State Junior Athlete of the Year McKay Madsen of Clovis North (left) competes in the discus earlier in the spring. At right is State D2 Athlete of the Year T.P. Wentworth of Modesto Central Catholic celebrates after getting a triple. Photos: kmph.com & Central Catholic Athletics / MaxPreps.com.
To go with overall honoree Ryder Dodd, there are others featured as the best among boys athletes for juniors, sophomores, freshmen and those from divisions (D1, D2, D3, D4 and D5) for the 2023-24 school year. Football-track combo athletes have taken it in four of the categories outside of D1 and seniors, but there is one three-sport star and a swimmer who are included.
For the full story on our 2023-24 Boys State Athlete of the Year,
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(Editor Mark Tennis did the writeups for T.J. Wentworth, Quin Seider and Logan Kilbert.)
Congratulations to the following additional boys for being selected as a 2023-24 Cal-Hi Sports State Athlete of the Year:
SENIOR OF THE YEAR (Class of 2024)
Ryder Dodd (JSerra, SJ Capistrano)
The overall State Athlete of the Year also is always the Senior of the Year unless the overall honor goes to a junior (which is what happened this year for the girls). Ryder and his brother Chase also have a strong connection to the city of Long Beach. They grew up in a home near the Long Beach State campus and their first club was Shore Aquatics, which is based in Long Beach.
Additional seniors to get a mention are shown below in the various CIF divisions.
JUNIOR OF THE YEAR (Class of 2025)
McKay Madsen (Clovis West, Fresno)
Whether it was on the football field or in the throwing circle, Madsen excelled as a dual threat for the Broncos.
Although Madsen is best known for sweeping both the discus throw and shot put state titles May 25 at Buchanan High’s Veterans Memorial Stadium in Clovis, he also made a significant impact as a 6-foot-2, 235-pound fullback and linebacker during the football season to help Clovis North (13-1) win the CIF Central Section Division I title and reach the Northern California Division 1-AA regional final before losing to Concord De La Salle.
Madsen became the first Clovis North male athlete since Caleb Foster in 2019 to win a pair of individual titles in the same year at the CIF State Track and Field Championships. Foster ruled the runway that season for the Broncos, earning victories in the long jump and triple jump.
Madsen achieved a lifetime-best 206-8 (62.99m) in the discus state final to produce the best mark by a junior in the country this year and No. 5 among all prep competitors nationally.
The athlete who first got a mention as a state athlete of the year as a freshman also triumphed in the state shot put championship with a 62-9.50 (19.13m) effort, holding off Clovis North teammate and Sacramento State commit Brayden Bitter at 62-2.50 (18.96m) in the final. Bitter also was a linebacker alongside Madsen on the Clovis North defense in football.
Madsen improved his personal-best performance in the shot put to 65-1.50 (19.85m) at the Nike Outdoor Nationals in June in Oregon to earn All-America first-team honors by securing sixth place in both events. He finished in the top 20 nationally in the shot put for the season (including seniors).
Madsen followed the success achieved last season by Brendon See of San Juan Capistrano JSerra with state titles in both the discus and shot put in the same year, in addition to becoming the first male athlete from the Central Section to achieve the feat since Dayshan Ragans of Bakersfield Foothill in 2008.
A two-way player who rarely left the football field for the Broncos, Madsen ran for 995 yards and 18 touchdowns, in addition to recording 75 tackles, four interceptions, three pass deflections and recovering a fumble. He was also a factor on special teams for Clovis North, contributing 33 kickoffs. He was perhaps most effective as a lead blocker for teammate Jackson Cinfel, either straight up the middle on a linebacker or on the edge taking out a cornerback.
That kind of versatility has caused Madsen to blow up as a college recruit for football. He has nearly 20 D1 offers, including BYU, UCLA, Washington and Oregon. McKay, who got his first name from former Clovis West football-baseball star McKay Christensen, also has the academics have received offers from Harvard and Yale.
