Bay Area 75 Rankings: 2017-18

We Reveal Our Annual Ranked Countdown Of The Bay Area Athletes Of The Year For The 2017-18 School Year •

Below are the first 55 athletes from our sixth annual Bay Area 75 — SportStars’ rankings of the top 75 Bay Area athletes of the year from 2017-18. We’ll be releasing 40 more athletes over the next few days, culminating with the Top 20 when we release our 2017-18 Yearbook Special on July 9.

The only criteria used in generating this Bay Area athletes of the year list was that each athlete must be from one of the nine Bay Area counties, and they must have played in a sport which culminated in a sanctioned section title or reached a national-level of success (i.e., won a national championship or been appointed to a youth national team). All sports fans know rankings are an opinion, and certainly subjective. They also spark debate and conversation, which is why we love them. Let the 2018 #BayArea75 debate begin now.
— Chace Bryson, Editor

BAY AREA 75 ROLLOUT
Bay Area Athletes of the Year Countdown Schedule
July 5: Nos. 75-61
July 6: Nos. 60-46
July 7: Nos. 45-31
July 8: Nos. 30-21
July 9: Nos. 20-1

75. CHARLES ALBERTY | McClymonds-Oakland, Sr. (Football): A SportStars All-NorCal selection who played both ways, the Oakland Athletic League Co-Player of the Year saved his best football for the Div. 5-AA State Bowl Championships. He caught two touchdown passes, intercepted a pass and returned a fumble 70 yards for a touchdown.

74. IZZY MANDEMA | St. Francis-Mountain View, Sr. (Water Polo): One of the most prolific goal scorers in Central Coast Section history, she’s the first of seven water polo players on this Bay Area athletes of the year countdown. the Indiana-bound Mandema was an All-CCS selection after leading the Lancers to the CIF Div. I NorCal title. She scored 117 goals on the season and finished her four-year career with 386.

73. ALEXIS BISHOP | San Marin-Novato, So. (Softball, Basketball): She’s already halfway to to being a four-year varsity player in two major sports. After starting for the basketball team in the winter, Bishop was a true force on the diamond. She hit .594 with 41 hits, 35 runs, 38 RBI, 10 doubles and 12 home runs. She was both the Marin County Athletic League and Marin Independent Journal Softball Player of the Year.

72. RYLEE BOWEN | Sonoma Academy-Santa Rosa, Sr. (Cross Country, Track): All she does is win state titles. Bowen finds her way onto our list of Bay Area athletes of the year for a second time after winning her third Div. V crown at the CIF State Cross Country Championships at Woodward Park in Fresno. She was also the runner-up in the 1600 meters at the NCS Meet of Champions in the spring.

 

71. ALEX WILLIAMS | Redwood Christian-San Lorenzo, Sr. (Baseball, Basketball): Williams was named Cal-Hi Sports’ Small School Baseball State Player of the Year after going 10-1 on the mound with a 0.50 ERA and 133 strikeouts in 70 innings. He also carried  a .500 average. with 10 doubles and 27 RBI. Over the winter, Williams started for a hoops team that went 21-10.

70. MILES OWENS | Bishop O’Dowd-Oakland, Sr. (Football, Basketball, Track): A Cal-bound All-NorCal and All-State offensive lineman, Owens helped the Dragons reach the NCS Div. III semifinals as the road grader for a team that averaged 211 rushing yards per game. He was the top post presence for a basketball team which reached the CIF NorCal Open Div. finals. And in track he logged a Top 4 finish in the shot put at the WACC Finals.

69. NINA FLYNN | Leland-San Jose, Sr. (Water Polo): Named the CCS Player of the Year after leading the CCS Open Div. champs in scoring. Flynn and the Chargers’ CCS title ended a 10-year championship run for Sacred Heart Prep-Atherton. Undecided, she’ll be one of the region’s top recruits heading into the fall.

68. ALTON JULIAN | Valley Christian-San Jose, Sr. (Football, Basketball): One of the top two-way players for a 9-3 Warriors football team, Julian caught 21 passes for 668 yards and 12 TDs. On defense he had 19 tackles and two interceptions (returning one for a score). He then keyed the basketball team’s run to a CCS Div. II title by averaging 19.9 points in the postseason while also guarding the opponent’s best player.

