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'll count them down on Tucson.com, revealing No. 1 on Dec. 31.
See Nos. 100-75 here.
Arizona golfer Tiger Christensen competes in the match-play finals of the Jackson T. Stephens Cup at Trinity Forest Golf Club in Dallas on Oct. 11, 2023.
74. Tiger Christensen. Before turning pro last month, Christensen was Arizona’s leading men’s golfer, a second-team All-Pac-12 player who won two tournaments and finished in the round of 32 at the U.S. Amateur.
73. Margareta Vrablova. A key part of Arizona’s NCAA championship in the triathlon, Vrablova finished third overall in the national championship finals.
72. Clark Candiotti. With a 7-4 record, Candiotti was Arizona’s first-team All-Pac-12 pitcher, drafted in the fourth round by the San Diego Padres.
71. Josh Doan. The Tucson Roadrunners’ standout scored a team-high 26 goals in the 2023-24 season.
Arizona guard Pelle Larsson (3) makes his way past Dayton forward DaRon Holmes II (15) and guard Enoch Cheeks (6) on a baseline drive in their round-of-32 game in the West Region of the NCAA Tournament in Salt Lake City on March 23, 2024.
70. Pelle Larsson. A second-team All-Pac-12 forward at Arizona, Larsson averaged 12.8 points per game. He is now averaging 5.7 points in 17 games for the NBA's Miami Heat through Dec. 26.
69. Kelly Pierce. Salpointe’s girls soccer coach, a five-time state champion, finished No. 2 in the 4A state championships with a 13-3-2 record.
68. Sir Jonathan Sims. Arizona’s Pac-12 champion in the triple jump went on to finish fourth in the NCAA finals.
67. Jacob Acedo. Mountain View’s state wrestling champion went a perfect 48-0 in the heavyweight class.
66. Ryan Stotland. Arizona’s women’s tennis coach piloted the Wildcats to the NCAA Tournament, the school’s first such success since 2014.
65. Allie Skaggs. In her final season at Arizona, the second baseman from Ironwood Ridge High hit a team-high 14 home runs while batting .304.
Sanchez-Hermosillo
64. Ariela Sanchez-Hermosillo. Pima College’s talented sophomore soccer player from Sahuaro High was selected a third-team NJCAA All-American after leading the Aztecs to the national tournament.
63. Jordan Wilson. With a team-high 446 kills, Wilson was a vital part of Arizona’s 24-9 volleyball season and NIVC championship.
62. Colten Meyer. Marana High’s prolific quarterback passed for 3,607 yards and 30 touchdowns to help the Tigers to a 10-1 season.
61. Levi Wallace. In his seventh NFL season, the Denver Broncos cornerback from Tucson High had made 28 tackles in two starts through Week 15.
60. William Moore. Marana High’s undefeated state wrestling champion went 61-0 at 113 pounds.
59. Trayvion White-Austin. Arizona’s junior sprinter from Sahuaro High broke the 33-year-old school record in the 100-meter sprint, and was a second-team All-American in the 4x100 relay at the NCAA championships.
58. Nick Arias. In Pima College’s run to the NJCAA baseball region finals, the second baseman from Tucson High hit .313 with a team-high 21 extra-base hits.
Arizona kicker Tyler Loop knocks through a 53-yard field goal on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, against Utah in Salt Lake City.
57. Tyler Loop. Arizona’s long-range field-goal kicker made 18 of 23 field-goal attempts, including a school-record 62-yarder.
56. Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles. In his fifth season with the San Francisco 49ers, the UA and Mountain View High product had started three games through Week 15, with an interception and 15 tackles.
55. Gavin Cohen. Catalina Foothills’ 2017 state golf champion reached the final round of the PGA Tour Qualifying School, at which he shot rounds of 69-67 to finish, missing his Tour card by three strokes.
54. Dillan Baker. Averaging a team-high 18.3 points per game, the Salpointe grad led Pima College men's basketball to the NJCAA finals.
53. Kelly Fowler. Canyon del Oro’s three-time state championship softball coach led the Dorados to a 33-3 record, finishing second in the 4A state finals.
Arizona’s Emma Gates won the high jump at the Pac-12 Track and Field Championships earlier this month in Boulder, Colorado.
52. Emma Gates. Arizona’s outstanding high jumper won the Pac-12 championship by clearing 6 feet, 2 inches.
51. Carlie Scupin. In her senior softball season at Arizona, the Tucson High grad hit .364 with 13 home runs.
50. Shelley Duncan. Tucson’s all-time leader in prep home runs at CDO, and in UA career homers, Duncan managed the New York Yankees’ Triple-A franchise in Scranton-Wilkes Barre to the year’s best overall record in the International League, 89-60.
Check out Tucson.com/sports on Monday, Dec. 30, for Nos. 49-25.
is the longtime sports columnist for the
Arizona Daily Starand
Tucson.com.
