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Greg Hansen's Top 100 Sports Figures of 2022

1. Tommy Lloyd. Arizona’s men’s basketball coach went 33-4 and had the Wildcats ranked No. 2 in his first season as a head coach, winning the Pac-12 championship and Pac-12 Tournament.

2. Anthony Leon. Sunnyside High School’s wrestling coach produced eight individual state champions, a state record, as the Blue Devils won their 35th state championship since 1979. Sunnyside also scored 263 points in the state tournament, another state record.

3. Clancy Shields. Arizona’s men’s tennis coach pulled off what had seemed impossible for 44 years: winning the Pac-12 championship — Arizona’s first — and doing so with an undefeated record.

4. Bennedict Mathurin. The Pac-12’s men’s basketball player of the year increased his scoring average from 10.3 to 17.7 in his sophomore season at Arizona, becoming an NBA lottery pick.

5. Wolfgang Weber. Adding to his state record of boys soccer state championships — now at nine — Weber coached Salpointe Catholic High School to a 20-3-2 record. He also surpassed 700 career victories.

6. Bijan Robinson. A consensus All-American tailback and Doak Walker Award winner at Texas, the Salpointe grad gained 1,580 yards and finished No. 9 in Heisman Trophy balloting.

7. Roman Bravo-Young. Sunnyside’s four-time undefeated state wrestling champion did just that as a junior at Penn State, winning the NCAA championship at 133 pounds with a flawless 22-0 record.

NCAA coordinator of men’s basketball officiating Chris Rastatter speaks during an October news conference to introduce the Pima County Sports Hall of Fame’s 2022 induction class.

8. Chris Rastatter. After 24 years as one of the Pac-12’s leading basketball referees, the Rincon High School graduate was named the coordinator of officials for all of NCAA men’s basketball, the No. 1 officiating job in college hoops.

An ecstatic Arizona head coach Jedd Fisch after running back Michael Wiley scored in the third quarter during Arizona State at Arizona football at Arizona Stadium on Nov. 25, 2022.

9. Jedd Fisch.Arizona’s second-year football coach improved the Wildcats from 1-11 to 5-7, stunned No. 9 UCLA and ended ASU’s “No Pity For the Kitty” streak with a thrilling win at Arizona Stadium.

10. Azuolas Tubelis. Tubelis averaged 13.9 points per game for the Pac-12 champion Wildcats as a sophomore, and improved that total to 20.2 points per game through his first 10 games this season.

11, 12. Jason Hisey and Hope Hisey. It was quite a year for the father-daughter combination; Jason Hisey coached Canyon del Oro High School’s baseball team to the Class 4A state championship with a 24-7 record. His daughter, Hope Hisey, was named the Pac-12 goalkeeper of the week three times and finished the season as a third-team all-conference goalkeeper, playing every minute of every game for the Wildcats.

13 Ka’Deem Carey. Playing for the Calgary Stampeders, Carey — Arizona’s career rushing leader, a 2012 and 2013 All-American from Canyon del Oro High School — led the Canadian Football League with 1,088 rushing yards.

Trevor Werbylo poses with PGA Tour veteran Fuzzy Zoeller after the Salpointe Catholic and UA grad won his first professional tournament.

14. Trevor Werbylo. In his first full season as a pro golfer, the Salpointe and UA product earned full playing privileges on the PGA Tour by finishing 20th on the Korn Ferry Tour, which included the championship of the Lake Charles Classic in Louisiana. He also had three top-10 finishes and played in three 2022-23 PGA Tour events as a rookie.

Despite being stocked with catching talent, the Oakland Athletics picked UA's Daniel Susac 19th overall because they felt he was the best player available.

15. Daniel Susac. An All-American catcher at Arizona, Susac his .366 with 12 homers and 61 RBIs before becoming a first-round draft pick of the Oakland Athletics.

16. Allie Skaggs. After becoming the Arizona softball team’s starting second baseman, Skaggs hit a team-high 24 home runs, batted .367 and was named Pac-12 Player of the Week in back-to-back weeks.

17. Kiko Romero. The CDO grad led Central Arizona College to the NJCAA national championship, hitting 25 home runs with 84 RBIs and a .366 batting average. Romero was a first-team All-American who led the NJCAA World Series with five home runs. Romero now plays for the UA.

Arizona quarterback Jayden de Laura loosens up his arm with some long-range throws as the Wildcats get ready to face Oregon at Arizona Stadium on Oct. 8, 2022.

18. Jayden de Laura. Arizona’s starting quarterback passed for 3,685 yards and 25 touchdowns, among the leading totals in school history. An escape artist who probably led the Pac-12 in sacks avoided, de Laura has two years of eligibility remaining.

