PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Christie Wan, Whittier Christian, sophomore
Christie Wan is ready to take the next step in her tennis career.
Apparently that will not include high school tennis. The sophomore finished her Whittier Christian High School season reaching the CIF-Southern Section individual tournament’s Round of 16 at the Seal Beach Tennis Center.
“Next year I will most likely not be in high school tennis,” she said. “I will make my decision during the summer. It depends on how good I do the rest of this year and next summer. If I do really well in USTA (tournaments) I will not play in CIF.”
In two years of Olympic League play, Wan has not lost one game. She was eliminated in the sectional tournament last year. She won the sectional title this year and lost to Constance Branstine of Villa Park, 6-7 (3-7), 6-2, 6-2 in the Round of 16.
“I could have done better,” Wan said. “I felt that when I lost during the individuals, it was to a girl that I think I should have not lost to. I think I should have won.”
She said she will likely remain as a student at Whittier Christian.
— Keith Lair
COACH OF THE YEAR: Wally Lee, California
FIRST TEAM
Singles
Kallysta Lopez, La Serna, sophomore
Alejandra Vasquez, Santa Fe, senior
Melissa Summers, Whittier Christian, freshman
Doubles
Whittier: Natasha Nerenberg, senior and Raquel Rice, junior
Whittier Christian: Makenna Fuehrer, junior and Katia Diaz, sophomore
California: Celeste Chavez, senior and Xochitl Rodriguez, senior

RUNNER OF THE YEAR: Sophia Rodriguez
Whittier, senior
The 2014 cross country season could have gone to waste for Sophia Rodriguez.
The day before the Woodbridge Invitational in September, the Whittier High School senior was complaining about soreness in her leg. An initial diagnosis was a stress fracture. Three weeks later, it was diagnosed as a strained tendon in her foot.
“I wore a boot for two weeks,” she said. “I thought my season was over. I did everything I could, pool exercises, riding a stationary bike so if I came back I would not so out of shape.”
Rodriguez came back all right. She won the Del Rio League championship at Legg Lake in her first league cluster meet race of the season.
“My last race and I knew I wanted everything,” she said. “I went for it. I was really surprised the El Rancho girls did not stay with me. It was an amazing feeling and I could not believe it. When I finished. I was in shock.”
Coach of the year: Dan Whittington, Whittier
First team
Ruth Blanco, St. Paul, freshman
Stephanie Cortez, California, senior
Alma Colindres, El Rancho, junior
Brenda Dorantes, Whittier, junior
Samantha Huerta, La Mirada, junior
Esmerelda Morales, El Rancho junior
Sophia Sousa, Whittier, sophomore
Second team
Amy Baray, Whittier Christian, freshman
Ilse Cacho, California, senior
Lesley Flores, La Habra, sophomore
Melissa Gutierrez, El Rancho, senior
Sabrina Padilla, Montebello, junior
Catalina Pantoja, Whittier junior
Rochelle Viramontes, Whittier, sophomore

Cal’s Sam Bautista is Boys Runner of the Year

RUNNER OF THE YEAR: SAMUEL BAUTISTA, CALIFORNIA, SENIOR
He was Mr. Consistency.
Samuel Bautista ran California High School’s fastest time, for any cross country meet, at the early season Great Cow Invitational. A couple of weeks later he went even faster at the Woodbridge Invitational.
“Even though I have only coached him the last couple of years, he has been the most consistent kid since his freshman year,” California coach Angelica De La Rosa said. “This year was no different. He set his mind to the times he wanted to hit and the things he wanted do with the team. He was there with a very consistent season.”
— Keith Lair

First team
Cisco Cuellar, California, junior
Aleksie Dominguez, St. Paul, senior
Christian Duran, La Serna, senior
Noel Echeverria, California, junior
Brian Ochoa, Whittier, senior
Julian Romero, California, junior
Alex Trejo, California, senior
Second team
Thomas Browning, Schurr, senior
Benny Castillo, California, senior
Andres Falcon, St. Paul, junior
Josua Gutierrez, Schurr, sophomore
Vicente Funes, La Mirada, sophomore
Benjamin Lyzenga, La Habra, senior
Nathan Rangell, Montebello, junior

