How many athletes can say only two other people have achieved what they have achieved?
Not many. But Gilroy wrestler Armando Gonzalez can.
When the senior won his fourth Central Coast Section title at 140 pounds this past winter, he became one of just three athletes to claim four individual section titles.
And that’s just one item on Gonzalez’s resume.
The 2005-2006 Dispatch Male Athlete of the Year finished his wrestling career with an overall record of 175-21, was a top-five placer at the state tournament twice and earned All-America honors – even through injury.
This year was supposed to be Gonzalez’s year of glory, one that would be easier than the rest, when all the hard work would pay off.
But when the senior fell on his head following a mid-air move at the Reno Tournament of Champions, Gonzalez faced a challenge he’d never faced: Not being able to wrestle. Gonzalez had to sit out of competition with an injury for the first time in his wrestling career, which started when he was six years old.
“It was hard to deal with because I just watched my teammates,” Gonzalez said. “All I wanted was to feel completely healthy.”
But “to be able to over come everything that’s happened” ended up being one of Gonzalez’s proudest achievements. And helping the Gilroy team break the team points record at the CCS meet en route to the Mustangs’ fourth-straight team title.
Gonzalez and fellow senior Adin Dueñas began their careers at GHS before Gonzalez’s father, Armando Sr., had helped build the Mustangs into a state powerhouse. Gonzales and Dueñas became the cornerstones, and set the tone for the rest of the program. The two wrestlers, who have trained with each other since they were six, have earned wrestling scholarships to Fresno St.
Now, the path that Dueñas and Gonzalez have forged will help future GHS wrestlers.
“I see the program only getting better,” Gonzalez said. “My dad has been able to teach all the technique we do.”
Gonzalez, who plans on studying business in college, has the goal of becoming a Division I All-American and an NCAA champion. But he would also like to follow in the footsteps of his father and become a coach when his wrestling days are over. The senior already is passing on his knowledge “everyday” to younger wrestlers in the Gilroy Hawks club program.
“Absolutely. I love working with young kids and I like to teach,” Gonzalez said. “I feel it’s important to give back.”
In her four-year field hockey career at Gilroy High, Karlie Sandoval has been named to the All-Central Coast Section first team twice, set the national record for most assists in a game and became the first GHS field hockey player in 20 years to earn a Division I scholarship.
But Sandoval, the 2005-2006 Dispatch Female Athlete of the Year, had no idea any of that would be possible when she was a young girl and saw the sport for the first time.
“I remember being eight and thinking field hockey would be cool to play because you got to wear skirts,” said the senior, smiling.
But the sport that once just looked like it would be cool to play became the senior’s favorite sport and full-time passion once she came under the tutelage of Gilroy field hockey coaches Adam and Erin Gemar. Hooked on hockey, Sandoval dropped the other sports she played, softball and basketball. Her success at the high school level and among the nation’s best with the Futures program – a developmental program for USA Field Hockey – earned Sandoval a scholarship to play at the Division I level at Boston University.
And Sandoval looks forward to the next challenge.
“I’m so much more motivated now because I’ve going to need to prove myself,” Sandoval said.
By watching the senior, who played center midfield for Gilroy, it’s not hard to see how she garnered the attention of a school on the other side of the country. Even for the eye that’s not trained to watch field hockey, it’s easy to appreciate Sandoval’s skill. Her stick-handling is a cut above the rest. She weaves in and out of defenders and finds open teammates the way a skilled point guard on a basketball team would. It’s no surprise she led the team in points last fall with 36 – 12 from goals and 26 from assists. Or that she holds the national high school record for most assists in a game. Sandoval reached that achievement in a 2003 game against Santa Catalina when she passed out six assists.
Sandoval’s skills – and general attitude – helped make the Gilroy team better.
“She makes herself available to assist the younger players and is a role model for other students regardless of whether or not they are an athlete,” said Gilroy coach Erin Gemar. “(Karlie’s) work ethic, enthusiasm and genuine positive attitude make her a great person to know.”
During Sandoval’s four years with the Mustang program, Gilroy went from having no chance of beating the best teams in CCS to defeating perennial power Los Gatos after two overtimes and penalty strokes to reach the CCS Final Four this past fall. It’s the latter which the senior counts as her favorite memory of her career because it showed how far the GHS program had come.
“My freshman year, it was so much of a difference because the program was still building and the caliber of players was different. Everyone was so afraid of Los Gatos. We would lose 5-1 and the score never changed,” Sandoval said.
It was appropriate that the senior was the one to score the all-important game-tying goal in the second half of the playoff game. Sandoval capitalized on a fleeting opportunity – a deflected shot that came to her stick – and put a laser shot past the Wildcat keeper. The Mustangs ran with the momentum and came up with the victory.