Madsen follows recent State Junior Athlete of the Year honorees who also excelled in track and field as well as football such as Gardena Serra’s Rodrick Pleasant in 2021-22 and Santa Ana Mater Dei’s Domani Jackson in 2020-21.
More Junior Athletes of Honor (Class of 2025)
Alec Blair (De La Salle, Concord) Basketball, Baseball
Devin Bragg (Los Alamitos) Football, Track
Brayden Burries (Roosevelt, Eastvale) Basketball
Jackson Cinfel (Clovis North, Fresno) Football, Wrestling
Jackson Cryst (Sage Hill, Newport Beach) Basketball, Volleyball
Adonyss Currie (Quartz Hill) Football, Track
Kaleb Edwards (Oak Ridge, El Dorado Hills) Football, Basketball
Seth Hernandez (Corona) Baseball
Marco Jones (San Ramon Valley, Danville) Football, Baseball
Brenden Lewis (Granite Hills, El Cajon) Football, Baseball
Jackson Lloyd (Carmel) Football, Basketball, Track
Jarret Nielsen (Jordan, Long Beach) Football, Baseball
Evan Noonan (Dana Hills, Dana Point) Cross Country, Track
Chad Troxler (Liberty, Bakersfield) Football, Wrestling
Tounde Yessoufou (St. Joseph, Santa Maria) Basketball
Daniel Zepeda (Gilroy) Wrestling
Sophomore Brandon Arrington from Mt. Miguel of Spring Valley is shown winning in the 100 meters at the CIF state track championships. Photo: Paul Martinez / East County Californian.
SOPHOMORE OF THE YEAR (CLASS of 2026)
Brandon Arrington Jr. (Mt. Miguel, Spring Valley)
With the nickname “Dash” there are always expectations for Arrington to perform at the highest level every time he steps on the track. He is also earning recognition for being one of the most promising national football prospects in his class.
On the biggest stage of his young career May 25 at Buchanan High’s Veterans Memorial Stadium in Clovis, Arrington became the first sophomore in California prep history to sweep both the 100-meter and 200-meter titles in the same year since the events were first contested at the state championships in 1980. (Note: From 1915-79, the distances raced at the state finals were 100 yards and 220 yards).
Arrington ran wind-legal marks of 10.33 seconds in the 100 and 20.55 seconds in the 200 to become the first male sprinter from San Diego to sweep both state championships in the same year since Kenan Christon of Madison High in 2019.
Only one other occasion in state history had both the 100 and 200 state titles been won by sophomores, with the 1983 finals showcasing Steve Jones of Sacramento Burbank securing the victory in the 100 and Hawthorne’s Henry Thomas capturing the 200 championship.
Arrington also became just the second boys state track champion in Mount Miguel program history, joining Mark Senior winning the 800 crown in 1988. He also swept the CIF San Diego Section titles in the 100 and 200, running a wind-legal 10.50 in the former event and achieving a wind-aided 20.40 in the latter race at Mt. Carmel High.
Arrington concluded the season as the top-ranked sophomore in the country under all-conditions in the 200 with his performance at the section final. He was the No. 2 sophomore competitor nationally under all conditions following his wind-aided 10.27 effort in the state prelims.
Arrington also contributed to a San Diego Section Division IV football title for the Matadors (12-2), who reached the Southern California 3-A regional final, losing to Lakewood Mayfair.
The 6-foot-3, 185-pound receiver/defensive back caught 14 passes for 310 yards and scored five touchdowns, including one on a punt return. Arrington also had 25 tackles in the secondary. ESPN’s recruiting rankings have him as the No. 1 prospect nationally in the “Athlete” category. Arrington also is considered one of the top 10 recruits in the state overall for the class in the Cal-Hi Sports Hot 100.
