
Steve Brand
All Stories

A look at San Diego's best high school athletes in the month of May

Del Norte’s Paige Echsner wins state in pole vault but falls short on record
Paige Echsner had hoped to jump over 14-1 for the school record and then 14-3 for the all-time state mark.

Ramona hurdler Bryant breaks 14-seconds in state competition, takes third place
Sterling Bryant clocked a 13.72 in state championship prelims before coming back to go even faster, 13.68, to place third in the finals on Saturday.

San Diego’s Athletes of the Week include baseball, softball, track standouts
A look at San Diego's best high schools athletes over the last week

Carlsbad’s Makenna and Morgan Herbst make lasting impression at state track meet
San Diegans shine at state championships

San Diego High’s Jasir Fontenot sizzles on first day of CIF state track meet
San Diegans fare well on Friday in Clovis

Preview: Herbst sisters lead San Diego track and field athletes into state meet
A look at this weekend's state track and field championships in Clovis

Del Norte’s pole vaulter Echsner headed to state championship as favorite
Paige Echsner isn't just the state girls pole vault leader at 13-feet,10-inches, she’s almost a foot ahead of her nearest challenger.

Ramona’s Bryant heads to state championship this weekend in 110-meter hurdles
Sterling Bryant's wind-legal 13.86 at the Mt. SAC Relays put him at No. 4 all-time in the San Diego Section.

San Diego’s Athletes of the Week include playoff stars, champs
A look at the best high school athletes in San Diego over the last week

Competitors on the track and friends off it, 2 top runners gear up for state meet
Juniors La Jolla's Chiara Dailey and Eastlake's Jaelyn Williams have been battling on the track their entire high school careers

Carlsbad sisters smash records at CIF San Diego Section meet
Twins Morgan and Makenna Herbst shine, punch ticket to state championships

Preview: San Diego’s top runners head to to Mt. Carmel for section championships
A look at the athletes to watch in Saturday's CIF San Diego Section Track and Field Championships

Rancho Bernardo lacrosse coach takes particular pride in team’s Division 2 title
Coach Faire Wood played for the 2016 field hockey team that won school's first section title

Ramona’s Dusseault ends high school swimming career with trip to state, school record
Katie Dusseault had eight straight Valley League championships in 50- and 100-freestyle events

Lightning-fast Fontenots are runners to watch as section, state track meets near
Anisa Bowen-Fontenot and her brother, Jasir Fontenot, lead San Diego High into the sectionals this week

San Diego’s Athletes of the Week include playoff stars
A look at the best high school athletes in San Diego over the last week

San Diegans shine, but records safe during divisional meets
Del Norte's Paige Echsner among the athletes who shined Saturday

Records poised to fall at San Diego’s divisional track meets
Three track meets will be held throughout San Diego County on Saturday

Ramona baseball team clinches Valley League for first time since 2019
The team's 18-7 record includes seven straight wins heading into the end of the regular season.

Del Norte swimmer hoping for a career high – a record at state championships
Senior Julien Rousseau has been working to break 4:20 in the 500 freestyle.

San Diego’s Athletes of the Week include postseason stars
A look at the best high school athletes in San Diego over the last week

Longtime Poway head volleyball coach reflects after celebrating his 400th win
Charlie Jackson has been in the position for 22 years.

Undefeated Ramona golf team wins league and is ready for what’s next
The Bulldogs now can advance to the section “Play-in Matches.” If they win there, the next step is the championship round.

San Diego’s Athletes of the Week include postseason stars in tennis, golf
A look at the top hihgh school athletes in San Diego over the last week

April’s Athletes of the Month include two sets of siblings, baseball and softball stars
A look at the top athletes in San Diego County over the last month

Del Norte’s Skopec twins have led lacrosse team to a 13-1 record
Luke and Jake Skopec helped team advance to Division 2 championship last year.

Fearlessness an asset in Parker Doomey’s quest for school pole vault record
Clearing 15-feet, 6-inches in a recent dual meet, Doomey is approaching the school record of 16-1 set almost 40 years ago by Pat Alduenda in 1987.

San Diego’s Athletes of the Week include stars in 5 sports
A look at the best high school athletes in San Diego over the last week

Rancho Bernardo’s Pirtle switched from baseball to golf, and never looked back
Pirtle has three highlights in his golfing career that moved into the spotlight after dropping baseball his freshman year.

San Diego’s Athletes of the Week include baseball, gymnastics, lacrosse standouts
A look at the best high school athletes in San Diego over the last week

San Diego High’s Jasir Fontenot sets section, personal record at Mt. SAC Invitational
Freshman leaves no doubt at the Mt. SAC Invitational

Rancho Bernardo sophomore, freshman looking ahead to CIF tennis championship
Luke Donar wasn’t planning to play tennis this season but his U.S.T.A. doubles partner, Arnon Jittathai, had other thoughts.