67. ASHLEY YEAH | Los Gatos, Jr. (Tennis): Considered a 5-star recruit by TennisRecruiting.net, and Top 25 national recruit of the 2019 Class, Yeah won her second straight CCS singles title without surrendering a set. She also helped lead Los Gatos to a 20-3 record and its first CIF NorCal title. In three years, her only CCS Tournament defeat was due to injury default as a freshman.

66. TOMMY BARNDS | Sacred Heart Prep-Atherton, Jr. (Lacrosse, Football): Barnds was named the West Catholic Athletic League Lacrosse Player of the Year after helping the Gators overtake perennial powerhouse St. Ignatius-S.F. for the league title. Barnds, who moved from midfielder to forward in mid-March to help fill a gap left by an injured player, scored five of Sacred Heart’s 12 goals in the WCAL final. The Princeton commit also racked up more than 500 all-purpose yards and four TDs as a Gators running back during the fall.

65. JONAH COOPER | Foothill-Pleasanton, Jr. (Swimming): Cooper set an NCS record in winning the 100 backstroke at the NCS Meet of Champions. He would also defend his state title in the same event a week later. The Ohio State-commit is poised to add to his NCS and state medals in 2019 after finishing second to Northgate-Walnut Creek senior Alexei Sancov (who appears later in these rankings) in the 200 freestyle at both events.

64. ANDREW CHURUKIAN | Sacred Heart Prep-Atherton, Jr. (Water Polo): After leading the Gators to WCAL and CCS Open Div. titles (the program’s seventh straight CCS crown), the gifted all-around hole set became just the third unanimous CCS Player of the Year. The 1st Team CA-HI All-American (Kaisports.org) finished third on the Gators in scoring, but drew 96 ejections on the season and was instrumental in setting up the team’s offense.

63. NICOLE LIDDLE | Archbishop Mitty-San Jose, Sr. (Volleyball): The Dartmouth College-bound Liddle was a Cal-Hi Sports 1st Team All-State selection after leading the six-time defending CIF State champs (four in Div. II, two in Open Div.) with 451 kills — including 17 in the Open Div. final. Her season-ending numbers also included 38 aces, 38 blocks and 208 digs.

62. DARRELL PAGE | St. Francis-Mountain View, Jr. (Football): Page was an absolute force out of the backfield for a Lancers team which went 11-4 and won its first CIF State Bowl title. Page was a shoe-in to be included in this Bay Area athletes of the year list after being named a 2nd Team All-State selection following a season in which he rushed for a CCS-best 2,206 yards and scored 23 TDs.

61. NICK CIRELLI | De La Salle-Concord, Sr. (Baseball, Football): The 1st Team All-NorCal designated hitter may have been toughest out in the NCS. In 30 games, he hit .500 with 47 hits, 41 RBI, 17 walks and just eight strikeouts in 118 plate appearances. Headed to play for Sac City College, Cirelli also had seven doubles and six home runs — two of which he hit in an NCS Div. I championship victory. He also was a varsity lineman each of the past two football seasons.

60. KATE MCCARTHY | Drake-San Anselmo, Jr. (Water Polo): With 108 goals, 47 assists and 37 steals for the NCS Div. II champions, McCarthy was showered with a plethora of awards. They included North Coast Section MVP, Marin County Athletic League Player of the Year and Marin Independent Journal Player of the Year.

59. CHARLIE RUDY | Novato, Sr. (Lacrosse): Rudy makes this list for the second consecutive year. The Colorado-commit was the most dominant player on the most dominant girls team in the section. She scored a 147 goals and added 53 assists for an NCS-champion Novato team which went 25-1 and 20-0 against California opponents.

58. HALEY VAN DYKE | Campolindo-Moraga, Sr. (Basketball): The All-State and All-NorCal selection was a lock to be among the Bay Area athletes of the year the minute she dropped a North Coast Section-record 60 points in a 73-50 win over Moreau Catholic-Hayward. She averaged 29.8 points, 17.3 rebounds, 4.8 steals, 3.7 assists and 3.5 blocks a game. She’ll continue playing at Washington.

57. DAVID WOODRUFF | St. Ignatius-S.F., Sr. (Football, Soccer): He began the school year as a playmaker on both sides of the ball for the football team. Then during winter, he was named the West Catholic Athletic League Forward of the Year and netted the game-winning goal from 35 yards out in the CCS Open Div. championship.