Arrington is the first track and football competitor to earn State Sophomore of the Year recognition since Rodrick Pleasant from Gardena Serra in 2020-21. Pleasant went on to sweep state titles in the 100 and 200 in both his junior and senior seasons.
More Sophomore Athletes of Honor
Wes Burford (Oakdale) Football, Wrestling
Brian Bonner (Valencia) Football, Track
Jason Crowe Jr. (Lynwood) Basketball
Max Emberson (Oaks Christian, Westlake Village) Golf
Jaden Jefferson (De La Salle, Concord) Football, Track
Ryder Lyons (Folsom) Football, Basketball
Brandon McCoy (St. John Bosco, Bellflower) Basketball
Kenneth Moore III (St. Mary’s, Stockton) Football, Track
Anthony Murphy (Corona) Baseball
Deshonne Redeaux (Oaks Christian, Westlake Village) Football, Track
Brady Smigiel (Newbury Park) Football
Elan Taylor (Valley Christian, San Jose) Volleyball
Rocklin Zinkin (Buchanan, Clovis) Wrestling
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR (CLASS of 2027)
Demare Dezeurn (Alemany, Mission Hills)
Before he had competed in his first track meet during the spring season for the Warriors, Dezeurn had already produced the fastest performances in the 60-meter dash – indoors and outdoors – by a ninth-grader in state history.
Demare Dezuern of Alemany is the second straight football-track freshman athlete of the year from the San Fernando Valley/Ventura area after Deshonne Redeaux of Oaks Christian. Photo: X.com.
Dezeurn made a significant impact in February at the California Winter Outdoor Championships by winning the 60-meter title in 6.72 seconds at Arcadia High. He followed in March by finishing fourth in the 60-meter final in 6.79 and earning All-America first-team honors at Nike Indoor Nationals in New York.
Dezeurn continued his momentum during the spring schedule, winning the CIF Southern Section Division IV title in a wind-legal 10.54 seconds and capturing the championship at the section’s Masters meet in a wind-aided 10.36, both victories coming in May at Moorpark High.
Perhaps the only significant disappointment during the season for Dezeurn came May 24 in the state prelims, when he finished 13th overall in a wind-aided 10.59 and didn’t advance to the final at Buchanan High’s Veterans Memorial Stadium in Clovis.
Dezeurn still finished the year as the No. 2 freshman competitor nationally under all-conditions in both the 100 and 200, including his wind-legal 21.25 effort in March at the Maurice Greene Invitational.
Although Alemany (1-9) struggled throughout the football season, Dezeurn was one of the few bright spots for the Warriors, with the 5-foot-11, 170-pound receiver catching 42 passes for 567 yards and scoring a team-high six touchdowns, including a 92-yard kickoff return.
Dezeurn follows Westlake Village Oaks Christian sprinter and running back Deshonne Redeaux in being recognized as State Freshman of the Year.
More Frosh Athletes of Honor
Shareef Elaydi (Archbishop Mitty, San Jose) Swimming
Mateo Fuerbringer (Mira Costa, Manhattan Beach) Volleyball, Beach Volleyball
Jesse Grajeda (St. John Bosco, Bellflower) Wrestling
Benjamin Harris (Long Beach Poly) Football, Track
Luca Mijatovic (Foothill, Pleasanton) Swimming
Gene Roebuck (La Mirada) Basketball
DIVISION I
Ryder Dodd (JSerra, SJ Capistrano) Sr.
There were some games during the last high school season last fall in which Ryder missed due to playing on the US national team at the Pan Am Games, which is where it qualified for the Olympics. Dodd was the leading scorer and the USA squad took a gold medal.