San Diego’s Athletes of the Week include stars on the diamond, track, field
A look at San Diego's best high school athletes over the last week

Del Norte track star switches to pole vault, shines
UCLA-bound Paige Echsner has become one of the state's top pole vaulters

San Diegans shine at Arcadia Invitational, with one runner still awaiting a ruling
Four marks will go into the record books — and maybe one more

Anisa Bowen-Fontenot shatters own hurdles record, wins at Arcadia Invitational
Three San Diegans shine heading into the late evening's events

Del Norte softball’s Giaime a dominant pitcher and terror at the plate
Brooklyn Giaime has a .487 batting average that includes 14 RBI, a pair of home runs with just six strikeouts leading to a .545 on-base percentage, and .744 slugging average.

San Diego’s Athletes of the Week include tournament stars in baseball, softball
A look at San Diego's top high school players over the last week

San Diego high school track records fall at pair of weekend meets
San Diego High freshman Jasir Fontenot breaks section's year-old mark

San Diego’s Athletes of the Month for March include postseason stars
A look at the best athletes in San Diego for the month of March

Six so-far unsung juniors helping Poway softball team to big wins
The six players make up all but one of the infield positions and sometimes two of the three outfield spots for the team that started 9-2.

Ramona High grad Lutz is batting .563 for winning Palomar College
As a Ramona High senior Breanna Lutz was Avocado League Player of the Year

San Diego’s Athletes of the Week include stars in track and field, softball
A look at the best in San Diego high school sports this week

Mount Miguel’s Brandon Arrington sets two section records at Sundevil Invitational
Two-sport star sets records in 100, 200

Del Norte’s Yarbrough returns to 1600m race after injuries left him sidelined
For several weeks during the 2023 track season, Del Norte’s Cameron Yarbrough was the fastest freshman 1600-meter runner in the nation. He absolutely dominated the event, seemingly flowing effortlessly to...

San Diego’s Athletes of the Week include standouts in spring sports
A look at the best high school athletes in San Diego over the last week

Carlsbad’s Makenna Herbst sets section record in 800 meters
Time is the best in the state and nation so far this season

Ramona hurdler Bryant looking to break his own records
At Saturday’s Don Jones Bronco Invitational, Sterling Bryant finished second in 14.14 seconds, almost a full second faster than the 15.11 he opened with a year ago.

San Diego’s Athletes of the Week include stars in basketball, lacrosse and track and field
A look at San Diego's top high school athletes over the last week

Carlsbad’s Makenna and Morgan Herbst ready for record-breaking season
Both can lay claim to No. 1 standings heading into the high school track and field season

Rancho Bernardo girls basketball team in running for SoCal title
Broncos have to beat Porterville Monache Tuesday to make it to state championships.

All in the family: Ramona High’s Dillon sets record for 3-point field goals
To the surprise of no one who knows the Dillon family, senior Colin Dillon set the Ramona High single-season 3-point field goal record this year. His father, Mark, has his...

San Diego’s Athletes of the Week include playoff standouts, early-season stars
A look at the top high school athletes in San Diego over the last week

San Diego’s Athletes of the Month include playoff stars in winter sports
A look at February's top high school performers

Sports roundup: Poway gets second-place in state boys wrestling championship
Two Poway boys and one girl from Poway and another from RB win state wrestling championships

Ramona sports roundup: Bulldogs soccer and water polo teams lose in playoffs
In wrestling, Tairen Lee and Giuliana Pekelder go 1-2 and 0-2 respectively at state meet last weekend.

Poll: Mission Hills tops our final girls basketball rankings of the season
A look at the top girls high school basketball teams in San Diego County

Preview: The players, teams and marks to watch in this year’s high school track and field season
The Union-Tribune's 2025 high school track and field preview

San Diego’s Athletes of the Week include high school playoff stars
A look at the top high school athletes in San Diego over the last week

Sports roundup: RB girls win Division 1 water polo title, Poway dominates wrestling
The Bronco girls won the water polo championship against Patrick Henry in the second overtime at La Jolla High.

Ramona sports roundup: Girls water polo team clinches Division 3 title with 11-6 win
Giuliana Pekelder, Tairen Lee head to state for girls wrestling

San Diego’s Athletes of the Week include postseason stars in basketball, water polo and wrestling
A look at San Diego's top high school athletes over the last week.

The ‘second season’ begins in Poway, RB and 4S Ranch for playoffs
Through the preseason and league, the goal of every winter sport coach has been the post-season. With the announcement Saturday of the boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer...

Ramona teams aim to make some noise this winter, especially in wrestling
Through the preseason and league, the goal of every winter sport coach has been the post-season. With the announcement Saturday of the boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer...

Poll: Top teams remain the same in our weekly high school girls basketball rankings
Mission Hills, Francis Parker, LJCD remain Nos. 1-3

San Diego’s Athletes of the Week include stars in wrestling, soccer and basketball
A look at the best high school athletes in San Diego over the last week

Ramona girls wrestling team wins Division 3 in its second year
The team with new coach Caitlin Munoz won the Division 3 title last Saturday. Winning individual championships were Savanna Diaz, Hannah Gonzales, Giuliana Pekelder, Tairen Lee and Robin Moore.

