Greg Hansen's Top 100 Sports Figures of 2018: 100-81
100. Adin Hill
Updated
Arizona Coyotes goalie Adin Hill makes a save in the third period against the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2018 at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn. Arizona beat Minnesota 4-3.
As the Tucson Roadrunners won the Pacific Division, Hill, a goalie, was ranked No. 5 in the American Hockey League goalie statistics, and has shuttled between Tucson and the NHL’s Arizona Coyotes this season.
99. Zak Mohamed and Sam Lossou
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Rincon boys soccer coach Roxanne Taylor exchanges phone info with forward Sam Lossou after the Rangers notched a 1-0 home win, Taylor’s 401st, against Desert View on Tuesday.
Rincon’s dominating soccer twosome combined to score 35 goals in a 13-4-2 season, and this year had 22 goals combined after a 10-2 start.
98. Breezy Hayward and Kaitlyn Anderson
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Cienega's Kaitlyn Anderson drops a sacrifice bunt to move a runner to third base during second inning action against Mountain View in round 2 of the Class 5A state softball playoffs at Cienega High School in Vail, AZ. on Tuesday, May 2, 2017. Photo by Ron Medvescek / Arizona Daily Star.
As Cienega High School rolled to another state softball championship, Hayward, a freshman with 54 RBI and a .513 batting average, and Anderson, a senior with a .467 batting average and 11 home runs, led the way.
97. Devyn Cross
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Devyn Cross says that during the Wildcats’ NCAA Tournament loss to Missouri, “I could have personally been more engaged rather than stuck in my head the whole time.”
In her junior year at Arizona, the middle blocker was selected to the AVCA All-America honorable mention team.
96. Addison Mort
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As The Gregory School rolled to the state boys basketball championship, going 27-4 in Class 1A, Mort averaged 26 points and eight rebounds a game.
95. Alex Lopez and Jordan Lopez
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“They definitely work really, really well together,” Walden Grove coach Corey Noble says of Alex, left, and Jordan Lopez.
The Walden Grove High School twins combined for 4,509 yards from scrimmage in an 8-3 season; Alex, the quarterback, passed for 2,655 yards and 29 touchdowns and rushed for 624 more. Jordan, a junior receiver, caught 54 passes for 1,230 yards and 12 touchdowns.
94. Kalista Kakou
Updated
Salpointe Catholic's Kalista Kakou, left, and Jacuelina Valenzuela (3) celebrate the Lancers' 3-0 voctory over Flagstaff in the girl's 4A state soccer championship game on Saturday, Feb. 10, 2018, in Gilbert, Ariz.
One of the state’s leading high school soccer players, Kakou helped Salpointe win the 2018 Class 4A state championship and then signed to play collegiately at Eastern Washington.
93. Cole Altherr
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Catalina Foothills pitcher Cole Altherr delivers a pitch against St. Mary's during the third inning of their State 4A Championship semifinal baseball game at Tempe Diablo Stadium on Wednesday, May 9, 2018, in Tempe, Ariz.
Altherr was a top two-way player for Catalina Foothills High School's baseball team, hitting .348 with 15 extra-base hits and going 5-1 as a pitcher.
92. Nils Roth
Updated
Nils Roth
Pima College’s freshman goalkeeper led the NJCAA in goals-against average as the Aztecs won the men’s soccer national title.
91. Kylee Martin
Updated
Kylee Martin
Pima College’s standout soccer player, a Sahuaro High School grad, was a first-team All-ACCAC selection.
90. Matt Grevers
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United States' Matt Grevers, Caeleb Remel Dressel and Lilly King, from left, celebrate after winning the gold medal in the mixed medley relay during the swimming competitions of the World Aquatics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, Wednesday, July 26, 2017.
The four-time Olympic swimming gold medalist, a volunteer coach on the UA swimming staff, finished second in the 100 backstroke at the USA finals.
89. Carlie Scupin
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In her first two seasons at Tucson High, Scupin, a first baseman, has hit 24 home runs; her sophomore softball season was her best, producing a .619 batting average.
88. Mackenzie McRee
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Mackenzie McRee grew up playing golf and watching the Masters with her dad, Jim McRee.
Not only did the freshman golfer from Salpointe Catholic qualify to compete in the Drive, Chip and Putt competition on the week of the Masters, she won the state Division II girls golf title.
87. Rashaad Henderson
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Flowing Wells' Rashaad Henderson (23) manages to out run Mountain View's Branden Devoy (8) in the third quarter of their football game at Flowing Wells High School, Friday, October 26, 2018, Tucson, Ariz.
Flowing Wells’ senior running back gained 1,366 yards, scored 23 touchdowns and made 43 tackles for Mark Brunenkant’s 8-3 Caballeros.
86. Abram Carrasco
Updated
Abram Carrasco, right, has already reached the 1,000-point mark.