56. HAILEY SMITH | Archbishop Mitty-San Jose, Sr. (Soccer): The Washington State-bound forward was the Prep2Prep.com CCS Player of the Year and the WCAL Player of the Year after posting 15 goals and 13 assists for the CCS Open Div. champs and NorCal Div. I runners-up. She’s also had training time with the U18 Women’s National Team.

55. LOGAN JOHNSON | St. Francis-Mountain View, Sr. (Basketball): The do-everything guard wrapped up a stellar Lancers career by averaging 21 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists for an 18-9 squad. He was named 3rd team All-State and 1st team All-NorCal. Johnson heads to Cincinnati in the fall.

 

54. BUBBA GOMEZ | Fremont Christian, Jr. (Baseball, Basketball, Soccer): Gomez was a 2nd team All-NorCal baseball selection after hitting .536 with 50 RBI, 62 runs and 23 extra-base hits while also pitching his way to an 8-1 mark with a 0.98 ERA, 131 strikeouts in 64.1 innings. Before that, he spent the fall racking up 104 saves as the soccer team’s primary goalkeeper. In the winter he averaged 15.6 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists on the hardwood.

53. GILLIAN WAGNER | Redwood-Larkspur, Sr. (Cross Country, Track): There was no better girls cross country runner in the Bay Area last fall. Wagner claimed the CIF Div. III state title in 17 minutes, 50 seconds — the fastest Bay Area girls time of the meet across all divisions. She was also the fastest female at the NCS Cross Country Championships. In the spring, she was the NCS champ in the 3200 meters and took 10th in the event at the state meet.

52. RILEY RAMSEY | Marin Catholic-Kentfield, Sr. (Volleyball): In leading the Wildcats to 32 wins, and NCS title and the CIF NorCal Open finals, she earned 1st team All-State honors and repeated as the MCAL Player of the Year. For the season, she racked up 439 kills, 302 digs, 55 aces and 41 blocks.

51. JASON GOMEZ | Westmont-San Jose, Sr. (Cross Country, Track): He came from behind to defeat the defending state champion and claim his own state title in the 800 meters. He claimed a pair of CCS Championships during his senior year. He won the 800 meters as well as the Div. III Cross Country title.

50. MALCOLM CLEMONS | St. Mary’s-Berkeley, So. (Track): Clemons won the state title in the long jump by more than a foot over the second-place finisher. His jump of 25 feet, 1 inch was a personal record and was the state’s top mark of the entire season. It also tied for the second best jump in the nation during the high school outdoor season. Two weeks later he lept 24-3.5 to take second at the New Balance Outdoor Nationals in North Carolina. At the NCS Meet of Champions, Clemons won the long jump and took second in the triple jump.

49. ISIAH KENDRICK | Serra-San Mateo, Sr. (Football): An electric offensive talent, Kendrick paced the CCS Div. II and CIF Div. II-AA State Bowl champions with 34 total touchdowns. The All-State and All-NorCal selection rushed for 1,620 yards and 30 TDs while also adding four receiving scores.

48. ELIJAH HARDY | Bishop O’Dowd-Oakland, Sr. (Basketball): The four-year varsity point guard produced a stellar senior season, averaging 14.5 points, 5.2 rebounds and 6.9 assists to help lead the Dragons to an NCS Div. III title and the CIF NorCal Open finals. He was a 2nd-team All-State Elite selections and takes his game to Washington this fall.

47. SYDNEY SHEPHERD | Monte Vista-Danville, Sr. (Soccer): Without question, Shepherd was the linchpin to the Mustangs’ incredible season. The Michigan-bound defender was the stabilizer for a defense which allowed just seven goals all season en route to a 25-1-1 record a CIF NorCal Div. I title. She also managed to sneak in four goals and three assists and was Prep2Prep.com’s NCS Player of the Year.

46. EMMILY PATNEAUD | Newark Memorial-Newark, So. (Volleyball, Wrestling): You’re not going to get the volleyball-wrestling double very often, which makes Patneaud one of the most unique and fascinating athletes to keep an eye on over the next few years. Prior to claiming the 143-pound state title during the winter, she accumulated more than 300 digs for a volleyball team that went 24-10 and reached the NCS semifinals.