San Diego’s Athletes of the Week include stars in basketball, wrestling and soccer
A look at the best high school athletes in San Diego over the last week

New Poway girls wrestling coach taking team to another level
Poway got its first big test with new coach Jordin Humphrey at the section Division 1 championships, where the team took second and four wrestlers won championships.

Poll: Mission Hills jumps Francis Parker atop our weekly girls basketball rankings
The top girls basketball teams in the CIF San Diego Section

Longtime La Jolla High School track and field coach Chuck Boyer dies at 82
Boyer guided the Vikings boys to 13 state championship appearances, including a second-place finish in the 1990 Division 3 finals

San Diego’s Athletes of the Month for January include soccer, wrestling, basketball stars
A look at San Diego's best high school athletes for the month of January

Poll: Francis Parker jumps Mission Hills atop our weekly girls basketball rankings
A look at the top girls basketball teams in San Diego County

San Diego’s athletes of the week include stars in wrestling, soccer and basketball
A look at San Diego's top high school athletes over the last week

Wrestler Alexandria Perez focused on making La Costa Canyon history
Senior can become the first girl in Mavericks history to win a state title in wrestling

Ramona wrestling coach has high hopes for boys and girls teams this season
Bulldogs coach Tyler McKay said he expects to send several wrestlers to the state wrestling championships

Athletes of the Week: San Diego’s athletes of the week include standouts in hoops, soccer and wrestling
A look at the top high school athletes in San Diego over the last week

Poway wrestler Carini has only two losses after jumping three weight classes
Poway’s Mario Carini has gone from competing at 144 pounds to 165 and on occasion, 175. Not that you’d notice, because he has gotten some pretty special help and has...

Poll: Mission Hills, Francis Parker, LJCD top our weekly girls basketball rankings
A look at the top girls basketball teams in San Diego

San Diego’s Athletes of the Week include stars in basketball, wrestling, soccer and water polo
A look at the top high school athletes over the last week

After setbacks at state last year, Bronco wrestler Snider has 85 straight wins
Included in Mary Sniders streaks are championships at Goddess of Olympia Tournament at Olympian, the Goddess of Victoria at University City, the South Bay Classic at Eastlake and most recently...

Ramona’s Knowd plays sports year-round and excels at all three
The Ramona High junior plays on football, baseball and soccer teams

Poll: LJCD, Francis Paker swap spots in our weekly girls basketball rankings
A look at the top girls basketball teams in San Diego

Ramona’s Donnie Williams navigates girls, boys water polo teams
Williams says coaching both the boys and girls’ water polo teams is not that unusual. But it is a bit of a challenge.

Poway’s soccer coach ready for milestone this season — his 300th win
Gene Morris will get his 300th victory this season — guaranteed. But it wasn't easy in a sport where ties count

Rankings: Mission Hills, Francis Parker, LJCD remain 1-2-3 in our weekly poll
A look at the top 10 girls high school basketball programs in San Diego

San Diego’s Athletes of the Week include standouts in basketball, wrestling
A look at San Diego's top high school athletes over the last week

Offseason education helps Rancho Bernardo’s Lindsay Biddle mature into all-around player, team leader
Junior standout is sharing what she learned with her Broncos teammates

San Diego’s Athletes of the Month include playoff standouts, holiday tournament stars
A look at the best high school athletes in San Diego for the month of December

Holiday tournament stars in soccer, basketball make up San Diego’s Athletes of the Week
A look at the best high school athletes in San Diego over the past week

Titan ‘family’ takes on new meaning with 3 sets of brothers on basketball team
The varsity team has three sets of siblings, including a pair of twins - a first for the program

National-level club soccer player s Del Norte team
Coaches dream of showing up on the first day of tryouts to discover an unexpected high-quality player among the candidates.

San Diego’s Athletes of the Week include holiday tournament stars in basketball and wrestling
A look at the top high school athletes in San Diego over the past week

Rankings: 3 teams receive first-place votes in our weekly girls basketball poll
Mission Hills remains on top in our weekly girls basketball poll

RB’s Biddle does what it takes to improve her game and the team’s prospects
Lindsay Biddle wanted to up her game, so she ed the Troop West traveling team right after last basketball season. What an education — like jumping from elementary school to...

Ramona’s Gonzalez working to get to state for the third time — and win
Hannah Gonzalez, who posted a 31-7 record last season, is ranked #7 in the state for the preseason.

San Diego’s Athletes of the Week include state football champion, freshman soccer star
A look at the best San Diego high school athletes over the last week

Rankings: La Jolla Country Day, Francis Parker swap spots in our weekly girls basketball poll
A look at the top girls basketball teams in San Diego County

Eastlake’s Jaelyn Williams ends injury-marred season on a bright note at Foot Locker National Championships
Eastlake High School junior Jaelyn Williams, who missed most of the season with an Achilles injury and a reaction to having her wisdom teeth yanked, finishes ninth