and Lexi Molera (5 points, 3 assists) also chipped in.

The section championship game came eight days after the Pirates beat No. 3 Matilda Torres High of Madera 49-42 in the semifinal matchup on Thursday, Feb. 20.

SYHS started that games off strong, jumping out to a 7-0 lead in the opening minutes and went to halftime with a 28-19 lead. The Lady Pirates started the third period moving up the lead to 31-19. After that, though, the visiting Toros ran off a 12-2 run to pull within 33-31.

SYHS was able to stave off Torres’s charge and with 5:34 left, Pecile made a layup with a foul shot for a three-point play, and then on the next trip down the floor, Molera hit a three-point shot to put the Pirates up 43-35. Pecile hit four clutch free throws to clinch it for SYHS.

Two days before the win over Torres (Feb. 18), SYHS defeated Coalinga 48-33 in the second round.

Ladera led the way for SYHS in that game with 15 points to go along with 9 rebounds and 3 steals. Pecile added 9 points and 11 boards, while LaPoint had 9 points and 4 assists and Rylan Agin chipped in 10 boards and 6 assists.

The Lady Pirates began the postseason on Friday, Feb. 14 with a 52-33 first-round win over Pioneer Valley.

With another playoff game Tuesday, and possibly more after that, Rasmussen and her team are just enjoying the experience.

“We’ve really enjoyed the ride; we set goals that we were able to reach and that’s been so rewarding,” she said. “Throughout the week, and during our time in Fresno, we’ve been getting texts from alumni and former players, and just feeling the love from the community, and for me, the players, all their families, it’s been very rewarding.”

For now, it’s time to prepare for another game. The Pirates are set to tip off against the Cavaliers on Tuesday night (tonight) in the first round state playoff game. Game time was set at 7 p.m., although Rasmussen said the time could be moved up if Serra requested.

The Cavaliers, who come from the L.A. suburb of Gardena and are in the CIF Southern Section, have an overall record of 18-13, but were 8-4 in the Camino Real League, good enough for third place.

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UPDATE: The Santa Ynez High boys basketball and girls soccer teams were eliminated in the second round from their respective CIF Central Section playoffs on Wednesday night, Feb. 19. The boys basketball team lost 61-43 to North High in Bakersfield in Division III. The girls soccer team fell 4-1 at Santa Maria High, also in Division III. In both cases, the SYHS teams lost to the top seeds in the division. The SYHS girls basketball team won their second-round matchup on Tuesday, Feb. 18. For the story on that, go to santaynezvalleystar.com/santa-ynez-girls-basketball-beats-coalinga-moves-into-cif-division-iv-semifinals/

Santa Ynez High winter sports teams had a successful weekend to start the CIF Central Section postseason on Feb. 14 and 15, as the girls basketball, girls soccer and boys basketball squads all earned first-round wins.

Pirates boys hoops gets by Lemoore

After winning the Sunset League with a perfect 8-0 record, the Santa Ynez boys hoopsters earned an eighth seed in Division III and hosted No. 9 Lemoore in its first-round game on Feb. 15.

The Pirates rode a strong fourth period to a 55-52 win over the Tigers for their 11th straight win. The game was a tight one through the first three quarters as SYHS held a 37-36 lead going into the last period. In the fourth, the Pirates rallied to open up as much as a 10-point lead before a late Lemoore run made it close at the end.

Jude Pritchard, the Pirates’ top scorer for the season at 15.9 points per game, put in a team-high 17 points against Lemoore, while Jaydon Mendoza added 11. Lucas Ollenburger, who had a key three-pointer in the fourth period of the playoff game, ended up with 8 points and 7 rebounds, while Ikenna Ofiaeli had 9 points and a team-high 9 rebounds.

“It was a heck of a matchup,” head coach Rod Caughell said about the contest. “I was concerned going in because they’re strengths tend to be our weaknesses, but we were able to break their press, and hit some big 3’s to pull it out.”

