A pair of Scholar-Athlete of the Year Awards were handed out and the final teams competing in the playoffs gave their updates at the final Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table Press Luncheon of the year on Monday.
The luncheon, held at Harry’s Plaza Cafe, was the final one of SBART President Alison Bernal’s two-year term as the organization’s president. Brian Cornet will take over her duties next year.
Santa Barbara City College Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Men’s Volleyball standout Troy Fitzgerald was honored as SBCC’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year for the 2023-24 school year.
Fitzgerald, a Dos Pueblos alum, was an impact player for the Vaqueros this season, collecting 57 kills and 44 digs while the team finished with a 7-5 record in conference play.
He will continue his indoor volleyball career at Vanguard University, a Division 1/2 level school, next season. However, he hopes to one day become a professional beach volleyball player.
“Troy has been an incredible part of our team,” SBCC Men’s Volleyball coach Bridget Kulesh said. “He’s been a very strong captain for our team… We’re really excited to see him move on and crush it out there.”
Off the court, Fitzgerald boasts a 3.92 GPA as he finishes off his communications degree and has been on the President’s Honor Roll in every year he has been at SBCC.
“He is a joy to work with and has always taken his academics seriously,” SBCC academic counselor JoAnn Graham said. “I know that he will be successful at Vanguard and am so proud of him.
“Not only is he a great student but he is a good human. He is kind and humble, and always very respectful when he comes to my office.”
Westmont College Scholar-Athlete of the Year
While the Vaqueros honored a Men’s Volleyball star, the Warriors turned to a member of the Women’s Volleyball squad for their honoree as Phoebe Minch was named the school’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Minch was an outside hitter for Westmont for the past four years before graduating with honors on Saturday with a degree in kinesiology.
She ended her career with 992 kills and 1,059 digs, both of which put her in the top 20 in program history. Meanwhile, her 141 total service aces are good for top 10 in Westmont history.
Now that she has graduated, she plans to go to graduate school and one day become a physical therapist.
“Phoebe is always a delight to be around, she was a quiet and effective leader both on and off the court,” Westmont associate athletic director for communication Ron Smith said.
“She is trustworthy, responsible and dependable on the court and in the classroom… She served as a great role model for her peers.”
The Scholar-Athlete of the Year award is sponsored by Marc Gamberdella of the Gamberdella-Spruill Group of Merrill Lynch.
Local Teams in Playoff Action this Week
The number of spring sports teams still competing has dwindled, but there remain some teams that are in the midst of their playoff runs.
Dos Pueblos boys lacrosse will host a CIF-SS D3 Quarterfinal matchup against University High on Monday at 5 p.m. at Scott O’Leary Stadium.
Staying in lacrosse, San Marcos’ girls squad is on the road to take on Martin Luther King High in Riverside on Tuesday for their CIF-SS D3 Quarterfinals.
The Royals softball team is also still alive in the postseason race, as they will play host to Paraclete High on Tuesday at 3:15 p.m. in a second-round matchup of the CIF-SS D4 playoffs.
Meanwhile, the local boys golf, swim & dive and track & field will either start up playoff action or compete in the CIF and state finals this upcoming weekend.
Student-athletes in attendance
SBCC Men’s Volleyball: Troy Fitzgerald
San Marcos Softball: Charlotte Hastings, Tiana Monaghan
San Marcos Boys Golf: Shams Jahangir-Arshad, Jeffrey Forster
SBCC Women’s Swimming: Lily Carrick