45. CAL LIEBOWITZ | San Ramon Valley-Danville, Jr. (Water Polo, Rugby): He was a 1st-team All-NCS selection for a 22-4 water polo team which reached the NCS semifinals. In the spring, he played a key role on the Daville Oaks Rugby Club team which claimed the national title.

44. DANIEL KIM | Archbishop Mitty-San Jose, Sr. (Golf): The UC Davis-bound Kim finished his three postseason tournaments (54 holes) at 2-under par. He was the CCS champion with a 4-under 67 and NorCal runner-up after posting a 2-under 69. He took a Top 25 finish at state.

43. JAKE WOJCIK | Bellarmine-San Jose, Sr. (Basketball): The 2nd-team All-State and; 1st-team All-NorCal selections averaged 17 points per game and was named West Catholic Athletic League Player Of The Year for the second time in as many seasons. The Siena-bound talent led the Bells to a 24-4 record, a WCAL title, a Central Coast Section Open Division championship and a CIF Open Div. berth.

42. TATIANA TOLEAFOA | James Logan-Union City, Sr. (Volleyball): A Cal State Fullerton-signee, Toleafoa had an NCS-best 609 kills in 2018. She added 46 aces, 417 digs and 26 blocks for a team that went 40-5 and reached the state finals.

41. NICOLE MAY | Foothill-Pleasanton, So. (Softball, Volleyball): The Oklahoma-commit posted a 0.13 ERA in the East Bay Athletic League and a 0.65 ERA overal. She finished 20-2 on the season and struck out 209 batters in 129 innings of work. At the plate, May hit .404 with four HRs and was named a 1st-team All-State selection for the second time in as many years. She played JV volleyball in the fall.

40. VANESSA STRONG | Freedom-Oakley, Sr. (Softball): SportStars’ NorCal Pitcher of the Year went 21-2 in the circle with a 0.78 ERA. She tossed a perfect game in an NCS Div. I quarterfinals win over College Park. She batted .423 with 30 hits, four home runs and 19 RBI.

 

39. PATRICK WICKLANDER | Valley Christian-San Jose, Sr. (Baseball): Among the most dominant arms in NorCal, the Arkansas-bound 1st-team All-NorCal selection went 7-3 with a 1.70 ERA. He posted 95 strikeouts over 70 innings and had an 18-strikeout no-hitter.

38. JOSEPH BARNES | Gilroy, Jr. (Football, Wrestling): Barnes was a 3rd-team All-State football selection after rushing for for 1,781 yards, and 26 TDs for the perfect 13-0 CCS champs; In the CCS final, he rushed for 234 yards and five scores. He also had three receiving TDs on the season. As a wrestler, he won the 160-pound CCS title before placing 8th at state.

37. SABRINA IQBAL | Pioneer-San Jose, Sr. (Golf): The ever-consistent senior finished her 54-hole postseason run at 1-under par. Along the way, she won the CCS championship with a 3-under 69, picked up a Top 5 finish at the NorCal Tournament by shooting evenpar, and a Top 2 result at the state tournament with a 2-over 73.

36. ANGEL JACKSON | Salesian-Richmond, Jr. (Basketball): Another great Salesian season – reaching the semifinals of the NorCal Open Division playoffs – was anchored on Jackson’s play in the paint. The per-game numbers (14.6 points 10.5 rebounds and 4.6 blocks) don’t tell the whole story of her impact on each game at both ends of the floor. She was a 1st team All-State and All-NorCal selection.

35. PEYTON OMANIA | De La Salle-Concord, Sr. (Wrestling): The Michigan State-bound Omania closed out his career by winning the 145-pound bracket at the CIF State Wrestling Championships and becoming his program’s first state champ. He’s also a three-time NCS champions and a three-time All-American in Greco Roman style. He finished the season with a record of 41-2 and will be competing for the U.S. Greco Roman team at the United World Wrestling World Championships in Slovakia this September.

34. VINCE MOSSOTTI | Campolindo-Moraga, Sr. (Football, Baseball): An All-NorCal wide receiver, he hauled in his second-straight recorded his second consecutive 1,200-yard receiving season with 77 catches for 1,219 yards and 16 TDs to help the Cougars win the NCS Div. II championship. On the diamond, he hit .294 with 23 hits, 13 runs and 12 RBI.