The Pirates now get an even bigger test in the second round, facing No. 1 seed Bakersfield North on Wednesday, Feb. 19. The Stars finished 24-6 and placed second in the South Yosemite Mountain League with a 24-6 record. Game time in Bakersfield is 6 p.m. 

Girls hoops handles Pioneer Valley

The Santa Ynez High girls basketball team, after finishing third in the Sunset League with a 5-5 record (15-10 overall), earned the No. 2 seed in the Division IV bracket and in its first-round game on Friday, Feb. 14, defeated nearby No. 15 seed Pioneer Valley 52-33.

The Lady Pirates defeated the Jaguars from Santa Maria with a balanced attack, as Kailani Ladera scored a team-high 11 points, along with 8 rebounds, and Lexi Molera added 10 points and 5 steals. Helina Pecile totaled 9 points, 5 rebounds and 5 steals, while Elena Sleiman pulled down a team-high 14 rebounds.

“The girls came out strong tonight,” said head coach Jennifer Rasmussen, whose team made it to the second round of the postseason for the third straight year.

SYHS will return to the Pirate gym Tuesday, Feb. 18, for its next game, against No. 7 seed Coalinga at 5 p.m. Coalinga, known as the Horned Toads, finished 24-5 with an 8-2 record (second place) in the West Sierra League.

Girls soccer overpowers Sierra Pacific

The Santa Ynez High girls soccer team finished the regular season with a 7-9-2 record and 2-5-1 in the Sunset League, placing third. The Lady Pirates were one of four Sunset team to be placed in the Division III bracket.

In its first-round game, the No. 8 seed Pirates excelled with a 4-0 victory over No. 9 Sierra Pacific of Hanford on Saturday, Feb. 15, at SYHS.

Ella Gotschall, Grace Vazquez, Isabella Rubio, and Hannah Ricci scored for SYHS.

“Everything just came together tonight,” said head coach Rob Cantrell. “We’re good at generating opportunities, but we’ve haven’t finished them in recent games. Tonight, we did.”

The win moves the Lady Pirates to a second-round matchup on Wednesday, Feb. 19, with a familiar opponent — Sunset League rival and No. 1 seed Santa Maria. The Saints won the league with a 7-1 record, and were an impressive 20-2-2 record overall. The Saints have beaten the Pirates twice this season, 5-1 decision in Santa Maria, and 3-1 at Santa Ynez earlier this month.

“They’re going to be tough, and they’re definitely a No. 1, but I don’t worry about seeds, we just play whoever comes against us,” Cantrell said. “They handled us pretty well at their place, but we played them pretty tough in our second match, so you never know.”

Game time Wednesday at Santa Maria High will be 6 p.m.

Boys soccer finishes second in Sunset League

The SYHS boys soccer team ended its season with a 2-1 loss to Lompoc, with Jackson Elliott tallying to lone Pirate goal.

The Pirates finished with a 3-3-2 record in the Sunset League, placing second, and a 5-12-3 record overall. They did not receive a postseason berth.

For the season, Elliott was the top scorer with 7 goals and 14 points. Marcos Rivera tallied 6 goals with an assist for 13 points, and Evan Ellason had 3 goals and a team-high 3 assists for 9 points. In goal, Diego Medina had an 0.863 goals against average.

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SANTA BARBARA — Santa Barbara Community Rowing’s junior racing team enjoyed a strong start to their 2025 spring racing season, finishing with notable wins at the President’s Day Invitational Regatta in Long Beach on Feb. 1.

Diego Stephenson, a Dunn school junior, brought home gold in the Youth Men’s Single, which is a testament to his hard work and focus, said Coach Gracie Barbara.

“He’s picked up a lot of speed this year,” Barbara said. “The youth category is tough and Diego has been putting in extra work outside of our scheduled practice, and it’s great to see it showing in his results. We’re all really happy for him and excited to see what he can do the rest of the season.”

SBCR’s Jacie Dingman, a Santa Ynez High School freshman, came home with gold, winning the U17 Women’s Single.

And then Dingman and her longtime doubles partner, Elsa Loya (homeschooled and Classical Resource Learning Center junior) added another gold medal to the tally for SBCR, winning the Youth Women’s Double. 