Arizona quarterback Jayden de Laura missed the second half of Washington State's loss in the Sun Bowl at the end of the 2021 season. Why was he absent? He explained on Tuesday ahead of the Wildcats' matchup with Washington State on Saturday in Tucson.

Arizona linebacker Jacob Manu pressures Arizona State quarterback Trenton Bourguet during Saturday’s second half.

19, 20. Rylen Bourguet and Trenton Bourguet. Winning her fourth state championship as one of the most versatile athletes in Tucson prep sports history — in soccer, indoor volleyball and beach volleyball — Rylen, a senior, then watched as her older brother, Trenton, took charge of Arizona State’s football offense at midseason, passing for 1,490 yards and 11 touchdowns.

21. Sergio Vega. One of the top wrestlers in Arizona prep history, Vega finished the season a perfect 36-0 at 113 pounds as Sunnyside easily won the state title.

Salpointe’s Logan Cole (23) claps as she rounds the bases after hitting a home run in their 4A semi-final game win over Mingus at Rose Mofford Softball Complex in Phoenix Thursday, May. 12, 2022.

22. Logan Cole. Ranked as the No. 23 overall softball player in the country, the Salpointe Catholic High School infielder — now a freshman at Arizona — led the Lancers to the state title by hitting .546 with 15 stolen bases.

Arizona wide receiver Jacob Cowing (2) cradles a long throw after beating Oregon defensive back Trikweze Bridges (11) getting the ball into the red zone early in the first quarter of their Pac 12 football game at Arizona Stadium, Tucson, Ariz., October 8, 2022.

23. Jacob Cowing. After transferring to Arizona from UTEP, the junior receiver led the Pac-12 with 85 receptions, the No. 4 mark in school history, while gaining 1,034 yards with seven touchdowns.

24. Joe Luevano. Salpointe’s girls basketball coach led the Lancers to their first-ever state championship, covering more than 60 years. Salpointe finished 24-4.

25. Jeffry Bloomberg. In his sixth season as the boys tennis coach at Catalina Foothills High School, Bloomberg has won six state championships and is 99-1 over that impressive stretch.

Former Wildcats center Christian Koloko was drafted by the NBA's Toronto Raptors.

26. Christian Koloko. Now a starting center for the NBA Toronto Raptors, Koloko completed his Arizona career by being named Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year and a first-team all-conference selection after averaging 12.6 points per game with 102 blocked shots.

Arizona first baseman Carlie Scupin (20) celebrates after tagging out Oklahoma State's Kiley Naomi (5) during the third inning of their Women's College World Series game.

27. Carlie Scupin. In her second season as Arizona’s starting first baseman, Scupin, from Tucson High, hit 19 home runs with 59 RBIs while batting .369.

28. Shannon Meisberger. Arizona’s leading track and field performer won the Pac-12 championship in the 400 hurdles and finished No. 3 in the NCAA finals.

29. Kelly Pierce. Salpointe Catholic High School’s impressively successful girls soccer coach led the Lancers to their fourth state championship in five seasons.

30. Jared Perry. Catalina Foothills’ No. 1 boys tennis player won his second consecutive state singles championship.

31. Heather Mott. After finishing second in the Class 5A boys state volleyball finals a year earlier with a 20-1 record, Mott coached Cienega High School to a 34-4 record and the state championship, matching her 2017 state title at the school.

Arizona's right fielder Tanner O'Tremba (44) comes up inches short of chasing down a hit to the wall by Washington State's Elijah Hainline (8) that ended up a double and runners at second and third in the fourth inning of their Pac 12 baseball game at Hi Corbett Field, Tucson, Ariz., April 8, 2022.

32. Tanner O’Tremba. Arizona’s power-hitting first baseman hit 11 homers with 56 RBIs while batting .357 before becoming a 15th-round pick of the San Francisco Giants.

33. Ainsley Malis. The former Tanque Verde High School volleyball standout led West Texas A&M in sets played, keying the Buffaloes’ march to the NCAA Division II national championship.

34. Kylie Wild. Salpointe Catholic High School’s elite distance runner won her third consecutive state cross country championship, then accepted a scholarship to attend Boston College.

35. Ellessa Bonstrom. A first-team All-Pac-12 outfielder for the Utah Utes, Bonstrom, a CDO graduate, led the Utes with 11 homers and a .376 batting average.

Wide receiver Dorian Singer, right, earned Pac-12 honors after leading the league in receiving yards.

36. Dorian Singer. One of the most improved players in college football, Singer, an Arizona wide receiver, led the Pac-12 with 1,105 receiving yards as he caught 65 passes, six for touchdowns.