Sandoval will be taking her game 3,000 miles across country – an opportunity she credits the Gemars with helping her achieve. The coaches helped her realize the opportunities she could have in field hockey – in the Futures program and in college.
“I’m 100 percent sure that if it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be here,” Sandoval said. “Because they were so willing to help.”
Bobby Best, football/track and field – One of the best athletes in the CCS in both football and track and field…Was a three-time all-TCAL selection…2005 TCAL most valuable lineman, playing both ways at center and defensive lineman…All-CCS first team selection as a senior, a season during which Best amassed 10 sacks and 46 tackles for the Mustangs….Two-time state qualifier in the discus…A CCS top-10 performer in discus and shot put….Has earned an athletic scholarship to play football and compete in track and field at Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo in the fall.
Adin Dueñas, wrestling – Along with Armando Gonzalez, was a four-year varsity contender who helped bring GHS wrestling to its elite status in the state of California…Took fourth place in the state at 135 pounds in 2006 and seventh place at 130 pounds in 2005…Four-time CCS finalist…Two-time CCS champion (2005, 2006)…Final state ranking of fifth at 135 pounds…Named to the Wrestling USA High School All-America Team…Received the Paul Thompson Inspirational Athlete Award from GHS…Has earned a wrestling scholarship to Fresno St.
Ryan Chisolm, basketball/volleyball – At 6-foot-6, Chisolm parlayed his height and athleticism into success as a first-team all-league basketball and volleyball player…Averaged 12.3 points and 9.3 rebounds per game in basketball this season, earning most valuable player honors in the TCAL…Was second in kills (251) and blocks (39) as a first-team all-TCAL middle hitter on the volleyball team…Will continue his basketball career at Division III Linfield College (Ore.) in the fall….Named GHS Distinguished Athlete for 2005-2006.
Kristen Campos, basketball/golf – Campos’ outstanding athleticism earned her nine varsity letters combined between basketball, golf and softball in four years at GHS…A three-time all-TCAL first team selection as point guard for the basketball team…Earned all-TCAL honors twice in golf…A CCS individual qualifier three times…Will play golf for Santa Barbara City College in the fall.
Katherine Hussey, basketball/volleyball – Hussey bounced back from a volleyball season-ending ankle injury to have an MVP-worthy basketball season this winter…At small forward, Hussey was the team’s leading scorer, averaging 15.3 points per game…Had several 20-plus point games in TCAL play and was named the league’s most valuable player…A two-time all-TCAL selection in basketball…A starting setter on the volleyball team…Also holds a 4.0 GPA…Will play both basketball and volleyball at Santa Barbara City College.
Sarah Villar, softball – Pitched in 71 games over her three-year varsity career as the Mustangs’ top pitcher…A two-time all-TCAL first team selection…Amassed 369 strikeouts for her career…Will continue softball career at Division II Sonoma St., the third consecutive Gilroy High softball pitcher to earn a softball scholarship.
All-Around Talents: Bobby Best and Kristen Campos
The pro sports world had Bo Jackson.
Gilroy High has Bobby Best. And Kristen Campos.
When it came to excelling in more than one sport, Best and Campos cornered the market.
In her four-year Gilroy High athletic career, Campos – who will play golf at Santa Barbara City College in the fall – earned nine total varsity letters, was the starting point guard on the basketball team for three years and was a three-time Central Coast Section meet qualifier in golf.
Best, the first Gilroy High athlete in 10 years to earn a college scholarship in two sports, was a three-year varsity football player who earned first team all-CCS honors last fall. He qualified for the CIF State Track and Field championships twice as a thrower.
And Best and Campos didn’t even play some of the other sports at which they excelled.
Best, who came into high school already standing over 6-feet tall, could have had a career with the state-ranked Mustang wrestling program.
“They wanted me to wrestle,” said Best, who is headed to play football and compete in track and field at Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo in the fall. “But it wasn’t my thing.”
Campos was the starting center fielder on the varsity softball team her freshman and sophomore years before giving up the sport.
“My neighbors were all boys so we were always playing baseball and basketball,” Campos said of her early years in sports. “I guess it just came natural.”
For Best, he feels his success in two sports at the varsity level was helped along by playing sports that complemented each other.
“You need the same physical attributes (for throwing) that you need in football,” he said. “I was able to practice enough for football and go right into spring.”
And both athletes learned to make their teammates better, the true test of an athlete at the high school level. Best was a three-year captain on the football team. Campos grew into an irreplaceable floor leader for the Lady Mustang basketball team.
“I don’t care if I look good, I care if I make my teammates look good,” said Campos about being a point guard. “I like to put my friends first so I think it suits who I am.”