Dingman and Loya finished seventh in the nation at the 29th Annual USRowing Youth National Championships in Florida last year, and appear to be on track to reprise another successful racing season this year. 

Equally as exciting was the debut race for SBCRs five new novice rowers, who took silver in Men’s U15 Quad. They include brothers William and Campbell Allen, (Goleta Valley Junior High), John Asher (Laguna Blanca), Finn McCauley (Montecito Academy), and Aidan Chase (Montecito Academy).

As Barbara said, “Their success is noteworthy because this is the first time these kids have raced together in this lineup, and it can be intimidating, especially when their average age is 2 years younger than their competitors. These are 12- and 13-year-olds going up against some 13- and 14-year-olds, which is tough. But they worked together and came away with a terrific result. And I hope it inspires other kids to join their ranks.”

“We are still a small team and we are always looking for more middle and high schoolers,” Barbara continued.”Rowing is still relatively unknown in Santa Barbara County, but it’s a great community; we row on a beautiful lake;and our kids are fast. What more do you need? And a lot of these kids will go on to row in college, so it’ll be fun to see what the future holds for them. 

“There’s a lot of potential here to build a bigger, top-tier junior team, and I’d love to see our program grow to 20 or 30 kids out on the water all together.”

Barbara herself rowed in high school and college and knows that rowers are admired for their discipline, work ethic, and leadership skills.

Santa Barbara Community Rowing is the only rowing organization in Santa Barbara County, based at Cachuma Lake. If you are interested in donating to the club, or learning more about rowing, SBCR offers summer camps for youth ages 11 and over, as well as Learn to Row programs throughout the year for adults and kids. For more information visit rowsbc.org

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By Mike Chaldu

After three straight home playoff wins, the Santa Ynez High girls basketball squad is headed to Fresno next Friday, Feb. 28, to play for the CIF Central Section Division IV championship.

The No. 2 seed Lady Pirates outlasted No. 3 Matilda Torres High of Madera 49-42 in the semifinal matchup Thursday, Feb. 20, at the SYHS gym.

SYHS started off strong, jumping out to a 7-0 lead in the opening minutes and went to halftime with a 28-19 lead. The Lady Pirates started the third period moving up the lead to 31-19. After that, though, the visiting Toros ran off a 12-2 run to pull within 33-31.

SYHS was able to stave off Torres’s charge and with 5:34 left, Helina Pecile made a layup with a foul shot for a three-point play, and then on the next trip down the floor, Lexi Molera hit a three-point shot to put the Pirates up 43-35. Pecile hit four clutch free throws to clinch it for SYHS.

The playoff run has been enjoyable for the team this year, according to head coach Jennifer Rasmussen, especially after the disappointment last year when the Pirates were the top seed and lost in the second round.

“After last year, we made a goal that we would get past the second round, and we did so,” Rasmussen said. “We definitelywanted to win tonight, but if we hadn’t, at least we had gotten past that level. And I think that took off the pressure tonight.

“We just fought, we played together, and the girls just really focused on what we worked on in practice and played like a team.”

That focus will be tested Feb. 28 in Fresno, as the Pirates face top-seeded Immanuel High of Reedley. Game time will be 2 p.m. at Selland Arena.

The Eagles have shown so far their No. 1 seeding has been earned as they have posted lopsided wins over McFarland (70-6), Fresno (53-25) and Atascadero (67-29) on their way to the title game. Immanuel was 26-5 in the regular season and placed second in the Tri-County-Kings Canyon League with a 7-1 record.

Two days before the win over Torres (Feb. 18), SYHS defeated Coalinga 48-33 in a second-round win over at the SYHS gym.

Sophomore Kailani Ladera led the way for SYHS against Coalinga with 15 points to go along with 9 rebounds and 3 steals. Junior Helina Pecile added 9 points and 11 boards, while senior Kylie LaPoint had 9 points and 4 assists and junior Rylan Agin chipped in 10 boards and 6 assists.

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