33. GRACE TEHANEY | Miramonte-Orinda, Sr. (Water Polo): The USC-bound attacker led the Matadors to an NCS title with 64 goals, 36 assists and 65 steals. She was named the MVP for both the Diablo Athletic League-Foothill Division as well as the North Coast Section.

32. KAMRIN CAOILI | Archbishop Mitty-San Jose, Sr. (Volleyball): The Santa Clara-bound senior was the Bay Area News Group’s Player of the Year and a 1st team All-State selection after leading the Monarchs to CCS and CIF Open Division championships. She racked up 378 kills on a 47.8 hitting percentage. She added 40 aces, 84 blocks and 182 digs.

31. DINO KAHAULELIO | Cardinal Newman-Santa Rosa, Jr. (Football, Basketball, Baseball): The Cardinals’ three-sport star was a 3rd-team All-State selection after establishing himself as one of the best junior edge rushers in the North Coast Section. He had 111 tackles with 3.5 sacks, an interception, fumble recovery and blocked punt. He played a supporting role on a 21-7 basketball team and then moved to the diamond in the spring.

30. JOSHUA SEWARD | Archbishop Mitty-San Jose, Sr. (Baseball): SportStars’ NorCal Pitcher of the Year dazzled the region’s best league (West Catholic) by going 10-2 with a save and 0.76 ERA in 74 innings. He had five complete games, one shutout and opponents combined to hit just .189 off of him. He’ll attend Gonzaga to pursue engineering and attempt to walk-on with the baseball program.

29. MAX GLASSER | Marin Catholic-Kentfield, Sr. (Track, Soccer): A gifted sprinter, Glasser had a dominant postseason that culminated in a state championship in the 400 meters. He won the 400 with a personal record time of 46.97 seconds. Prior to state, he won the 400 and took second in the 200 at the NCS Meet of Champions. He also won the 100 meters (10.74  PR) at the prestigious Sacramento Meet of Champions in April. During the winter he was named 2nd team all-league as one of the top goal scorers for the Wildcats’ 13-8-1 soccer team.

28. BRETT HANSEN | Foothill-Pleasanton, Sr. (Baseball): Headed to Vanderbilt, Hansen was easily the East Bay’s best two-way baseball talent in 2018. The 1st team All-NorCal selection batted .500 with 38 hits, 29 RBI and a .606 on base percentage. On the mound, he was 8-1 with 1.59 ERA and  71 strikeouts over 57.1 innings.

27. HANNAH JUMP | Pinewood-Los Altos Hills, Jr. (Basketball): The 1st-team All-State Elite and 1st team All-NorCal selection shot a blistering 45 percent from beyond the arc — sometimes way beyond the arc. She averaged 16.7 points and 5.6 rebounds for a Panthers team which reached the CIF State Open Division final after knocking off then-National No. 1 Archbishop Mitty-San Jose in the NorCal title game. She’s also on track to become a mainstay on the national team for Great Britain, as she was born in England.

26. ZOIE HARTMAN | Monte Vista-Danville, So. (Swimming): Hartman took the NCS and all of NorCal by storm in 2018. She claimed four gold medals at the NCS Swimming Championship with individual wins in the 200 individual medley and 100 breastroke, plus she was part of 200 medley and 200 freestyle relay teams. At the CIF State Championships, she grabbed two more individual golds by winning titles in the 100 breast (in a meet record of 59.66 seconds) and the 200 IM. She also anchored the Mustangs bronze-medal-winning 200 freestyle relay team.

25. NICO AGUILAR | Gilroy, Sr. (Wrestling): Aguilar leaves the Gilroy program as one of its most decorated wrestlers of all time. He closed out February with his third CCS championship and won his first state gold by cruising through his 120-pound bracket with six straight lopsided victories. It was a breakthrough for the Rutgers-bound grappler after taking silver in his previous two trips to state.

 

24. SPENCER PETRAS | Marin Catholic-Kentfield, Sr. (Football): Far and away the Bay Area’s most prolific quarterback of 2017, Petras was a 2nd team All-State honoree as well as an All-NorCal selection. Bound for Iowa, he threw for more than 4,100 yards with 50 TDs and just 2 interceptions. He also had a little more than 200 rushing yards and nine more scores. The Wildcats went 12-1 and claimed the NCS Div. III title.