Save the Date…The Big Moments of 2005-2006
FALL
Nov. 14 – “GILROY DOES NOT QUIT”
The words of midfielder Karlie Sandoval summed it all up. In a thrilling victory that required two scoreless overtimes before being decided by penalty strokes, the Gilroy field hockey team came from behind to defeat perennial section power Los Gatos to reach the CCS Final Four for the first time since coaches Adam and Erin Gemar began to revitalize the program seven years ago. Sandoval scored the game-tying goal in the second half and junior Stephanie Glenn solidified herself as the CCS’ best goalie by allowing just one goal in the penalty series. The Mustangs lost to Archbishop Mitty in the next round, one step short of the CCS championship game.
Nov. 10 – NO THRILL IN MORGAN HILL
It was the week the Gilroy football team couldn’t catch a break. First, upon an order from the CCS, Salinas was forced to forfeit nine games for using an ineligible player, shaking up the TCAL standings and putting playoff bubble team Gilroy in a must-win situation for its last game of the season, a matchup with Live Oak. The Mustangs ended up losing 28-27 to the Acorns. In the same night, San Benito pulled of an improbable upset of Palma. One night’s events slid the Mustangs back in the TCAL standings. In the playoff seeding meeting, Gilroy’s luck got worse: The Mustangs missed out on an at-large bid in a coin flip. Ugh.
Nov. 16 – YAFAI SAYS GOODBYE
After seven years at the helm of the Mustang football program, Darren Yafai let go of the reins and stepped down as head coach to spend more time with his family. “I’m sure some people have some idea but don’t really know that coaching high school varsity football, during the season head coaches don’t see their families a whole lot,” he said. Yafai’s squads made the CCS playoffs a handful of times and the 1986 grad is the only Gilroy football coach to be able to lay claim to beating Palma, which the Mustangs did for the first time in 2004.
WINTER
Jan. 10 – “WE CAN DO ANYTHING IN OVERTIME”
It was a nice little payback for football season. And it was one of the best Gilroy sporting events if the year. Gilroy’s 57-52 overtime win over Live Oak in Morgan Hill was by far the most exciting game between the two schools in their final year as league rivals. With .2 seconds left in the game and Gilroy down by two, GHS guard Dominik Wilkins was fouled underneath the Mustangs’ basket and sent to the line for a one-and-one opportunity. The senior guard delivered, making the two pressure-packed free throws and forcing overtime. “The pressure was all relieved,” Wilkins said about making the free throws. “I knew we were that type of team, we can do anything in overtime.”
Feb. 9 – TOP OF THE TCAL
Perfection. It doesn’t get much better than that. And the Gilroy girls’ basketball team ended TCAL play on that note with a 60-42 win over North Salinas to finish 12-0 in league and win the title for the first time in 11 years. Three nights later, the boys followed suit and clinched part of the title for themselves with their own win over North Salinas.
Feb. 25 – BREAKIN’ RECORDS
Winning a fourth straight CCS title wasn’t enough. The Gilroy wrestling team had to go ahead and break the CCS record for total team points at the section championships, too. When it was all over, the Gilroy team scored 274.5 points, breaking Independence’s 10-year-old record of 269.5. Five Mustangs – Andres Barragan, Hunter Collins, Adin Dueñas, Armando Gonzalez and Nico Naranjo – also came away with CCS titles. Gonzalez’s title made him just the third athlete to win four career CCS. The wrestlers followed up the CCS title with a fourth-place finish at state – the program’s highest finish ever.
SPRING
March – BRING OUT THE ARKS
Forget the opposing teams, it was the rain that presented the spring sports teams with the biggest challenge. “In 20 years of being a player and a coach, this is the worst I’ve seen” said Gilroy baseball coach Clint Wheeler that month. A record number of games were canceled.
April 15 – THE SPIRITS ARE DOWN
In arguably the biggest upset of the year, the Gilroy softball team beat perennial power Notre Dame for the first time in seven years at the Steinbeck Classic. Freshman Jasmine Perez – who was only a couple years removed from kindergarten the last time Gilroy beat Notre Dame on the softball diamond – delivered the winning hit, a bases-loaded triple.
March 13 and April 27 – GOT YOUR NUMBER
The San Benito Haybalers may have taken the rights to the TCAL baseball title, but Gilroy took the rivalry bragging rights. The Mustangs were the only team to take two of three league games from the ‘Balers this season.
May 2 – RAISING THE NET
The Mustang boys’ volleyball team didn’t get a nod to the playoffs, but 24 wins ain’t bad. In fact, it’s really good. Record-setting good – the 24 wins set a new school record for most wins in a season for the program.