More D1 Senior Athletes of Honor
Brayden Bitter (Clovis North, Fresno) Football, Track
Elijah Brown (Mater Dei, Santa Ana) Football
Noel Felix (Central, Fresno) Football, Track
Brody Guinn (Vista Murrieta, Murrieta) Football, Basketball, Track
Sean Kelly (Loyola, Los Angeles) Volleyball
Richie Munoz (Bishop Amat, La Puente) Football, Wrestling, Track
Logan Noguchi (Torrey Pines, San Diego) Swimming
Jason Parra (Millikan, Long Beach) Cross Country, Track
Tyler Patrick (Clovis West, Fresno) Football, Baseball
Trent Perry (Harvard-Westlake, Studio City) Boys Basketball
Myles McFarland (Cosumnes Oaks, Elk Grove) Football, Track
Bryce Rainer (Harvard-Westlake, Studio City) Baseball
Julian Sayin (Carlsbad) Football
Mason Walsh (Carlsbad) Football, Wrestling
DIVISION II
T.P. Wentworth (Central Catholic, Modesto) Sr.
We’re calling Central Catholic D2 since it is a combination of where the Raiders played in the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section for football (D1) and baseball/basketball (D3). This also prevented us from having to choose between T.J. and Trevor Rogers of Lafayette Acalanes. They were both definitely among the top multi-sport athletes in California regardless of division and both deserved to be a divisional state athlete of the year.
Wentworth also would get our vote as the top three-sport athlete in the state for the 2023-24 school year. He previously received all-state grid-hoop honors and those two sports weren’t even his best.
The son of former PGA golfer Kevin Wentworth was considered runner-up for medium schools State Player of the Year in baseball behind second round MLB draft pick Boston Bateman of Camarillo and was an easy choice to be first team all-state overall. He is attending Clemson University in the Atlantic Coast Conference on a baseball scholarship (which will be playing games in the future against Cal and Stanford in the ACC).
In leading Central Catholic to a 23-10 record and runner-up finishes to Oakmont of Roseville in both the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section D3 and CIF NorCal D3 playoffs, T.P. batted .360 with seven homers and 28 RBI. As a pitcher, he dominated at 10-2 with a 0.51 ERA and 119 strikeouts in 69 innings. Wentworth’s final moments as a Raiders’ pitcher were truly memorable as he tossed a no-hitter and struck out 14 in a 1-0 win over Justin-Siena of Napa in the CIF NorCal D3 semifinals. T.P. didn’t pitch in the title game. He also had six RBI in a league game vs Manteca and went 2-for-4 with a homer and three RBI in a NorCal regional playoff win vs Atascadero.
In football, Wentworth started at quarterback for head coach Roger Canepa for three straight seasons. He ended his senior season with 2,069 yards passing and 25 TDs. Wentworth’s 386 yards rushing with 10 TDs also helped the Raiders to a 9-3 record. They won in the SJS D1 quarterfinals over Edison of Stockton on a night when Canepa became the winningest head coach in SJS history before losing in the semifinals to Oak Ridge of El Dorado Hills. Another game Central Catholic fans will always remember was when T.J. passed for 380 yards and five TDs in a 64-39 win over Oakdale.
The basketball aspect of Wentworth’s resume saw huge growth from previous seasons. He knocked down 14.3 ppg with 8.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists and helped Central Catholic to a 25-7 record, including 10-0 in the Valley Oak League. Wentworth had 26 points in a win vs Manteca and 27 in a win vs Kimball of Tracy.
In historical terms, T.P. has become just the second in Central Catholic history to be a state athlete of the year. The only other honoree has been Louis Bland in D5 for 2005-06.
More D2 Senior Athletes of Honor
Boston Bateman (Camarillo) Baseball
Javier Hernandez (Arlington, Riverside) Soccer, Rodeo
Caden Pinnick (Del Oro, Loomis) Football, Basketball
Kai Preisendorf (Redwood, Visalia) Football, Wrestling
DIVISION III
Trevor Rogers (Acalanes, Lafayette) Sr.
The common theme for Rogers in both state championship experiences was come-from-behind victories.
