Editor's Note: As the calendar winds down on 2024, longtime Star columnist Greg Hansen has ranked the Top 100 sports figures in Southern Arizona for his 29th annual list. We've been counting them down on Tucson.com, with the big reveal of No. 1 today.
See Nos. 100-75 here.
See Nos. 74-50 here.
See Nos. 49-25 here.
24. America Cazares. After scoring a Tucson record 59 points in a girls basketball game last season, averaging 26.4 points, No. 2 in the state, the Pueblo High junior was averaging 29.4 points through games as of Dec. 18.
Arizona’s Jay Friend serves to Auburn’s Finn Murgett in their second round No. 2 singles match of the NCAA Men’s Tennis Tournament at the UA, May 4, 2024.
23. Jay Friend. A junior tennis player at Arizona, Friend has climbed to No. 5 in the NCAA singles rankings after winning the Pac-12 championship in doubles last spring with Colton Smith.
22. Desireé Reed-Francois. In nine months as Arizona’s athletic director, Reed-Francois has totally reorganized the department’s senior staff, hired a swimming coach and a women’s golf coach, and established a firm financial plan to keep Arizona competitive in a new age of college athletics.
21. Phillip Steward. Marana High’s fourth-year football coach led the Tigers to a perfect 10-0 regular season and a No. 1 overall ranking in the state — outscoring opponents 460-161 — as a 5A team before losing to 6A Chandler Hamilton in the state playoffs' Open Division.
20. Dakota Kennedy. Arizona’s star left fielder was named the NCAA’s Defensive Outfielder of the Year; she also hit .400 with 13 home runs.
19. Nick Gonzales. In 94 games for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Gonzales, of Cienega High School, hit .270 with seven home runs.
Camila Zepeda, a sophomore infielder for Pima Community College softball catches the ball during practice, May 7, 2024.
18. Camila Zepeda. Pima College’s sophomore second baseman from Tucson High was the ACCAC player of the year, hitting .473 with 17 home runs and 62 RBIs.
17. Tommy Lloyd. In his third season as Arizona’s basketball coach, Lloyd guided the Wildcats to the Pac-12 championship and the NCAA Sweet 16, finishing No. 11 in the final AP poll.
16. Jordan Morgan. After becoming a first-round draft pick of the Green Bay Packers, the former Marana High and UA offensive tackle moved into the Packers’ starting lineup and played 186 snaps before being injured Nov. 3.
15. Ka’Deem Carey. The NCAA’s leading rusher in 2012 and 2013 at Arizona, the former Canyon del Oro state champion led the Toronto Argonauts to the CFL Grey Cup championship by rushing for 1,060 yards and catching 37 passes.
14. Tetairoa McMillan. As a junior receiver at Arizona, McMillan set the UA record for career receiving yards, 3,423, and was named a first-team AP All-American.
13. D’Andre Pickett. As Pima men's soccer reached the NJCAA semifinals and won the ACCAC championship, Pickett, from Tucson High, was named a first-team All-American and ACCAC Player of the Year.
12. Dezmen Roebuck. Marana High’s super wide receiver set a state record by catching 352 career passes, winning the Arizona Gatorade Football Player of the Year award.
11. Clancy Shields. Arizona’s men’s tennis coach produced the school’s first Pac-12 Tournament championship and a regular season title as the Wildcats went 28-4, a school record for victories, reaching the Sweet 16.
10. Leo Gutierrez. In unprecedented fashion, the Salpointe soccer player scored a Tucson-record 45 goals to guide the Lancers to the state championship. He now has what is believed to be a big school's state-record 123 goals in his prep career.
9. Mason White. Arizona’s hard-hitting All-Pac-12 shortstop from Salpointe hit 19 home runs with 65 RBIs, batting .305 to lead the Wildcats to the Pac-12 championship.
Arizona triathlon head coach Wes Johnson encourages his team during an early-morning practice at the Hillenbrand Aquatic Center. Johnson led the team to the national championship in 2024.
8. Wes Johnson. In his second season as Arizona’s Triathlon coach, Johnson led the Wildcats to the NCAA championship.
7. Colton Smith. Perhaps the UA’s best men’s tennis player in more than 50 years, Smith won the Pac-12 title and reached the NCAA’s “Final Four’’ by defeating 19 nationally-ranked opponents.
6. Dave Cosgrove. Pima College’s men’s soccer coach directed the Aztecs to a 20-1-1 record and third place in the NJCAA national finals.
5. Chip Hale. Arizona’s baseball coach not only won the Pac-12 championship in the league’s final year, but followed it up by winning the Pac-12 Tournament championship.
4. Pat Nugent. In his 20th season as a high school football head coach in Tucson, Nugent won the big prize, a state Class 4A championship for the 14-0 Mica Mountain Thunderbolts.
3. Delaney Schnell. After winning the USA Olympic diving trials in both synchronized diving and platform diving, the Tucson High and UA grad finished sixth in the Paris Olympics in synchronized diving.
2. Bijan Robinson. In his second NFL season, the Atlanta Falcons running back from Salpointe cracked the 1,000-yard barrier, with 1,196 yards through Week 15.
Salpointe Catholic coach Wolfgang Weber addresses his team after a 4-1 win over Scottsdale Saguaro during the Class 4A boys state championship match Feb. 24, 2023, at Glendale High School.
1. Wolfgang Weber. Salpointe Catholic High School’s enduring boys soccer coach won his 11th state championship, and fourth in succession.
is the longtime sports columnist for the
Arizona Daily Starand
Tucson.com.
