Since the Cal-Hi Sports state record book lists players and performers of the year in various sports going back through the years, we’ve gone ahead and compiled a list of each State Player of the Year or State Athlete of the Year in each particular sport for the 2013-14 school year. Some of the picks already have been announced – such as Ms. Basketball and Ms. Softball – but others weren’t determined until this week.
For announcement of the Cal-Hi Sports Girls State Athlete of the Year for 2013-14, CLICK HERE.
For the rundown on the other 2013-14 State Girls Athletes of the Year, CLICK HERE.
Cross Country: Sarah Baxter (Simi Valley) Sr.
She wasn’t able to complete her prep career on the track at the CIF state meet in Fresno due to injury, but in November she won her fourth straight CIF Division I final and led the Pioneers to their first state team title. Baxter, who will run next at Oregon, is the state’s best girls distance runner since two-time State Athlete of the Year Jordan Hasay and is one of the best ever.
Simi Valley’s Sarah Baxter. Photo: Michael Owen Baker (L.A. Daily News).
Field Hockey: Gabrielle DePetro (Canyon Crest Academy, San Diego) Sr.
The Cornell-bound DePetro was the San Diego Union-Tribune Player of the Year with 27 goals and 10 assists. Note that unbeaten Los Gatos will go into the book as the 2013-14 State Team of the Year.
Water Polo: Makenzie Fischer (Laguna Beach) Jr.
She’s also already been listed as the Division III State Girls Athlete of the Year and was considered a finalist for all juniors in all sports. She’s currently a top player for the U.S. national team and was the CIF Southern Section Division I Player of the Year.
Volleyball: Taylor Nelson (Granite Bay) Sr.
Granite Bay set a state record for going 45-0 and winning the CIF Division I state title. Nelson, a 6-foot setter, was the team’s leader with 996 assists, 192 kills and 135 digs. She had 46 assists in the D1 state final and also was the Gatorade State Player of the Year.
Tennis: Ena Shibahara (Peninsula, RH Estates) Soph.
She topped a strong field of Division I college-bound players to win the CIF Southern Section Division I final last fall and has been the No. 1-ranked sophomore in the nation. In the recent USTA SoCal 18 Singles competition, Shibahara outlasted Kayla Day 1-6, 7-5, 6-2 in the final. How many come back from a 1-6 loss? That says a lot about this possible future star in the sport.
Basketball: Jordin Canada (Windward, Los Angeles) Sr.
Already mentioned as the Ms. Basketball State Player of the Year and Division IV State Athlete of the Year.
Soccer: MacKenzie Cerda (Edison, Huntington Beach) Sr.
The 5-foot-7 forward scored six of her team’s seven postseason goals in leading the Chargers to the CIFSS Division I final. She couldn’t play in that game, however, due to suffering a lacerated liver injury in the semifinals. Cerda, who is headed to UCLA, was the OC Varsity Player of the Year and CIFSS Division I Player of the Year.
Wrestling: Marina Doi (Kingsburg) Sr.
Along with twin sister Regina, who also is a standout wrestler, the Doi twins have made a name for themselves in their sport. Marina was recently named the inaugural winner of the Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. She won her second CIF state title in March and has been a four-time USA Wrestling Triple Crown winner. Last May, Doi defeated her sister in the 44kg/97lb final at the Body Bar Women’s National final to earn a spot on the USA FILA Junior World Team that will compete at the world junior championships in August in Croatia. Doi also ended her career at Kingsburg with a 4.0 GPA.
Softball: Johanna Grauer (Amador Valley, Pleasanton) Sr.
The 2014 Ms. Softball State Player of the Year will play next for UCLA.
Track & Field: Ariana Washington (Long Beach Poly, Long Beach) Sr.
Washington also has been selected as the Senior Girls State Athlete of the Year and was considered a finalist for State Girls Athlete of the Year among all girls who are from California high schools in any sport.
Golf: Andrea Lee (Mira Costa, Manhattan Beach) Soph.
She shot a 67 to win the CIF state title last fall, which ended up being her final high school competition. Lee is currently the No. 1 ranked junior girls golfer in the nation and recently made the cut at the U.S. Open at just 15 years old.
Swimming: Abbey Weitzeil (Saugus) Jr.
We’ll actually have a CIF state swimming meet to consider results for in this category for next year. Still, setting national records, historical achievements and U.S. national team results probably will remain more significant, given California’s tradition of leading the world in the sport. Weitzeil set set state records in both the 50 and 100 free at the CIFSS D1 prelims, then came back in the finals and broke national high school records in both. She clocked 21.98 in the 50 free and 47.91 in the 100 free, then later lowered the 100 free time to 47.82 leading off Saugus’ 400 free relay. In addition, she recently beat former Long Beach Wilson star and U.S. Olympian Jessica Hardy in the 50 and 100 free (long course meters) at the Swim Meet of Champions in Mission Viejo. Katie McLaughlin of Santa Margarita also has to mentioned here since she is on the 2013-14 U.S. senior national team in the 200 butterfly. That is not a high school event. Weitzeil may qualify for that team in the 50 free later this summer.
Mark Tennis is the co-founder and publisher of CalHiSports.com. He can be reached at markjtennis@gmail.com. Don’t forget to follow Mark on the Cal-Hi Sports Twitter handle: @CalHiSports