For the second consecutive night, two of the area’s best met on the basketball court. This time on the girls side, as area No. 2 St. Paul knocked off No. 1 Cantwell, 54-50. On the boys side, Whittier continued with its undefeated season, beating Sunny Hills in an El Rancho tourney quarterfinal.
Here’s Thursday’s results and Friday’s schedule
THURSDAY’S SCORES
BOYS
EL RANCHO TOURNAMENT
Quarterfinals
Ayala 55, Heritage Chr. 36
Whittier 75, Sunny Hills 62
Bonita 71, Washington Prep 49
Marina 71, El Rancho 41
Consolation Quarterfinals
Montebello 85, Baldwin Park 60
Summit 52, St. Paul 40
Schurr 56, Warren 51
Huntington Park def. Alhambra
BEVERLY HILLS TOURNAMENT
Cantwell 67, Santa Monica 64
GIRLS
GLENN-NORWALK TOURNAMENT
St. Paul 54, Cantwell 50
Downey 37, Whittier 24
Santa Fe 51, Valley Chr. 24
WHITTIER CHRISTIAN TOURNAMENT
St. Joseph 71, Mary Star 31
Whittier Chr. 55, Rolling Hills Prep 14
FOUNTAIN VALLEY TOURNAMENT
Schurr 44, San Juan Hills 36
CLAREMONT TOURNAMENT
La Mirada 41, Ontario Chr. 26
NONLEAGUE
Bishop Conaty-Loretto 33, Pioneer 27
FRIDAY’S SCHEDULE
BOYS
EL RANCHO TOURNAMENT
SEMIFINALS
Ayala vs. Whittier, 6 p.m.
Marina vs. Bonita, 7:30 pm.
Fifth-place Semifinals
Heritage Chr. vs. Sunny Hills, 3 p.m.
Washington Prep vs. El Rancho, 4:30 p.m.
Consolation Semifinals
Montebello vs. Summit, 6 p.m.
Schurr vs. Huntington Park, 7:30 p.m.
13th-place Semifinals
Baldwin Park vs. St. Paul, 3 p.m.
Warren vs. Alhambra, 4:30 p.m.
CORONA DEL MAR TOURNAMENT
California vs. Culver City, 4 p.m.
VALLEY CHRISTIAN TOURNAMENT
Whittier Christian vs. Flintridge Prep, 8 p.m.
NONLEAGUE
Woodbridge at Sonora, 7 p.m.
GIRLS
WHITTIER CHR. TOURNAMENT
Rolling Hills Prep vs. Mary Star, 3 p.m.
Rowland vs. La Habra, 4:30 p.m.
San Gabriel vs. Los Altos, 6 p.m.
Whittier Chr. vs. St. Joseph, 7:30 p.m.
GLENN-NORWALK TOURNAMENT
St. Paul vs. Downey, 8 p.m.
Whittier vs. Cantwell, 5 p.m.
FOUNTAIN VALLEY TOURNAMENT
Schurr vs. Western, 4:30 p.m.
NONLEAGUE
El Monte at Montebello, 4:45 p.m.
Woodbridge at Sonora, 5:30 p.m.

By Stephen Ramirez
LA MIRADA >> There’s usually not a lot of emphasis on winning for high school boys basketball teams during December, which is often reserved for learning and improving.
Wednesday was the exception.
Christian Rhodes scored a game-high 24 points to lead visiting Sonora to a 53-51 victory over region rival La Mirada in a nonleague game that featured the Nos. 2- and 3-ranked teams by the Whittier Daily News.
Josh Rodriguez had 17 points for the Raiders (4-1). Kendall Lauderdale had 15 points and Anthony Newman and Vittorio Reynoso-Avila 13 each for the Matadores (4-1).
La Mirada, which trailed by as many as 13 points during the second half, had a chance to win it at the end. But Rendwick Helaire’s 3-pointer was short with three seconds left. Lauderale forced a jump ball with one second left on the rebound, But the possession went to Sonora, clinching it.
“These guys are our rivals,” Rhodes said. “Their fans had been talking some trash, and we didn’t say anything. But it feels good to beat them after everyone doubted us.”

WEDNESDAY’S SCORES
EL RANCHO TOURNAMENT
First Round
Ayala 63, Baldwin Park 47
Heritage Christian 51, Montebello 43
Sunny Hills 60, St. Paul 59
Whittier 68, Summit 64, OT
Bonita 65, Warren 36
Schurr vs. Washington Prep
Marina 62, Alhambra 57
El Rancho vs. Huntington Park
Beverly Hills Tournament
Westchester 47, Cantwell 45
Corona del Mar Tournament
Edison 64, California 49
Artesia Tournament
Palm Springs 62, La Serna 37
THURSDAY
Quarterfinals
Ayala vs. Heritage Chr., 3 p.m.
Sunny Hills vs. Whittier, 4:30 p.m.
Schurr-Wash. Prep winner vs. Bonita, 6 p.m.
El Rancho-Hunt. Park winner vs. Marina, 7:30 p.m.
Consolation Quarterfinals
Baldwin Park vs. Montebello, 3 p.m.
St. Paul vs. Summit, 4:30 p.m.
Warren vs. Schurr-Wash. Prep loser, 6 p.m.
Alhambra vs. El Rancho vs. Hunt. Park loser, 7:30 p.m.
Beverly Hills Tournament
Cantwell vs. Santa Monica, 6 p.m.
GIRLS
WHITTIER CHRISTIAN LEON DAVIS CLASSIC
Wednesday
San Gabriel 58, La Habra 57
Thursday
Mary Star vs. St. Joseph, 6 p.m.
Rolling Hills Prep vs. Whittier Chr., 7:30 p.m.