The Cholla High School grad averaged 16.6 points per game on Pima College’s national basketball runnerup team, and is now leading the team with a 20.1 points-per-game average this season.
85. Greg Wenneborg and Chad Harrison
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Chad Harrison, left, is Pima College's head coach.
Pima College’s veteran track and cross country coaches produced five NJCAA All-Americans at the national finals: 800 meter runner Collin Dylla, pole vaulter Tony Chavez, high jumper Cameron Crandall, long jumper Anahiramar Lopez and high jumper Megan Schiffmacher.
84. Majok Deng
Updated
Salpointe Catholic's Majok Deng, left, drives to the basket past Buckeye Union's Otis Frazier during the second half of the boy's 4A state semi-final basketball game on Friday, Feb. 23, 2018, in Phoenix, Ariz.
Salpointe Catholic’s senior basketball standout led the Lancers to the state championship game as a junior. Now a senior committed to Pepperdine, Deng averaged 17.9 points per game in his first 11 games.
83. Yu-Sang Hou
Updated
Arizona's Yu-Sang Hou watches her shot from the first tee during the final round of the NCAA Division I Women's Golf Championships in Stillwater, Okla., Wednesday, May 23, 2018. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Arizona’s sophomore golfer, a vital part of the NCAA championship, was the Pac-12’s November golfer of the month, and finished in the top 20 of six tournaments.
82. Cesar Salazar
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Arizona catcher Cesar Salazar (12) cuts off the throw home as Oregon State outfielder Jack Anderson (29) scores during the sixth inning of the University of Arizona Wildcats vs. No. 5 Oregon State University Beavers college baseball game on April 6, 2018, at Hi Corbett Field in Tucson, Ariz.
As a junior catcher at Arizona, the Sahuaro High School grad was an All-Pac-12 first-team catcher, hitting .339.
81. Abdi Abdirahman
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Abdi Abdirahman, of Tucson, took home bronze in the 2016 New York City Marathon and was the first American to finish the race.
Abdirahman, who turns 42 on New Year's Day, was 15th in the Boston Marathon and fifth in the Doha Half-Marathon.
Greg Hansen's Top 100 Sports Figures of 2018: 80-61
80. Mark Chandler
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Mark Chandler ran afoul of TUSD and AIA investigators while at Sahuaro. He stepped down as Sabino’s coach in April.
One of the top prep baseball coaches in Tucson history, Chandler produced his first state championship, directing Sabino High School to a 28-4 record and the Class 3A state title.
79. Amy Rocha
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First-year coach Amy Baray-Rocha has Salpointe Catholic's softball team two wins from the Division II state championship game after the Lancers beat Canyon del Oro 12-4 in 2015.
Salpointe’s softball coach guided the Lancers to the state championship, 32-4 overall, and has won 105 games in four seasons on the job.
78. Felecity Willis
Updated
Felecity Willis, shown at McKale in ’99, officiates Division I women’s games for the WCC, Big Sky, WAC and Mountain West.
The former UA softball and basketball two-sport athlete has become one of the West’s leading women’s basketball referees, working her sixth season in the Mountain West, Big Sky, WCC and WAC conferences.
77. Terrell Hayward
Updated
Cienega's Terrell Hayward (7) finds room in the red zone during the second quarter in the Bobcats' first-round playoff win versus Marana.
Cienega High School's versatile football standout rushed for 636 yards, caught passes for 763 yards, made 32 tackles and scored 17 touchdowns.
76. Matt Bushman
Updated
BYU tight end Matt Bushman, a Tucson native and Sabino alum, yells after hauling in a 24-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter of the Cougars’ 28-23 win over Arizona on Sept. 1, 2018, at Arizona Stadium.
Not only did the former Sabino High School tight end start as a BYU sophomore, he has now caught 74 passes for 979 yards in two years for the Cougars, including a game-changing touchdown in a victory over Arizona.
75. Justin Wright
Updated
Arizona's Justin Wright. Photo by Stan Liu / courtesy of Arizona Athletics
In his senior year at Arizona, Wright won the men’s 200 butterfly in the USA Championships, qualifying for the USA National team. He was fifth in the 200 fly for the Wildcats at the NCAA finals.
74. Aari McDonald
Updated
Arizona guard Aari McDonald (2) takes the the low road to squeeze under Northern Arizona guard Regan Schenck (1) in the first quarter of their game at McKale Center, Friday, December 21, 2018, Tucson, Ariz.
Few basketball players in UA history got off to the kind of start the sophomore transfer from Washington did. She averaged 23.7 points through 10 games; her 39 points against Loyola Marymount tied the Wildcats' single-game scoring record.
73. Manny Quiroz
Updated
Sunnyside’s senior soccer all-star has scored 44 goals (and counting) the last two seasons.
