WSC March Athletes of the Month Released

As we near and officially start postesason for our spring sports, the Western State Conference proudly announces its March Athletes of the Month, announced Thursday.

Baseball - LA Pierce had a hot March, going undefeated over its 10 games and currently riding a 14-game winning streak - the longest active streak in the the WSC and their record is good for a tie for the top of the Western State North. Part of that success came from the bat of sophomore outfielder Jeremy Jones. The southpaw hit .405 and tallied 14 RBI. He wrapped up the month with back-to-back games going yard, only his second and third of the season, and his name is all over the play-by-play in the team's close wins. He recorded a hit in all but one game during the month and chalked up five multi-hit games and four multi-RBI games, including five at Cuesta. 

Men's Basketball - Citrus men's basketball made another deep run for the state title in March, defeating Mt. SAC at home before heading to College of Sequoias for the 3C2A Quarterfinals. The Owls defeated West Valley before falling just short by two points to state runner-up City College of San Francisco in the semifinals. Sophomore guard Amiri Meadows was instrumental in that stretch, posting 25 points against Mounties, 16 against the Vikings, and 14 against the Rams. Overall over the three games, Meadows averaged 18.3 points per game, shooting 58.0 percent from the field and 85 percent from the charity stripe. He added 2.3 rebounds per game, 3.0 assists per game, and 2.0 steals per game.

Women's Basketball - Sophomore Hannah Lising took home numerous postseason honors, both from the conference and the state, and despite Moorpark falling short of reaching the state championships, she left it all on the floor against Cypress. In her final game with the Raiders, Lising gave a 22 point, 8 rebound, 2 assist, 3 steal, and 1 block performance. She shot 61.5 percent from the field (8-13), 71.4 percent from beyond the arc (5-7) in her 34 minutes of work.

Men's Golf - Canyons has been dominating the conference in every outing thus far this season. And sophomore Anthony Nilson has been a key part in the team's success. Overall for the month, he led the conference with a 72-stroke average over the four tournaments, shooting one over overall. He took the top spot in the WSC #4 at Rio Bravo Country Club, finishing three under (69) before following up with a fourth place finish in the WSC #3 at Alisal Ranch Golf Course with a one-under outing (71).

Beach Volleyball - Santa Barbara sophomores Stephanie Groswirt and Sophie Ward don't always play together, but when they did in March, they were undefeated. And as individuals, partnered with others, they remained undefeated. Together, they played as the 4's against Moorpark and Grossmont and the 3's against Cuesta, defeating all three opponents in straight sets. The two helped the Vaqueros to a 7-1 record in March.

Softball - Redshirt freshman Samantha Soto started 12 of Ventura's 14 games primarily in right field in March, and she made those games count at the plate. She racked up seven multi-hit games and three multi-RBI outings. She hit .631 (24-for-38) with four doubles and hit her first home run of the season at Moorpark. She drew seven walks, while adding 13 RBI and six stolen bases. Overall, the Pirates are atop the WSC North, not having dropped a game in conference play. But they also found success in non-conference play last month. Unranked Ventura tied then-No. 13 LBCC and defeated Fullerton twice when it was ranked 12th and 16th, 4-1 and 13-6, respectively. 

Men's Swim & Dive - Sophomore Jaiden Monroe racked up nine first place finishes in the month of March to help lead Ventura to first and second place finishes at the two conference meets and a top 10 showing at the Bob Miyashiro Invite, in which he swam in nine events. He had similar showings at the WSC #2 and WSC #3 with three first place honors and one second place at each.

Women's Swim & Dive - Freshman May Guidoux found more success in the pool in March after wrapping up the fall water polo season for Santa Barbara. In the three meets the Vaqueros competed in, Guidoux racked up nine first place nods, four runner-up times, and one third place finish over 15 finals. She competed in seven events at the Cuesta Super Invite, capturing three first place finishes, including swimming the butterfly leg of the 200 meter medley relay. At the WSC #2, she helped lead SBCC to the top of the podium as a team with her three wins before following up with another team win and three more individual titles at the WSC #3.

Men's Tennis - Freshman Mateusz Lipczynski has settled in nicely on the tennis court for Bakersfield, going 9-2 in singles play in March. His only loss against a two-year college opponent came against top-seeded Irvine Valley, in which he took the first set, 7-6 before being narrowly edged 7-6 and 10-8. He earned the top seed in singles competition in the conference tournament, winning the title and only dropping one set in the championship match, leading to conference Player of the Year honors.

Women's Tennis - Canyons freshman Emma Chodur went undefeated in the month of March against all two-year college opponents, and ultimately, she has been undefeated all season. Her work on the court earned her the top seed not only in singles play but also in doubles heading into the WSC Tournament, in which she ultimately won both and was named WSC Player of the Year.

Men's Track & Field - Freshman Antonio Moore stayed close to home to compete for Canyons in track and field and he is already posting top times in the 110 meter and 400 meter hurdles. After March, he has the third fastest time in both events. In the 110 meter hurdles, he earned a mark of 14.48, finishing second overall at the Ben Brown Invite/Astro AI Distance Classic, hosted by Cal State Fullerton, competing with four-year student-athletes. And then two weeks later, he ran his best time in the 400 meter hurdles at the Mangrum Invitational, hosted by Cal State San Marcos, placing fifth overall and only falling to four-year athletes. He also has competed in the 60 meters, 4x100 meter relay, and 4x400 meter relay.

Women's Track & Field - Transfer sophomore Nevaeh Dyer has been dominant in the shot put so far this season. And in March, she took over the top spot in the state with a throw of 13.75 meters (45' 1.5") at the Mark Conover Classic, hosted by Cal Poly SLO. Her mark is nearly a foot further than the second-best in the state so far this season. She also has competed in the hammer throw (28th), discus (57th), and javelin (97th).