23. NYE DAY | Branson, Sr. (Soccer, Lacroose): Regardless of the sport, Day has a gift for getting the ball into net. During the winter, she led the Bulls to the CIF Div. II finals with 26 goals and 14 assists over 27 games. Because of the long postseason run, she joined the lacrosse team midseason and still managed to rack up 54 goals and nine assists over just 10 games.

22. DANIEL HEIMULI | Menlo-Atherton, Jr. (Football, Baseball): Heimuli still has one more year as a Bears athlete, but he’s gonna have a hard time topping his juniors season. During the fall he was a 3rd team All-State defensive selection after amassing 93 tackles (of which 82 were solo), 18 tackles for loss, six sacks and a forced fumble. In 21 games on the diamond, he hit .377 with 12 runs, six RBI and a .507 on-base percentage.

21. KALI HATCHER | St. Mary’s-Berkeley, Sr. (Track): Hatcher was arguably the East Bay’s best all-around female track and field athlete in 2018. The Columbia-bound talent made a strong case at the NCS Meet of Champions when she took gold in the 300 meter hurdles, the long jump and the triple jump. She also ran the lead leg on the Panthers’ gold-medal winning 1600 relay team. She also took a podium finish in the state triple jump, finishing fourth.

20. QUINN WOODHEAD | Drake-San Anselmo, Sr. (Water Polo, Basketball): The Stanford-bound center defender was the Pirates’ top scorer and defender en route to NCS and NorCal water polo titles. He was named 1st Team All-NCS and a 1st Team CA-HI All-American (KaiSports.org). In hoops, he was a key role player for a squad that finished 19-11 overall.

19. NICK YORKE | Archbishop Mitty-San Jose, So. (Baseball, Football): He was a SportStars’ 1st Team All-NorCal selection and the WCAL Player of the Year after hitting .494 with 30 runs scored. Twenty of his 39 hits went for extra bases, including 18 doubles. He also played both ways as a WR/DB on the JV football team.

18. MEGAN EDELMAN |  Monte Vista-Danville, So. (Soccer): The UCLA commit powered the offense of the 25-1-1 NCS and NorCal champs. She led the Mustangs with 21 goals and added 10 assists. Her 21st goal was the decider in a 1-0 NorCal finals win over Mitty.

17. DANIELLE WILLIAMS | Amador Valley-Pleasanton, Sr. (Softball): The Cal-Hi Sports’ Ms. State Softball finalist closed her four-year Dons career with an 11-strikeout, four-hit shutout in the NCS final. She went 23-4 with a 0.55 ERA and 389 strikeouts in 2018. Equally affective at the plate, she batted .426 with seven homers. She now heads to Northwestern.

16. ALEXEI SANCOV | Northgate-Walnut Creek, Sr. (Swimming): A nationally ranked recruit when he committed to USC last summer, he proved it with a monster 2018 that included three NCS records (100, 200 and 500 freestyles) and a defense of his 200 freestyle state title (in a meet record time).

15. JEVON HOLLAND | Bishop O’Dowd-Oakland, Sr. (Football): An All-State and All-NorCal two-way talent, the Oregon-signee intercepted five passes on defense and rolled up over 1,600 yards as a kick returner and receiver.

 

14. LIAM ANDERSON | Redwood-Larkspur, Jr. (Cross Country, Track): An incredible junior year included a Div. III state cross country title (in the fastest time for any Bay Area runner at the meet), NCS titles in the 1600 and 3200 meters, a state title in the 1600 and 5th-place state finish in the 3200.

13. CATE DESLER | Sacred Heart Prep-Atherton, Sr. (Volleyball): She was the MaxPreps State Player of the Year for Div. II after leading the state with 725 kills. The Tufts University-bound hitter also had 71 aces and 70 blocks in leading the Gators to a NorCal title.

12. HENRY TO’OTO’O | De La Salle-Concord, Jr. (Football): The SportStars’ NorCal Defensive Player of the Year will head into his senior season ranked by Rivals.com as one of the top three inside linebacker recruits in the country. His offers include the reigning national champs, Alabama.

11. MIRANDA HECKMAN | Granada-Livermore, Jr. (Swimming): The nationally-ranked swimming recruit and Texas-commit won her second straight state title in the 200 freestyle and third straight state crown in the 500 freestyle. She also dominated both events at NCS Championships as well.