Arizona's Izzy Pacho (15) celebrates on her way to first after cranking a two RBI homer to put the Wildcats up 11-8 against Oregon in the sixth inning of their Pac 12 game at Hillenbrand Stadium, Tucson, Ariz., April 14, 2022.

37. Izzy Pacho. The junior from Ironwood Ridge High School had a breakout season, hitting 360 with 11 home runs as the UA’s starting third baseman and helping the Wildcats reach the Women’s College World Series.

38, 39. Yannixa Acuña and Yannira Acuña. The softball-playing sisters had a remarkable year; Yannixa, a senior at Salpointe Catholic High School, helped the Lancers win the Class 4A state championship with a .526 batting average and 34 stolen bases. Yannira, a first-team All-Pac-12 outfielder at Arizona State, hit .430 with 14 home runs.

40. Leo Gutierrez. As a sophomore at Salpointe Catholic High School, Gutierrez led the city with 29 goals and 14 assists as the Lancers won another state championship.

Flowing Wells's head coach Michael Perkins maps out his plan to his Lady Cabs during a time out against Amphi at Amphi High School, Tucson, Ariz., December 1, 2022.

41. Michael Perkins. Flowing Wells High School’s longtime girls basketball coach produced one of his best seasons, going 29-2 and finishing second in the Class 5A state bracket.

42, 43. Tyler Mustain and Bubba Mustain. Leading Pusch Ridge Christian Academy to the Class 3A state football semifinals, the Mustain brothers were outstanding. Tyler, a senior, had 160 tackles and caught 40 passes for 13 touchdowns. Younger brother Bubba passed for 2,637 yards and 30 touchdowns.

44. Heather Moore-Martin. Coaching Salpointe Catholic High School’s beach volleyball team to a second consecutive Division II state championship, Moore-Martin ran the club’s winning streak to 33 straight over two years.

Arizona Wildcats outfielder Chase Davis (5) reacts from inside the dugout after hitting a home run in the second inning against the Ole Miss Rebels during the Coral Gables NCAA baseball regional game at Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field in Coral Gables, Florida, Saturday, June 4, 2022.

45. Chase Davis. Arizona’s power-hitting outfielder smashed 18 home runs with 54 RBIs while batting .289.

Salpointe Catholic’s softball players surround star Gianna Mares after beating Canyon del Oro for the Class 4A state title in May.

46. Gianna Mares. During Salpointe Catholic High School’s Class 4A state championship softball season, Mares, a junior, hit 15 home runs and went 15-0 as a dominating pitcher.

Arizona coach Adia Barnes organizes her Wildcats during a timeout late their Nov. 2 exhibition win over Cal State Los Angeles.

47. Adia Barnes. In a 21-win season that included a victory over No. 6 Louisville, Barnes coached Arizona’s women’s basketball team to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Wildcats led the Pac-12 in attendance.

48. Kendra Veliz. Ranked as high as No. 2 in the NCJAA during the season, Veliz coached the Pima women’s soccer team to a fifth-place tie in the national tournament with a 14-3-1 record.

Alex Verdugo, a former Sahuaro High School star, was a regular outfielder for the Boston Red Sox this season.

49. Alex Verdugo. The Boston Red Sox’s starting left fielder, Verdugo hit .280 with 11 homers and 74 RBIs.

Sabino’s Riley Nielson celebrates the Sabercats' 8-0 win over Winslow in May's Class 3A State championship game at Farrington Stadium in Tempe. The Sabercats have won three straight state titles.

50. Riley Nielson. Leading Sabino High School to the 3A state softball championship, Nielson went 19-2 as a pitcher and hit .411 with 35 RBIs at the plate.

Arizona's head coach Chip Hale, right, offers up a high five for Tony Bullard after he clouted a two-RBI homer against UNLV in their fall scrimmage at Hi Corbett Field, Tucson, Ariz., October 22, 2022.

51. Chip Hale. In his first season as Arizona’s baseball coach, Hale guided the Wildcats to a 39-25 record and a trip to the NCAA Regionals.

Olympic silver medalist Delaney Schnell does a backflip as part of her first pitch windup before Arizona April 22 baseball game against Arizona State at Hi Corbett Field.

52. Delaney Schnell. The world’s silver medalist in the 10-meter synchronized platform diving competition, Schell, a UA senior from Tucson High, also won the Pac-12 championship in platform diving.

53, 54. Austin Cohen and Grant Cohen. The Catalina Foothills brothers won the state doubles tennis championship.

55. Turner Washington. In his final season at ASU, the Canyon del Oro grad won the NCAA indoor shot put title and finished second in the shot at the NCAA outdoor finals.

