On Monday, April 22, three teams from SBHS went to Angels Stadium in Anaheim  to receive recognition for their athletic and academic achievements. The CIF Southern Section-Ford Academic Awards recognize Southern Section team sports who have achieved the highest cumulative GPA for their sport. These teams were then taken to Angels Stadium to watch the Angels-Orioles matchup, and one person from each team went onto the field with their coach to represent their sport before the game started. 

The three teams selected from Santa Barbara High were girls water polo, girls beach volleyball, and girls tennis. Out of the hundreds of teams within CIF Southern Section, only two teams are selected as All-Academic honorees for each sport from one big school (over 1500 students) and one small school (under 1500 students). Water polo was selected with a GPA of 3.931, beach volleyball with 3.912, and tennis with 3.947. The teams departed from SBHS at 1:00 pm on Monday to make the two hour and 45 minute commute to Angels Stadium, where they were honored in the pregame ceremony. 

“I feel really proud of the team for putting the student in ‘student-athlete,’” said tennis team Co-Captain Caitlyn Buist. Each player was seated in a section reserved for the student-athlete honorees, where they were able to watch the game for free. While the Angels had a disappointing loss against the Orioles, the event was still an exciting one for the coaches and players. Assistant varsity tennis Coach Shane Carmody said of the award, “It’s an outstanding achievement and accomplishment that illustrates the heart and dedication these young ladies put into their schooling and sport. I’m beyond proud as these are both tough acts to accomplish by themselves, but even harder to do simultaneously.” 

The three teams that were selected from SBHS were part of only four selected from the whole district, as San Marcos girls basketball was also present. The honor was a huge accomplishment and well deserved, highlighting the immense dedication each player puts in in the classroom, on the court, or in the pool.

[Image Credit: Mary Moses]