72. Mike Urbanski
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Mike Urbanski leads a weekly run on Tohono Chul Park's Desert View Trail on Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2012 in Tucson, Ariz. Photo by Ron Medvescek / Arizona Daily Star
Salpointe Catholic’s accomplished cross country coach piloted the Lancers girls to their second state championship in three years.
71. Kaskile Zawadi
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The Pima men's soccer team gather around the national championship plaque in front of their welcoming fans shortly after exiting the bus.
In PCC’s burst to the NJCAA men’s soccer championship, Zawadi — a sophomore defender from Cholla High School — was selected to the All-America second team.
70. Jada Talley
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Jada Talley
69. Rick Schantz
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FC Tucson head coach Rick Schantz talks with midfielder Musa Morris before taking on the University of Arizona in an exhibition game at Kino Sports Complex, Wednesday, May 4, 2016, Tucson, Ariz. Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
One of the leading names in Tucson soccer history became Phoenix Rising’s interim head coach during the USL season, led the Rising to a 12-7-1 record and then guided it to the USL title game. Schantz, a former FC Tucson coach, was then named permanent head coach .
68. Cory Petska
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Cory Petska, of Marana, Ariz., competes in the team roping event during the seventh go-round of the National Finals Rodeo, Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2018, in Las Vegas.
67. Tony Amato
Updated
Tony Amato
Arizona’s soccer coach reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the second year in a row, going 13-6-2 overall.
66. Derik Hall
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Hall became an all-WSFL first-team defensive back as a Pima College sophomore. The former Sahuaro High School standout made 83 tackles, fourth in the league.
65. Kristie Stevens
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Stevens coached Catalina Foothills’ girls tennis team to a 17-0 record and her 12th state championship.
64. Isaiah Murphy
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Pima's Isaiah Murphy drives for the hoop around Delta's Jalen Fykes in the NJCAA Div II basketball tournament semifinal game in Danville, Ill, on March 23, 2018.
Murphy averaged 15.9 points per game for Pima College’s basketball team, guiding the Aztecs to 31 victories and a No. 2 finish in the NJCAA.
63. Delaney Schnell
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Delaney Schnell, 18, works on one of her dives during a practice at Hillenbrand Aquatic Center on Wednesday June 28, 2017. Schnell says she started diving when she was 10 years old. She is now one of the best in the nation.
The freshman diver from Tucson High was the Pac-12 freshman Diver of the Year, finishing sixth in the NCAA 1-meter diving championships.
62. Casey O’Brien
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Sunnyside Blue Devil pride adorns an entrance gate to the football stadium at Sunnyside High School in Tucson, Ariz., Wednesday, July 22, 2015. Photo by Ron Medvescek / Arizona Daily Star
Sunnyside High School's soccer coach has gone 27-4-2 the last two seasons, and the Blue Devils were ranked No. 1 in the state through Dec. 20.
61. Diana Montano
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Salpointe's Diana Montano (11) records the last out of the game, flipping to first on Tucson's Arriana Santa Maria's (10) ground ball in the seventh inning of their state D II elimination playoff game at Amphitheater High School, Wednesday, May 11, 2016, Tucson, Ariz.
In Salpointe Catholic’s state championship softball season, Montano, a junior, drove in a team-high 64 runs and hit .450 with eight home runs.
Greg Hansen's Top 100 Sports Figures of 2018: 60-41
60. Ian Kinsler
UpdatedWinning a World Series as Boston’s second baseman the last half of the season, the CDO grad hit 14 home runs and was awarded his second career Gold Glove.
59. Taylor McQuillin
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Arizona pitcher Taylor McQuillin (18) leaves the field past Mississippi State after winning 4-3 to advance to the Super Regional.
Arizona’s pitching ace won 28 games, had a 1.67 ERA and was third in the Pac-12 with 287 strikeouts.
58. Adia Barnes
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Arizona Wildcats head coach Adia Barnes directs a drill during the first UA women's basketball practice of the season at McKale Center, Sept. 28, 2018.
Rebuilding Arizona’s women’s basketball program, Barnes produced the nation’s No. 4 overall recruiting class and guided her team to nine consecutive wins in November and December.
57. Nick Quintana
Updated
Arizona's Nick Quintana (13) bangs helmets with on deck batter Donta Williams (3) after crushing a solo homer in the fifth inning against UCLA at Hi Corbett Field, Tucson, Ariz., Thursday, May 3, 2018.
Arizona’s all-Pac-12 third baseman hit .313 with 14 home runs and 55 RBIs as a sophomore.
56. Trenton Bourguet
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Marana's Trenton Bourguet looks to pass against Horizon during their game Friday, Aug.17, 2018.
Marana High School's senior quarterback passed for 2,460 yards, giving him a Tucson prep career record of 7,612 yards, with 89 career touchdown passes.
