Greg Hansen's Top 100 Sports Figures of 2017: 20-1
Star columnist Greg Hansen counts down the most prominent sports figures in Southern Arizona from 2017. Find out who makes the cut!
By Greg Hansen / Arizona Daily Star
20. Matt Brase
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Former Arizona Wildcats basketball player Matt Brase led the Rio Grande Valley Vipers to the NBA D League Championship. -
Not only did the former Catalina Foothills High School and UA basketball player coach the NBA G League Rio Grande Valley Vipers to the 2016-17 championship finals, his team opened this season with a 13-game winning streak
19. AJ Valenzuela
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AJ Valenzuela was a first-team pick by the NJCAA and United Soccer Coaches.
Pima's Valenzuela was the ACCAC Player of the Year in menβs soccer, and was then named a first-team All-American twice, by the soccer coaches of America and the NJCAA.
18. Cory Petska
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Cory Petska competes in the team roping event during the final night of the National Finals Rodeo, Saturday, Dec. 10, 2016, in Las Vegas.
The Marana team-roper finished No.2 in the 2017 Pro Rodeo Association standings, earning $133,000 en route to the National Finals Rodeo.
17. Turner Washington
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Turner Washington practices throwing the discus at CDO High School in Oro Valley in 2016.
The top prep distance thrower in Arizona history, Washington won the national championship in the summer and claimed another state championship with a throw of 227 feet 4 inches, the fourth-best distance in high school history.
16. Katiyana Mauga
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Arizona's Katiyana Mauga (34) watches her shot head for the stands and a 2-0 lead against Oregon in the fifth inning of their Pac-12 game at Hillenbrand Stadium in 2017.
Mauga, a third baseman, hit 25 homers and drove in 61 runs for the Pac-12 softball champs and was the leagueβs co-Player of the Year.Β Along the way, she became the Pac-12βs career home run leader.
15. Tony Amato
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Head coach Tony Amato directs activity during University of Arizona Soccer practice in 2015.
Arizonaβs soccer coach won seven Pac-12 games, tops in school history, and finished 11-5-4 overall afterΒ leading his team to the NCAA Tournament's second round.Β
14. Deion James
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Deion James, ex-basketball player for Pima Community College will take his talents to the Pac-12 and play for Washington State.
The Empire High School grad led Pima College to a No. 7 overall finish nationally, averaging 20.6 points and 9.7 rebounds, and was named NJCAA Division II menβs basketball player of the year. He now is a starter at Colorado State.
13. Blake Martinez
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In his second season as Green Bayβs starting inside linebacker, the CDO and Stanford grad had 119 tackles in his first 13 games, including 16 against New Orleans and 15 against Pittsburgh.
12. JJ Matijevic
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J.J. Matijevic hops up to snare a floating liner as the Wildcat infielders run through fielding drills during Arizona's practice at Hi Corbett Field, Wednesday, February 15, 2017, Tucson, Ariz. Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
One of the leading offensive players in the NCAA, Matijevic led the Pac-12 with a .383 batting average and hit 10 home runs with 65 RBIs for the Wildcats. He was aΒ first-team all-conference selection.
11. Danielle OβToole
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Arizona starting pitcher Danielle O'Toole (3) deals against Oregon in the fifth inning of their Pac-12 game at Hillenbrand Stadium on April 21, 2017.
Winning 30 games and pitching nine shutouts with a 1.21 ERA, OβToole was a first-team All-America pitcher for Arizona.
10. Sage Watson
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Arizona's Sage Watson, right, raises her arms in victory as she defeated Southern California's Anna Cockrell to win the women's 400 hurdles during the NCAA outdoor college track and field championships in Eugene, Ore., Saturday, June 10, 2017.
The top female hurdler in college track and field, Watson, an Arizona senior, won the NCAA championship and then finished sixth at the World Championships in August.
9. Kristiana and David Watson
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Amphi High School offensive lineman David Watson works on blocking techniques during football drills at Amphi High School in Tucson, AZ. on August 22, 2017.
Tucsonβs leading sister-and-brother athletic tandem: Kristiana hit an astonishing .753 with 17 home runs and 54 RBI as an Amphi High School freshman softball player. David, who accepted a football scholarship to Arizona, was a two-way lineman starter for the Panthers.
8. Brian Peabody
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Not only did Peabody win his 500th career game as a coach, he guided Pima Collegeβs menβs basketball team to 22 victories, a Region 1 championship and seventh place in the NCAA national championships.
7. Alex Verdugo
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Los Angeles Dodgers center fielder Alex Verdugo (61) in the eighth inning of a baseball game Sunday, Oct. 1, 2017, in Denver. The Dodgers won 6-3.
After hitting .309 at Triple-A Oklahoma City, the Sahuaro High School grad was promoted to the Los Angeles Dodgers in September, where he played in 15 games for the National League champions.
6. Roman Bravo-Young
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Roman Bravo-Young of Sunnyside defeated Rylan Evans of Mesa Mountain View for the 120 pound Arizona Interscholastic Association Championship at the Prescott Valley Event Center.
At 43-0 as a junior, the Sunnyside High School wrestler, oft ranked No. 1 nationally in his weight class, won a third consecutive state championship and remains undefeated in his amazing prep career.
5. Dave Cosgrove
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Dave Cosgrove. Photo courtesy of Pima athletics
Pima Collegeβs menβs soccer coach led the Aztecs to their first-ever conference championship, a 15-2-3 record and a No. 3 finish in the NJCAA finals.
4. Khalil Tate
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The latest offseason highlight for Arizona QB Khalil Tate: Being invited to the Manning Passing Academy.
Mr. October came to Arizonaβs rescue, winning a record four consecutive Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week awards. The sophomore quarterback rushed for 327 yards, an NCAA record for quarterbacks, against Colorado and completed the regular season with 1,353 rushing yards.
3. Francisco Romero
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Francisco Romero
A Pueblo High School grad, Ramirez is the Astros' Spanish-language radio play-by-play man and holds similar duties for UA football and basketball.
2. Craig Bjornson
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Bullpen coach Craig Bjornson, a former Tucson High School baseball and football standout, will be receiving a winnerβs share of about $350,000 for helping the Astros claim the World Series.
The bullpen coach of the World Champion Astros, Bjornson βΒ a Tucson High grad β was hired away by the Boston Red Sox last month.
1. Brent Strom
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Brent Strom, pitching coach for the Houston Astros, center, speaks with lifelong Astros fans Seth Clem, left, and his parents Sarah and Chris during a World Series celebratory event at the Centerfield Baseball Academy, 5120 S. Julian Dr., on Dec. 16, 2017.
The Houston Astros pitching coach, who has lived in Tucson since 1990, won it all against Dodgers in the World Series.