Whether it was a sixth-round long jump to rally for the title May 25 at the CIF State Track and Field Championships at Buchanan High’s Veterans Memorial Stadium or helping the Dons respond with 14 unanswered points in the fourth quarter in a 35-23 victory against Lake Balboa Birmingham in the Division 3-AA state football final at Saddleback College, Rogers was always at his best when it mattered most.
Trevor Rogers from CIF D3-AA state champ Acalanes (Lafayette) will play football and do track next at the University of California. Photo: Twitter.com.
Rogers, a Cal-Berkeley signee, had seven receptions for 146 yards and two scores against Birmingham, including a 33-yard touchdown catch with 11:53 remaining to give Acalanes (11-4) its first lead at 28-23 en route to capturing the program’s first state title.
It was another fitting response from the 6-foot-3, 195-pound receiver/defensive back, as Rogers helped the Dons overcome a three-game losing streak to start the year by winning 11 of their final 12 contests, including the school’s first North Coast Section Division IV title with a 24-7 victory against Novato San Marin High that avenged a 27-20 season-opening setback.
Rogers, who is the first-ever State Athlete of the Year in any category in the long history of Acalanes High, finished with 74 catches for 1,231 yards and scored 17 touchdowns. He accumulated 1,725 all-purpose yards for the Dons, in addition to converting eight PATs and two field goals, along with recording 16 touchbacks on kickoffs.
Although he is expected to play receiver at Cal, Rogers did contribute 26 tackles, four interceptions and three pass deflections for Acalanes, which was also has been honored earlier this summer as Division III State School of the Year.
During his three-year varsity career, Rogers – recognized as the No. 34 overall prep football player in his class in California by ESPN – accumulated 155 receptions for 2,803 yards and 36 touchdowns for the Dons.
As thrilling as the comeback was for Rogers in the Division 3-AA football championship, even that didn’t match the drama of the state long jump final.
Rogers produced a wind-legal effort of 24-3.75 (7.41m) on his final attempt to surpass Tyson Bonilla of Santa Clara Wilcox at 24-1 (7.34m), winning the first state track and field title for Acalanes since Brent Burns captured the boys pole vault championship in 1985.
Rogers achieved a lifetime-best jump in the state prelims with a wind-legal 24-7.75 (7.51m) performance, equal to the No. 20 high school mark in the country this year. His versatility also was on display throughout the spring by producing a 6-4 (1.93m) high jump clearance in the Dons’ season opener and winning the Diablo Athletic League triple jump title with a 45-1 (13.74m) effort.
Rogers also contributed to Acalanes placing 15th in the state in the 4×100-meter relay, after running the anchor leg to lead the Dons to victory in 41.65 seconds at the North Coast Section Meet of Champions at Dublin High. He also placed second in the 200 in 21.80 at the section championship.
Rogers is the third football and track standout to be recognized as the top Division III athlete in the state in the past five years, following Stockton St. Mary’s siblings Jamar Marshall (2019-20) and Jadyn Marshall (2021-22).
More D3 Senior Athletes of Honor
Jayden Barnes (Garfield, Los Angeles) Football, Basketball, Volleyball
Bryson Donelson (Central Valley Christian, Visalia) Football
Robert Guerrero (Banning, Wilmington) Football, Baseball
Daniel Li (San Marino) Swimming
Gage Mattis (Cabrillo, Lompoc) Football, Baseball
Charles Williams (Marin Catholic, Kentfield) Football, Basketball
DIVISION IV
Quin Seider (Nordhoff, Ojai) Sr.
D4 is a good place for Nordhoff High to be in so it also ended up being a good place to honor the state’s No. 1 freestyle swimmer from last spring and one of the best in the nation. Seider also was the only male swimmer in the state who competed at the U.S. Olympic Trials.
Quin Seider gave Nordhoff High a pair of CIF state swimming titles in late May. Photo: Ojai Valley News.
