We have honorees selected for each of the five CIF enrollment divisions plus juniors, sophomores and freshmen. A special state athletes of distinction list for each category is included as well.

Note: It is not a requirement that an athlete of the year needed to have participated in more than one sport. Single-sport athletes often do end up first in our selection process due to the significance of their accomplishments within their sport. These honors also are mostly based on athletic performance during the school year. Academics and community service are considered, but are not as important as athletics.

State Division I Athlete of the Year
Brian Baucham (West, Torrance) Sr.
Entering the school year, Baucham was well known on the gridiron where he was the 2006 South Bay Daily Breeze Football Player of the Year, but this year the USC bound standout was just as dazzling on the track. Thrown into the 300 hurdles for the first time this year, he turned out to be a natural as he got over his fear of falling and continued to improve his time all season long culminating in a CIF state meet championship. On the football field, Baucham repeated his South Bay Daily Breeze player of the year honors after he rushed for 1.729 yards and 22 touchdowns while also catching 12 passes. Baucham is also projected to be cornerback for the Trojans, but with such an incredible start as a hurdler he probably won't be giving up that pursuit, either.

More Division I State Athletes of Distinction
(Seniors only, see below for others)
Aaron Hester (Dominguez, Compton) football, track
Aaron Hicks (Wilson, Long Beach) baseball
Delano Howell (Hart, Newhall) football, track
Jamey Ker (Valencia) volleyball
Milton Knox (Birmingham, Lake Balboa) football
Drew McAllister (Monte Vista, Danville) football, basketball, track
Nelson Rosario (El Camino, Oceanside) football, basketball, track
Kyle Skipworth (Patriot, Riverside) baseball
Jarrett Sparks (Merced) football, basketball

State Division II Athlete of the Year
Jason Welch (Las Lomas, Walnut Creek) Sr.
Arguably the nation's top-ranked wrestler at 160 pounds, Welch captured his third straight CIF state championship defeating Steven Vasquez from Central Catholic of Modesto 18-8 in the finals. With the win, he finished his high school career 194-7 with 142 straight wins after his last loss during his sophomore year. He started with a second-place finish as a freshman in the 145-pound state finals. There would be no more runner-ups for him as he took home the 152-pound title as a sophomore before two straight state championships at 160 pounds. Welch showed he could do more than just wrestle as even during the wrestling season he played on the Knights' soccer team. He played both sides of the ball on the gridiron as a running back and a defensive lineman. He finished his senior season with 83 tackles and 7.5 sacks and was second team all-state for medium schools. Welch is headed to Northwestern to hopefully continue his undefeated wrestling streak.

More All-State Division II Athletes of the Year
(Seniors only, see below for others)
Rudi Burtschi (Oakdale) football, wrestling
Drew Gordon (Archbishop Mitty, San Jose) basketball, track
Adam Jahn (Jesuit, Carmichael) soccer
Charlie Robertson (Bella Vista, Fair Oaks) football, baseball

State Division III Athlete of the Year
Blake Ayles (Lutheran, Orange) Sr.
Already making his mark as one of the top tight ends in the nation and heading to USC, Ayles caught 45 passes for 697 yards and eight touchdowns in his final season with the Lancers as they reached the Pac-5 Division semifinals. He also played about half of their plays on defense and finshed with eight sacks including a sack of Mater Dei signal caller Matt Barkley who up to that point had yet to be sacked. Ayles was not satisfied with just playing football he made the most of himself in track where he did a variety of events including the discus in which he excelled to help being named the Orange County Register's Boys Athlete of the Year. He threw the discus a personal best 193 feet, six inches, finishing second at the state meet. He also was a member of the 400-meter relay team early in the year and won the Trinity League championship in the shot put.

More All-State State Division III Athletes of the Year
(Seniors only, see below for others)
Joe Fauria (Crespi, Encino) football, basketball
Kriss Proctor (Big Bear, Big Bear Lake) football, basketball, baseball
Colin Quirke (Los Gatos) football, track
Ryan Thacher (Harvard-Westlake, N. Hollywood) tennis

State Division IV Athlete of the Year
German Fernandez (Riverbank) Sr.
Already named the overall State Athlete of the Year. Unfortunately, Modesto Central Catholic's Louis Bland falls into this same enrollment division and also, like Fernandez, is a senior. We at least still have Louis in the state record book for being state freshman of the year and state junior of the year.