56. Tricia Sztan. Salpointe’s first-year softball coach hit it out of the park as the Lancers went 32-2 and won the 4A state championship.

57. Carolina Melgrati. As a UA freshman, Melgrati finished third in the Pac-12 women’s golf championships, made the all-conference team and led the Wildcats with a 73.1 scoring average.

58. Preston Clifford. Pima College’s All-ACCAC infielder hit .379 to make the all-conference first team.

59. Kylee Callahan. As Salpointe won the girls state basketball championship, Callahan led the club with a 16.4 points-per-game scoring average.

The Giants’ Luis Gonzalez dives back to first base on a pickoff attempt during the eighth inning of a May 31 game.

60. Luis Gonzalez. Breaking into the San Francisco Giants starting lineup, the Catalina Foothills grad hit .254 with 27 extra-base hits as a regular outfielder.

Pima College guard Angel Addleman drives into the defense during an Aztecs practice this fall.

61. Angel Addleman. Pima College’s team-first sophomore point guard from Palo Verde High School averaged 10 points, five rebounds and three assists while leading the Aztecs to the Region championship game.

62. Austin Scott. Mountain View High School’s state championship wrestler had a perfect season, 49-0, and won the state title at 157 pounds.

Pima's Traivar Jackson (13) gets just enough room to loft a short range jumper against Eastern Wyoming in the second half of the game between the Aztecs and the Lancers at Pima Community College West Campus, Tucson, Ariz., December 28, 2021.

63. Traivar Jackson. Pima College’s leading scorer with 19 points per game last season, Jackson has returned this year to average 17 per game for the Aztecs.

Sunnyside’s Rene Fragoso and Prescott’s Cody Hanna wrestle during the 55th annual Flowing Wells Wrestling Invitational at the Tucson Convention Center in January. Fragoso went on to win a Division I state title in the 190-pound weight class.

64. Rene Fragoso. One of Sunnyside’s eight state championship wrestlers, Fragoso went 45-1 to win the 190-pound title.

65. Dusty Peace. CDO football coach overcame the early-season loss of six key players, sidelined for disciplinary reasons, and still coached the Dorados to a 10-3 record and a trip to the 4A state semifinals.

Cate Reese smiles after slamming the Arizona sticker on the March Madness board following the Wildcats’ March 19 NCAA Tournament win over UNLV in McKale Center. The UA hosted the first two rounds of the tournament, one year after qualifying for the program’s first Final Four.

66. Cate Reese. Arizona’s senior power forward led the Wildcats in scoring and rebounding and was chosen to the All-Pac-12 first team.

67. Cyndi Cubillas. Sabino’s first-year softball coach guided the Sabercats to a 33-2 record and the 3A state championship.

68. Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles. One of the NFL’s leading special team players, Flannigan-Fowles, who graduated from Mountain View and played at the UA, led the San Francisco 49ers in special teams tackles through Dec. 10.

Arizona's Devyn Netz pitches in the first inning of the team's NCAA softball Women's College World Series game against Oregon State on Friday, June 3, 2022, in Oklahoma City.

69. Devyn Netz. As Arizona reached the Women’s College World Series in softball, Netz was the club’s winningest pitcher, posting a 15-7 record.

70. James Armstrong. The Sunnyside wrestler went 33-2 to win the state championship at 120 pounds.

71. Jasmine Perezchica. Hitting at the top of the UA’s batting order, Perezchica batted .371 with 10 stolen bases in her sophomore season.

72. Angelina Amparano. In 15 games for Pima College’s powerhouse women’s soccer program, the Salpointe grad allowed just six goals. She was named a first-team NJCAA All-American.

73, 74. Christian Rivera and Jaime Rivera. The Sunnyside brothers both won state wrestling championships, with Christian going 43-3 at 132 pounds and Jaime finishing 41-3 at 150 pounds.

75. Elijah Rushing. Salpointe’s elite football recruit completed his junior season with 73 tackles, tops on the team, along with 13 tackles for loss and 11 sacks.

Canyon del Oro shortstop Dominic Felix throws to first base against Mesquite during their 4A semifinal game at Tempe Diablo Stadium Wednesday, May. 11, 2022.

76. Dominic Felix. As CDO won the 4A state baseball championship, Felix was a feared hitter, batting .346 with seven home runs.

77. Carlos Stanton. During Sunnyside’s historic wrestling season, Stanton won the state championship at 126 pounds, finishing 39-3.

78. Zachary Extine. Arizona’s gifted freshman hurdler finished third in the Pac-12 championships in the 110 hurdles.

Flowing Wells’ Navine Mallon eyes the basket during a February win over Gilbert.