Girls’ Basketball
Katherine Hussey
– The senior guard/forward was named MVP of the TCAL and was the team’s leading scorer.
Also: Kristen Campos, Jessica Groppe
Boys’ Basketball
Ryan Chisolm
– Named the league MVP, was a scoring and rebounding force for the Mustangs.
Also: Kameron Handy, Dominik Wilkins
Badminton
Arthur Lee & Jenny Loi
Baseball
Drew Andersen
– A valuable shortstop and closer who was just as consistent at the plate as he was in the field.
Also: Michael Stevens, Chris Hernandez
Cross Country
Kathleen Miller and Arnulfo Velasquez
– Freshman Miller was the only female runner to qualify for CCS. Velasquez was a top-five finisher at the TCAL meet and also qualified for CCS.
Field Hockey
Karlie Sandoval
– All-CCS first team midfielder was the top scorer on team with 36 total points (12 goals, 26 assists).
Also: Stephanie Glenn
Football
Bobby Best
– The first team All-CCS center/defensive end recorded 49 tackles and 10 sacks.
Also: Justin Sweeney
Golf
Kristen Campos & Stephen Freeth
– Campos was a three-time individual CCS qualifier. Freeth earned three varsity letters and played in the No. 1 spot this past season.
Gymnastics
Chelsea Garcia
Girls’ Soccer
Joann Olivo-Pedroza
– The Mustangs’ big offensive threat for two years, Olivo-Pedroza was named the 2006 TCAL Offensive MVP and led the league in goals and assists.
Also: Kendra Sato, Brittany Barnes
Boys’ Soccer
Kevin Grove
– Only a sophomore, Grove was named the TCAL’s Defensive Player of the Year and was Gilroy’s only representative on the all-TCAL first team.
Also: Humberto Pineda, Jose Velasquez
Softball
Sarah Villar
– A senior leader for a relatively young team, Villar was named first-team all-TCAL and finished with a 12-5 record in the circle
Also: Lauryn Chris, Patty Olvera
Swimming
Megan Collett & Scott Castruita
Tennis
Amy Huang & Anthony Dragotto
Track and Field
Bobby Best & Kathleen Miller
– Best capped off his career with a third-place finish in discus at CCS. Miller was a CCS qualifier in the 1600.
Also: Miles Amodeo, Megan McAvoy
Girls’ Volleyball
Kayla Meazell
– The junior led the team in kills (82) and in aces (40).
Also: Katherine Hussey
Boys’ Volleyball
Vinny DeLorenzo
– Outside hitter DeLorenzo, who will continue his career at Santa Barbara City College in the fall, was runner-up in TCAL MVP voting, and led the team in kills with 326 for the season.
Also: Ryan Chisolm
Water Polo
Jenny Ailes & Austin Gubrud
Wrestling
Hunter Collins
– One of the country’s top-ranked sophomore wrestlers at 171 pounds, Collins was Gilroy’s first state finalist in 19 years.
Honorable mention: Adin Dueñas, Armando Gonzalez
So Long, Gilroy. . .
Take a look at where GHS athletes will be playing at the college level
Karlie Sandoval – Boston University, field hockey
Sarah Villar – Sonoma St., softball
Brittany Simpson – Albright College, Reading, Pa.
Katherine Hussey – Santa Barbara City College, basketball and volleyball
Kristen Campos – Santa Barbara City College, golf
Vinny DeLorenzo – Santa Barbara City College, volleyball
Adin Dueñas – Fresno St., wrestling
Armando Gonzalez – Fresno St. wrestling
Bobby Best – Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo, football and track and field
Ryan Chisolm – Linfield College, Linfield, Ore., basketball
Neil Martin – Occidental College, ??, Calif., football
Gavilan College-bound
Matt Hunkin, football
Stefon McCrimon, football
Taylor Micali, football
Marcus Muñoz, football
Justin Sweeney, football
2005-2006 GHS Athletic Department Scholar Athlete Award Winners
Athletes of the Year
Armando Gonzalez, wrestling
Bobby Best, football/track and field
Kristen Campos, basketball/golf
Karlie Sandoval, field hockey
Paul Thompson Inspirational Athletes
Adin Dueñas, wrestling
Marissa Nowakowski, basketball
Joann Olivo-Pedroza, soccer
Distinguished Athletes
Ryan Chisolm, basketball/volleyball
Katherine Hussey, basketball/vollleyball
Sal Tomasello Sportsmanship Award
Arnulfo Velasquez, cross-country/track and field
Brittany Simpson, field hockey
Heather Luechers, track and field
Scholar Athlete
Alan Chan, cross-country/track and field
Heather Link, field hockey