More All-State State Division IV Athletes of the Year
(Seniors only, see below for others)
Josh Boger (Coalinga) football, track
Louis Bland (Central Catholic, Modesto) football, wrestling
Dominic Galas (Central Catholic, Modesto) football, wrestling
Jrue Holiday (Campbell Hall, North Hollywood) basketball
Casey Serna (St. Bonaventure, Ventura) football, baseball
Hunter Steffien (St. Margaret's, SJ Capistrano) football, lacrosse, baseball)

State Division V Athlete of the Year
Cierre Wood (Santa Clara, Oxnard) Jr.
Whether it was on offense, special teams or defense, the Saints tried to get the ball in Wood's hands early and often last fall as the speedster rushed 178 times for 2,612 yards and 34 touchdowns. On defense, he made 63 tackles, intercepted three passes and recovered three fumbles. Regarded as perhaps the top running back recruit in the nation for the upcoming season, Wood also excelled in track. His times in the 100 and 200 were among the state's best and he was the CIF Southern Section Div. IV champ in the 100.

More All-State Division V Athletes of of the Year
(Seniors only, see below for others)
Brendan Chambers (Saddleback Valley Chr., SJ Cap.) football, basketball, baseball
Suavae Cook (Esparto) football, basketball, baseball
Elijah Davis (Turlock Christian) football, baseball
Micah Hiett (Immanuel, Reedley) football, basketball
Oliver McNally (Branson, Ross) basketball
Stephen Alexander (Santa Fe Christian, Solana Beach) basketball, baseball

State Junior Athlete of the Year
Randall Carroll (Cathedral, Los Angeles)
As this was written, California junior Matt Barkley from Mater Dei of Santa Ana has been named the Gatorade National Athlete of the Year. We're going with a different junior for the state since Barkley was strictly football. Carroll, who could be catching passes from Barkley one day at USC, showed why the other team had trouble catching and tackling him on the football field as he captured the CIF state track championship in both the 100 and 200 meters. He won the 100 in 10.42 seconds and despite his verbal to USC now has more schools hoping to change his mind and get his speed into their uniform after his senior season. Carroll played on both sides of the ball for the Phantoms and had three interceptions on the defensive side as a cornerback. The first team all-state underclass pick caught 36 passes for 745 yards and seven touchdowns while also was handed the ball 47 times for 576 yards and seven touchdowns as his coaches tried to get him the ball however they could.

More All-State Junior Athletes of the Year
Matt Barkley (Mater Dei, Santa Ana) football
Aaron Bradley (Gahr, Cerritos) football, track
Tyler Gaffney (Cathedral Catholic, San Diego) football, baseball
Kevin Greene (Sacred Heart Cathedral, S.F.) football, basketball
Montreal Harris (Twentynine Palms) football, basketball
Matt Hobgood (Norco) baseball
Myle Maugututia (Francis Parker, San Diego) football, basketball, volleyball
Roger McCovey (Del Norte, Crescent City) football, wrestling
Matt Nadolski (Casa Grande, Petaluma) football, basketball, baseball
Justin Rahn (Monta Vista, Cupertino) football, baseball
Charles Saseun (Rancho Cucamonga) football, track
Tom Shields (Edison, Huntington Beach) swimming
Renardo Sidney (Fairfax, Los Angeles) basketball

State Sophomore Athlete of the Year
Dale Morgan (Taft, Woodland Hills)
Another two-sport standout with football and track as his endeavors of choice, Morgan is regarded as one of the top hurdlers of his age group in track in the nation. He was second at the CIF state meet and clocked 14.19 seconds. In football, Morgan was all-state for sophomores and showed glimpses why he could be among the top running back prospects nationally for the Class of 2010 by rushing for more than 100 yards in eight of his 12 games.

More All-State Sophomore Athletes of the Year
Larry East (Vista) football, baseball
Malcolm Jones (Oaks Christian, Westlake Village) football, track
Jake Rodriguez (Elk Grove) football, baseball
Harrison Steed (JSerra, SJ Capistrano) track
Brett Thomas (Poway) football, baseball
Jeremy Tyler (San Diego) basketball
Alex Wherry (Mater Dei, Santa Ana) water polo

State Freshman Athlete of the Year
Johnny Carter (Ridgeview, Bakersfield)
He joined elite company in the state for track and field as he jumped a personal best 49-1 in his final jump in the triple jump to take home the state championship as a freshman. There have been just four others to win state titles in their first year of high school, including Marion Jones. Carter saved his best for last after battling nerves to land the winning mark. His title-winning jump also set a freshman state record.

More All-State Freshman Athletes of the Year
Brendan Bigelow (Central, Fresno) track
Christian Lopes (Valencia) baseball
Darius Nelson (Sheldon, Sacramento) basketball
Cody Thompson (Oaks Christian, Westlake Village) soccer

If you have comments or corrections, email mark@studentsports.com. Leave a comment below as well as we'll respond.