Athletes, Hall of Fame inductees honored at NSBCART banquet

Edwards, a long-time teacher at Santa Maria High School and Hancock College, was a main driver in establishing competitive women's sports in the Santa Maria Valley. Ayer's Lompoc High School boys basketball teams won 170 games and five consecutive league titles during Ayer's time as coach from 1990-99.

Ayer coached the Lompoc girls basketball squad during the 2000-01 and 2001-02 seasons and was the Lompoc athletic director from 1995-2001.

Gaylen Clark, a friend of Edwards', gave the induction speech for Edwards. Former veteran Lompoc athletic director and coach Dick Barrett introduced Aaron Mendoza, a former player for Ayer, who gave the induction speech for Ayer.   

"Joan recognized that there were many girls in her classes who had a hunger for sports," Clark said to the crowd of approximately 250 at the banquet, held at the Santa Maria Elks Lodge.

"He was always prepared," Mendoza said of Ayer. Mendoza later gave the induction award to Ayer's wife Kelly.

All high school Female and Male Scholar Athletes of the Year at the banquet are seniors. All of the Hancock College honorees are sophomores.

Riley Jenkins of Cabrillo is the NSBCART Female Athlete of the Year. Jenkins was a three-sport athlete at Cabrillo who was the Sunset League Defensive Player of the Year and a Times All-Area selectee in basketball. She also played for the Cabrillo volleyball team that made it to the CIF Central Section Division 4 final.

Jacob Nelson, of Righetti, is the NSBCART Male Athlete of the Year. Nelson was a standout in football and basketball at Righetti and made the Times All-Area Team in both.

Brynn Wiley, of Cabrillo, is the NSBCART Female Scholar Athlete of the Year. A three-sport athlete at Cabrillo, Wiley played for the Conquistadores soccer team that made it to the sectional semifinals and the tennis team that won the Ocean League championship. A 4.31 GPA student at Cabrillo, Wiley will attend Cal.

"All of these ladies are amazing," Wiley told the crowd after she received her award, gesturing toward her fellow Female Athletes of the Year. "Let's give them a hand."

Camden Patterson, of Orcutt Academy, is the NSBCART Male Scholar Athlete of the Year. Patterson was a three-sport athlete at Orcutt Academy. He carries a 4.71 high school GPA and will attend Azusa Pacific.

The four Hancock College Athletes of the Year, introduced by Hancock athletic director Kim Ensing, received a Jim Glines Scholarship.

Itandehui Olea is the Hancock Female Athlete of the Year. Gavin Long is the Male Athlete of the Year. Leslie Ramirez is the Female Scholar Athlete of the Year, and Assad Madassalia is the Male Scholar Athlete of the Year.

Olea qualified for the 3C2A Track and Field Championship in the 10,000, 1,500 and 5,000. Long was an All-Western State Conference North Division selection both years he played for the Hancock baseball team.

Ramirez was a defender for the 2023 Hancock women's soccer team that earned the first outright conference title in program history. She was the WSC North Division Defensive Player of the Year. Madassalia was a standout on defense for the men's basketball team that made it to the Southern Cal Regional final. He is a straight "A" student at Hancock, and will graduate from there with two associate degrees.

Armando Cervantes, of Righetti, won the Butch Simas Memorial Fund-Elks Lodge 1538 Scholarship Award. Jacob Sanders and Josue Elena both garnered a Joni Gray "Heart and Soul" Scholarship Award.

Sanders was a football, basketball and baseball standout at Valley Christian Academy. Elena established himself as one of the top high school quarterbacks in the area during his junior and senior years at Santa Maria High School. He also garnered All-Ocean League honors in golf his senior year.    

Gray, who died in 2017, was a long-time Santa Barbara County supervisor. She was also a veteran NSBCART president. 

Here is a list of each school's Female and Male Athletes and Scholar Athletes of the Year.

Hancock College

Female Athlete of the Year: Olea. Male Athlete of the Year: Long. Female Scholar Athlete of the Year: Ramirez. Male Scholar Athlete of the Year: Madassalia.

Cabrillo

Female Athlete of the Year: Jenkins. Male Athlete of the Year: Gage Mattis. Female Scholar Athlete of the Year: Wiley. Male Scholar Athlete of the Year: Ben Ledoux.

Lompoc

Female Athlete of the Year: Madison McCarley. Male Athlete of the Year; Nelson Maldonado III. Female Scholar Athlete of the Year: Iwalani Martinson. Male Scholar Athlete of the Year: Ben Barthel.

Orcutt Academy

Female Athlete of the Year: Sydney Madison. Male Athlete of the Year: Bobby Plastino. Female Scholar Athlete of the Year: Mikaela Remolacio. Male Scholar Athlete of the Year: Patterson.

Pioneer Valley

Female Athlete of the Year: Marissa Dollinger. Male Athlete of the Year: Elias Giddings. Female Scholar Athlete of the Year: Litzy Moreno. Male Scholar Athlete of the Year: Victor Cambero.

Righetti

Female Athlete of the Year: Regina Reyes. Male Athlete of the Year: Nelson. Female Scholar Athlete of the Year: Minseo Kim. Male Scholar Athlete of the Year: Cervantes.

St. Joseph

Female Athlete of the Year: Kai Oani. Male Athlete of the Year: Daniel Limon. Female Scholar Athlete of the Year: Charli Ray Escobedo. Male Scholar Athlete of the Year: Gavin Galanski.

Santa Maria

Female Athlete of the Year: Surray McNutt. Male Athlete of the Year: Elena. Female Scholar Athlete of the Year: Julissa Jimenez. Male Scholar Athlete of the Year: Jacob Andree.

Santa Ynez

Female Athlete of the Year: Charlotte Lewis. Male Athlete of the Year: Dallas DeForest. Female Scholar Athlete of the Year: Paige Halme. Male Scholar Athlete of the Year: Rafael Beleski.

Valley Christian Academy

Female Athlete of the Year; Carissa Maples. Male Athlete of the Year: Sanders. Female Scholar Athlete of the Year: Lillie Conforti. Male Scholar Athlete of the Year: Seth Walker.