Greg Hansen's Top 100 Sports Figures of 2018: 40-21
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
Greg Hansen
Columnist
- Updated
Star columnist Greg Hansen counts down the most prominent sports figures in Southern Arizona from 2018. Find out who makes the cut.
40. Kelsey Jenkins
Updated39. Yash Parikh and Harsh Parikh
Updated38. Mike Van Ryn
UpdatedHis first and only year as coach of the Tucson Roadrunners was a triumph, as the Roadrunners went 42-20-5-1 and won the AHL Pacific division.
37. Keven Biggs
UpdatedA big part of Pima Collegeβs run to the NJCAA menβs basketball championship game, Biggs, a Cienega High School grad, averaged a team-high 17 points per game.
36. Brooks Reed
UpdatedThe Atlanta Falcons pass-rusher, now in his eighth season in the NFL, has 24 tacklesΒ . He is a Sabino High School and UA grad.
35. Marvol Barnard
UpdatedA golf instructor at Green Valleyβs Haven Golf Course, Barnard was named the PGA of Americaβs 2018 National Player Development pro of the year.
34. Isabel Pacho
UpdatedPacho closed her productive Ironwood Ridge High School softball career with 30 career home runs and 149 RBI. She is now part of Mike Candreaβs Arizona softball team.
33. Kym Adair
UpdatedAfter helping the growth of the Arizona Bowl in its marketing department, Adair became the gameβs executive director this year. She is just the second of two females to hold such a position in the NCAAβs 41 bowl games.
32. Preston Clifford
UpdatedLeading Sabino High to its first state baseball championship in 21 years, Clifford, a junior, went 8-0 as a pitcher and hit .398. He was the winning pitcher in the state title game.
31. Kristiana Watson
UpdatedIn her sophomore season at Amphitheater High School, Watson hit an astonishing .716 with 14 home runs and 51 RBI.
30. Alyssa Palomino
UpdatedArizonaβs sophomore first baseman hit .363 and led the Pac-12 with 19 home runs as a first-team all-conference selection.
29. Alex Verdugo
UpdatedThe Sahuaro High School grad played in 37 games for the Los Angeles Dodgers, hitting .260, after playing at a star level at Triple-A Oklahoma City, hitting .329 with 10 home runs in half a season.
28. Kendra Dahlke
UpdatedA first-team All-Pac-12 volleyball player, the UA senior also was part of the AVCAβs honorable mention All-American team.
27. Ben Kern
UpdatedThe former Tucson golf pro, a state champion from Palo Verde High School, qualified for the PGA Championship by finishing No. 9 in the PGA Club Professionals championship. He was the only club pro to make the cut in the PGA finals, finishing 42nd and earning $33,281.
26. The Fetsis family
UpdatedIn a remarkable tennis season at Pusch Ridge, the Lions won the state championship in boys and girls competition behind coach Andy Fetsis, whose daughter, Sofia, won the Division III state singles title, and whose son, Christian, won the Division III doubles state title.
25. Izzy and Ilyssa Galindo
UpdatedThe father-daughter combo for Pueblo Highβs girls state championship runner-up set a school record with 30 wins. Izzy, the coach, had gone 113-22 in four-plus seasons through Dec. 20. Ilyssa, a senior guard, averaged 12.4 points and 7.0 assists.
24. Ali Farhang
UpdatedThe successful founder and chairman of the Nova Home Loans Arizona Bowl somehow found time to become a partner in the Tucson Sugar Skulls of the Indoor Football League.
23. Julie Hairgrove and Matt Brase
UpdatedThe sister-and-brother pair from Catalina Foothills High School and the UA each coached into the playoffs in their respective pro basketball league. Hairgrove, an assistant for the WNBAβs Phoenix Mercury, helped her team reach the Western ConferenceΒ finals. Brase, head coach of the G Leagueβs Rio Grande Valley Vipers, reached the conference semifinals, then was hired as a full-time assistant coach of the Houston Rockets.
22. Dennis Bene
UpdatedSalpointeβs football coach has gone 26-2 the last two seasons, reaching two state championship games while establishing himself as one of the top football coaches in Tucson history.
21. Allonzo Trier
UpdatedAveraging 18.1 points in his final season at Arizona, Trier was chosen to the All-Pac-12 first team and then made the New York Knicks roster as an undrafted free agent, averaging 11.3 points through 27 games.
Greg Hansen
Columnist
View this profile on Instagram#ThisIsTucson π΅ (@this_is_tucson) β’ Instagram photos and videos
Most viewed stories
-
44 fun events happening in Tucson this weekend Nov. 21-24 π΄ββοΈπ
-
El Tour de Tucson is back this weekend. Here's everything you need to know.
-
Get delicious turkey dinners at these local restaurants this Thanksgiving
-
Shop from local artists at this 3-day market hosted by the Tucson Museum of Art
-
Turkey and pie: where to get free Thanksgiving dinners this month
-
60 fun events happening in Tucson this weekend Nov. 14-17 ππ
-
Eat all the tamales of your dreams at Casino Del Sol's 19th annual tamal festival
-
Meru is no longer the newest member of the elephant herd β but she's still the baby π
-
Galloping into action: This new rescue calls for volunteers to care for horses in need
-
A giant list of vegan food in Tucson β now with more restaurants!