At the CIF state championships held at Clovis West, Quin touched the wall first in two events – the 100-meter freestyle and 200-meter freestyle. He also won both events at the CIF Southern Section D3 championships held at Mt. San Antonio College and in the 200 free he broke a 32-year-old CIFSS D3 record.
In the final individual rankings compiled by the National Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association, Seider was third in the nation and first in the state in the 200 free with a top time of 1:34.97. He also was fourth in the nation and first in the state in the 100 free at 43.04 seconds and he was seventh in the nation and first in the state in the 50 free at 19.78.
The next stop for Quin will be Arizona State, which is the same college program that produced four-time Olympic gold medal winner Leon Marchand of France, who has been one of the biggest stars in the Paris Olympics. He will have teammates at ASU from Belgium, England, Luxembourg, Dubai, France and Canada.
Looking at the history books, Ventura County has had recent state athletes of the year in the large school categories, including NFL receiver Drake London of Moorpark (2019) and runners Nico Young and Colin Salmon of Newbury Park (2020 and 2022). For small schools, though, Seider is the first from the county to be a state athlete of the year since baseball pitcher Rick Stewart of Fillmore in small schools division in 1977. We switched from small, medium and large to five divisions for the 1996-97 school year.
More D4 Senior Athletes of Honor
Jagger Beck (Sutter) Football, Basketball, Baseball
Jeremiah Bernard (Modesto Christian) Football, Basketball
Jack Davis (St. Vincent de Paul, Petaluma) Football, Basketball, Baseball
Jayden Mangini (La Jolla Country Day) Football, Basketball
Emmanuel Perez (Cathedral, Los Angeles) Cross Country, Track
DIVISION V
Logan Kilbert (Sierra, Tollhouse) Sr.
This is actually the second big honor in a little more than a week for Kilbert, who was named first team All-State Grid-Hoops for his accomplishments in those two sports.
Logan Kilbert became the leading scorer for boys hoops in the history of the CIF Central Section. Photo: ABC 30 Fresno.
Logan became a household name in the CIF Central Section over the last two basketball seasons, which just by itself could arguably be enough for the D5 state athlete of the year selection. With a season high of 71 points, Kilbert knocked down 29.3 ppg with 7.1 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.5 steals per game for a team that was runner-up in the CIF Central Section D3 playoffs, but then was inexplicably placed in a regional playoff division higher than the team it lost to.
As a junior, Kilbert led the Chieftains to the CIF NorCal D5 title before a loss to Lynwood in the state final. He finished his career with 3,334 points to easily become the first 3,000-point scorer in section history. Logan broke the previous record of 2,843 held by Tre’Von Willis from Washington of Easton and will go into the all-time state records at No. 4.
Baseball, track and field and football were other sports Kilbert played during his high school years. The other sport he had success in was football. Sierra plays an eight-man schedule, but Logan still had great totals as a wide receiver with 61 receptions for 843 yards and 10 TDs. He also had 22 points on conversions.
In being named D5 state athlete of the year, Kilbert has become the first-ever honoree in that category in school history. We have winners from D5 and small schools back to 1946. The last two D5 winners from the CIF Central Section have been Zach Bushling from Kern Valley of Lake Isabella in 2017 and Sam Metcalf of Farmersville in 2015.
Logan’s college plans are beginning at Weber State in Utah as a preferred walk-on. His No. 34 jersey also has already been retired by the school.
More D5 Senior Athletes of Honor
D.J. Horton (Weed) Football, Basketball
Landon Humphrey (Colusa) Football, Baseball
Grant Sonke (Ripon Christian) Football, Baseball
Eyan Turk (Woodcrest Christian, Riverside) Cross Country, Track
Erik Boal has covered high school sports in California for nearly 30 years, formerly serving as editor at the Glendale News-Press and Los Angeles Daily News. He is currently the editor for DyeStat.com and RunnerSpace.com, which focus on track and field, cross country and road racing, but has been a regular attendee at major Southern California high school sports events since the early 2000s.