10. ASHLEY TRIERWEILER | Carlmont-Belmont, Jr. (Softball, Basketball): She earned 1st Team All-League honors starting for a 20-8 basketball team. In softball, she was the PAL-Bay Division Player of the Year and a SportStars All-NorCal selection after batting .600 with team highs in hits (54) and runs (33).

9. ALEC RITCH | Branson-Ross, Sr. (Baseball, Football, Basketball): He was the do-everything QB for the school’s 8-man football team (accounting for nine TDs and 68 of his team’s 74 points in a win over Calistoga). He was an All-MCAL honorable mention for the NCS Div. V basketball champs, and 1st team All-MCAL for the NCS Div. V baseball champs. He hit .397 with 23 runs, 14 RBI and went 7-6 with three saves and a 1.87 ERA.

8. JAMES AKINJO | Salesian-Richmond, Sr. (Basketball): Our NorCal Boys Basketball Player of the Year and a 1st team All-State selection, the Georgetown-bound Akinjo finished the year averaging 20.7 points and 5.2 assists per game for a Pride team which won 30 games.

7. HAYLEE NELSON | Newark Memorial-Newark, Sr. (Volleyball, Basketball, Softball): Headed to San Jose State for volleyball, she ranked third in NorCal with 573 kills and added 120 blocks and 259 digs. She was the leading scorer (23.6 points/game) for a hoops team that went 24-6, and then hit .435 with 20 runs and 20 RBI for her NCS quarterfinalist softball team.

6. ROBBY ROWELL | Acalanes-Lafayette, Sr. (Football, Basketball): The Cal-bound QB was a Cal-Hi Sports’ All-State Grid-Hoop selection after passing for 2,724 yards and 41 TDs, rushing for 539 yards and five TDs, and then earning all-league honors in leading the basketball team to the NorCal Div. II playoffs.

5. TIERRA ROBINSON-JONES | Bishop O’Dowd-Oakland, Sr. (Track): The Texas A&M-bound sprinter closed out her prep career with state gold medals in both the 200 and 400 meters. She’s just the fourth girl to accomplish the 200-400 double in the 100-year history of the CIF state meet.

4. JOHN TORCHIO | Campolindo-Moraga, Sr. (Football, Basketball, Baseball): The Wisconsin-bound walk-on was arguably NorCal’s best all-around football player in 2017. He passed for 3,314 yards, rushed for 761, accounted for 50 TDs, amassed 98 tackles and seven interceptions on defense, and also punted. He started for a 21-win hoops team before playing a supporting role on a baseball team which reached the NCS finals.

3. TARIQ BRACY | Milpitas, Sr. (Football): SportStars’ NorCal Player of the Year made massive impacts on both sides of the ball, rushing for 2,042 yards and scoring 31 total TDs, including three interception returns for scores. The Notre Dame-bound talent came up biggest when it counted most: Tariq rushed for a TD, caught a TD pass, and returned a punt for a score in a thrilling 45-41 CIF State Bowl Championship win.

2. ANTONIO ANDRADE | Gilroy, Sr. (Football, Wrestling): Andrade was named SportStars’ NorCal Wrestler of the Year after a 6-0 run through the 195-pound CIF State Championships bracket that included four pins along the way. Prior to that, he helped lead Gilroy football to a perfect 13-0 season and CCS Div. V championship as a 1st-Team all-league defensive lineman. He had four sacks and two fumble recoveries in the CCS final. He’s headed to wrestle at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M with hopes of transferring to national power Oklahoma State.

1. HALEY JONES | Archbishop Mitty, Jr. (Basketball): Jones becomes the first girl to top this list, and she does so as a slam dunk choice. Which is funny because that may be the one thing she CAN’T do on a basketball court. (Or maybe she can? We’re not going to rule it out).

Jones earned State, NorCal, and regional player of the year honors from Gatorade, SportStars, Bay Area News Group and the San Francisco Chronicle, respectively. She was also a 1st Team All-State selection by Cal-Hi Sports and one of four finalists for their Ms. State Basketball award. As a junior, she averaged 21.8 points, 10 rebounds and 4.1 assists. She shot 64 percent from the field and 46 percent from behind the arc.

Jones was recently named to the USA Basketball U17 FIBA World Cup team; she’ll wear national team colors in Belarus from July 21-29. Finally, she’ll enter the 2018-19 school year as ESPNW.com’s No. 1 ranked senior wing in the country, and No. 2 ranked prospect overall.