79. Navine Mallon. As Flowing Wells’ girls basketball team went 32-2 to finish second in the state finals, Mallon led the team with an average of 16 points and 10 rebounds per game.

80. Brandon Rosenthal. The Catalina Foothills graduate became a full-time assistant coach at Arizona State for Bobby Hurley, helping the Sun Devils to a 10-1 start.

Salpointe Catholic'sTaliyah Henderson (3) eyes the basket against Flagstaff's Gracelyn Nez (15) during the 4A State Basketball Championship at Arizona Veteran's Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2022.

81. Taliyah Henderson. The leading girls basketball recruiting prospect in Tucson, Henderson averaged 11 points for Salpointe during its state championship season. She was one of the state’s leading runners in the spring, winning the state title at 800 meters as a freshman.

82. Job Lee. In an epic wrestling season at Sunnyside, Lee won the state championship at 157 pounds, finishing 38-4.

83. Dave Cosgrove. Pima College finished tied for fifth in the NJCAA men’s soccer championships, capping a season in which Cosgrove won his 400th career game.

84, 85. Mike Urbanski and Michael Urbanski. The father-and-son tandem had another standout year in cross country. Mike coached both Salpointe’s girls and boys teams to No. 2 finishes in the state finals; his son, Michael, finished No. 2 in the boys state championships.

Sabino’s Jesamin Aguilar celebrates her home run against during the Sabercats' Class 3A state title game.

86. Jesamin Aguilar. Hitting .543 with 45 RBIs and 22 extra-base hits, Aguilar was a big factor in Sabino’s 3A state championship softball season.

87. Michael Avelar. At 165 pounds, Avelar won 41 of 45 wrestling matches for Sunnyside — including a state championship.

Marana's Dezmen Roebuck (1) dives in for a touchdown during the second half of their game against Mountain View at Mountain View High School outside Tucson, Ariz. on Sept. 2, 2022.

88. Dezmen Roebuck. As a sophomore receiver at Marana High School, Roebuck caught 92 passes for 1,274 yards and 13 touchdowns for a 10-2 team that reached the 5A state quarterfinals.

89. Caitlyn Maher. Leading Pima College’s powerful women’s soccer team with 11 assists, Maher — a Catalina Foothills graduate — was named an NJCAA Division II All-American and second-team All-ACCAC.

90. Stephanie Tapia. Pima College’s freshman softball standout hit .394 with 17 home runs and made the All-ACCAC team.

91, 92. Sophia Silverman and Abbigail Mulick. The Catalina Foothills girls doubles team won the Division II state championship.

Blake Lehmbeck helped lead Canyon del Oro High School to the Class 4A state baseball title.

93. Blake Lehmbeck. As CDO won the 4A state baseball championship, Lehmbeck went 7-1 as a pitcher, with 87 strikeouts in 61 innings.

94. Daniel Henely. Pima College’s men’s golf team won the region championship as Henely, of Cienega, finished second overall. He then went on to finish 14th in the NJCAA championships and become an NJCAA All-American.

Nick Gonzales is one of the Pirates' top prospects.

95. Nick Gonzales. In his second full season of pro baseball, the Cienega graduate hit .264 for Double-A Altoona and was then chosen to the Arizona Fall League All-Star team.

Salpointe Catholic's Dillan Baker (22) eyes the basket against Mesquite's Elijah Foster (3) during the 4A State Basketball Championship at the Arizona Veteran's Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix, Monday, Feb. 28, 2022.

96. Dillan Baker. Leading Salpointe’s 26-3 boys basketball team with a 15 points-per-game average, Baker stepped it up after becoming a starter for Pima this season. He averaged 14.6 points through the Aztecs’ first 10 games.

Sirena Linton yells after sticking her landing following a bar routine in Arizona's march win over Sacramento State.

97. Sirena Linton. Arizona’s top gymnast, Linton became a second-team All-American in the balance beam by qualifying for the NCAA championships.

Arizona offensive lineman Jordan Morgan answers questions during the Wildcats’ media day event on campus.

98. Jordan Morgan. A Marana High School product, Morgan became Arizona’s leading offensive lineman as a junior. He was voted all-conference by the Associated Press.

99. Brandon Martz. Catalina Foothills’ leading distance runner won the Division II state cross country championship.

100. Johnnie Blockburger. The former Tucson High state champion in the 200 and 400 meters won the Pac-12 championship at 400 meters in his first year at USC.


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Contact sports columnist Greg Hansen at 520-573-4362 or ghansen@tucson.com. On Twitter: @ghansen711

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