55. Jesse Ybarra and Anthony Leon
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Ybarra, a junior ranked No. 12 in the nation, has won back-to-back state wrestling championships and accepted a scholarship offer to Iowa. Head coach Anthony Leon piloted the Blue Devils to yet another state title.
54. Tim Derksen
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San Francisco's Tim Derksen drives during a game against UC Riverside in November 2016. Derksen scored the game-winning basket with 3.7 seconds left, leading the Dons to a 58-57 win. Photo courtesy of Stephanie Trapp/USF
After opening his EuroLeague career in Spain, the former Amphitheater High state player of the year was leading the Slovakian league with 18.9 points per game.
53. Steve Botkin
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Sahuaro High School head coach Steve Botkin cheers on his team as the Cougars take on the Mesa Jackrabbits during the high school Division II state quarterfinals on Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2016, at Gila River Arena in Glendale, Ariz.
Sahuaro High School's enduring girls basketball coach won his 500th game at the school. No other girls coach in Tucson prep basketball history has even 400.
52. Bernard Lagat
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Bernard Lagat, left, celebrates a win in the finals of the men's 5000-meter run with Paul Chelimo at the U.S. Olympic trials in 2016.
51. Umajesty Williams
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Umajesty Williams, left, helped the Wildcats pass the finish line first in the men's 4X400 relay at the Pac-12 championships.
A freshman, Arizona’s school-record holder at 400 meters finished second in the Pac-12 finals and then capped the meet in a dazzling comeback in the 400 relays, giving Arizona its first-ever championship in the event.
50. Nick Gonzales
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New Mexico State’s Nick Gonzales runs to first base during an NCAA Tournament game against Texas Tech on Friday, June 1, 2018, in Lubbock, Texas.
After a strong prep season at Cienega High School, Gonzales became the starting second baseman for New Mexico State’s WAC champions, hitting a team-high .347. He was named the WAC Freshman of the Year.
49. Shelley Duncan
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Shelley Duncan, right, a former Wildcat showed playing in the University of Arizona baseball alumni game on Jan. 27, 2018, recently was hired as a field coordinator for the MLB's Toronto Blue Jays.
48. Jim Monaco
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Pima head coach Jim Monaco finished the season and the football program with strong memories and satisfaction of a memorable year.
Even though his school chose to eliminate its football program beginning in 2019, Monaco persevered, coaching Pima College to a 6-4 record, the Heart of Texas Bowl and a No. 20 ranking in the NJCAA. He was recently named the school's athletic director.
47. Alyssa Thompson
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UA track athlete Alyssa Thompson works on her high jump during practice at Drachman Stadium, 501 S Plumer Ave, Tucson, AZ. on March 9, 2018.
In her final season at Arizona, the Salpointe Catholic grad finished third in the Pac-12 long jump and third in the Pac-12 heptathlon, and was one of 12 conference student-athletes selected as a Postgraduate Scholarship recipient.
46. Brent Strom
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Seth Clem takes a selfie with his parents and Strom during the fundraising event. Strom won College World Series titles in 1970 and 1971 with USC before beginning his professional career, which included a stop with the Tucson Toros in 1980.
Houston’s accomplished pitching coach, a longtime Tucson resident, helped the Astros reach the American League Championship Series after winning the AL West Division.
45. Javier Holguin, Alex Rangel, Gabe Mendoza
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Pima College's men's soccer team celebrates after winning the NJCAA National Championship.
Pima College’s assistant men’s soccer coaches not only helped the Aztecs win the national championship, but were chosen as the staff of the year by the United Soccer Coaches of America.
44. Neysia Howard
Updated
Tucson High's Neysia Howard takes the baton from teammate Jenica Bosko and sprints to the finish to win the Division I girl's 4x100 Relay during the AIA Track & Field State Championships at Mesa Community College on Friday, May 5, 2018, in Mesa, Ariz.
Howard swept the 100 and 200 meters at the state championships and was part of Tucson High’s state-title-winning 4x100 relay team. She is now a freshman at Arizona.
43. Bill Leith
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Bill Leith, president of Sun Belt Baseball and a half-dozen other youth baseball ventures poses for a photo at Kino Sports Complex on July 10, 2018 in Tucson, AZ.
The director of both the Kino Baseball League and the Sun Belt College Baseball League experienced the most productive season yet in the sixth year of his vast organization.
42. Eric Tatham
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Cienega's head coach Eric Tatham instructs his team against Sahuaro during the 5A high school softball state championship game in Tempe, Ariz. May 15, 2017.
Cienega’s able softball coach piloted the Bobcats to their third state title in four years, finishing 29-6.
41. Kate Bruno
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In her sophomore season at Pima College, Bruno, from Canyon del Oro High School, won the ACCAC and Region championships in cross country and finished ninth in the NJCAA, backing up her spring finish of No. 9 in the NJCAA 1,500 meter finals.
