Plus, we’ll share the winners of last week’s reader’s choice polls.

Top fall athletes

Dezmen Roebuck, Marana High School 

Marana senior and wide receiver Dezmen Roebuck made history this past September when he broke the state receiving record with 283 career receptions during a game against Higley. He finished his high school football career with 352 receptions. ALA-Gilbert North’s Brandon Phelps previously held the record with 282 career receptions. Although the Tigers didn’t win the AIA Open State Championships this past season, the team went undefeated in the regular season with a 10-0 record.

Roebuck also received numerous awards for his exceptional career with the Tigers, including Arizona’s 2024 Gatorade State Player of the Year and the prestigious Ed Doherty Award. He committed to the University of Washington last year.

Amelia North, Rincon/University High School

Rincon/University senior and cross country runner, Amelia North, snagged eight (no, that’s not a typo) first-place wins during the fall season. During October’s Eye of the Tiger Invitational at Marana High School, she set a personal best time of 17:44.0 in the 5,000 meters. Her record was the fastest in the state across all divisions. Throughout the season, she has been ranked No. 1 in the state in girls cross country, beating out runners from the Phoenix area. In the fall state tournament, she took home second place in the 5,000 meters.

Earlier this month, North committed to the University of Arizona, where she will compete in cross country and track and field.

Honorable mentions

Malaysia Roebuck, Marana High School flag football

– When it comes to Southern Arizona high school football, the Roebucks are a household name, including flag football player Malaysia Roebuck, the sister of Dezmen and Sean. Malaysia had 17 touchdowns this season and made it onto the national leaderboards for touchdowns, total points and punt return yards.

Soso Okpara, Mica Mountain High School girls volleyball

– Mica Mountain senior Soso Okpara had a killer volleyball season last fall. The Air Force Academy commit had 300 kills this past season. For reference, the national average is 52. With Okpara in tow, the Thunderbolts went 15-2 in the regular season, making it all the way to the championship match of the state tournament before losing 3-0 to Estrella Foothills.

Emiliano Caldera, Catalina High School cross country

– Catalina’s Emiliano Caldera had a junior year for the books. Throughout the fall cross country season, he snagged three first-place wins in 5,000-meter events, including the TUSD XC Championship. At the state championship, he finished in 11th place with a personal best of 16:20.1. During a conversation with the Star last year, Caldera said he hopes to compete for NAU after graduating high school.

Top winter athletes

Sergio Vega, Sunnyside High School

Wrestling dominates the winter sports season in Tucson, so it’s no surprise that we had to choose wrestling royalty as our top athletes for this season.

Sunnyside senior Sergio Vega is one of the best wrestlers in the nation. In the fall and winter, he was ranked No. 1 in the U.S. in the 138-pound weight class. Since then, he’s bumped down to No. 3, but being in the top five in the country is still an accomplishment to be proud of. Vega has numerous wins under his belt, including at the prestigious FloWrestling’s Who’s Number One tournament and USA Wrestling’s Junior National Championships. On a local level, he ended his career with four state championships. 

Vega, a multi-generational wrestler, was previously committed to Ivy League Cornell but flipped to Oklahoma State, where he will wrestle this fall.

Elizabeth Valenzuela Smith, Pueblo High School

Mentioning Tucson’s wrestling royalty wouldn’t be complete without putting Pueblo’s Elizabeth Valenzuela Smith in the mix. She may only be a sophomore, but Valenzuela Smith is a third-generation state champion, preceded by her father, Josiah and grandfather, Orlando Smith. Her first state championship was a first for Pueblo and the Tucson Unified School District. She added a second state championship to her résumé earlier this year. 

Currently, Valenzuela Smith is ranked No. 18 in the U.S. in the 115-pound weight class.

Honorable mentions

Leo Gutierrez, Salpointe Catholic High School boys soccer

– Salpointe’s Leo Gutierrez is one of the best soccer players to touch the pitch in Southern Arizona. During the winter season, Gutierrez was No. 1 in the nation in goals and points. The star player even received an offer from New York City FC, but he ultimately opted to return home to Salpointe for his senior year. It’s a good thing he did because he helped lead the team to its record fifth straight state championship earlier this year.

America Cazares, Pueblo High School girls basketball

– Pueblo had an incredible season in the 5A conference, losing only two regular-season games. A big part of the Warriors’ success is due to junior America Cazares, who put up serious numbers. She recorded 759 points, 116 rebounds and 120 steals this season. She ranked No. 43 in the U.S. for points per game with 28.1.

America Romero, Douglas High School girls soccer

– Douglas sophomore and goalkeeper America Romero had 171 saves this season, placing her on multiple leaderboards. She ranked No. 11 in Arizona and No. 63 nationally for her saves. With Romero in the box, the Bulldogs only lost one regular-season game, ending the season with an 11-1 record.

Top spring athletes

Austin Cohen, Catalina Foothills High School

Foothills senior tennis star Austin Cohen is the top player in Arizona and No. 65 in the nation in the 2025 recruiting class. Before even attending Foothills, Cohen had already recorded 450 wins. The senior has multiple state championships, including this season’s team championships (the school’s 18th overall) and his second straight individual title. As an individual, he has a 30-0 record.

Cohen is set to attend William & Mary in Virginia this fall.

Kendall Freidinger, Empire High School

Empire pitching ace and senior Kendall Freidinger is one of the top softball players in Southern Arizona. She had 281 strikeouts this season, placing her at No. 62 on the national leaderboards. She also notched a 1.13 ERA this season. Freidinger and the Ravens battled to the very end of the season, earning their second straight state championship earlier this month. Despite the state tournament being a stressful time, Freidinger lived for each moment, eager to play the tougher games and figure out how to improve for the next game.

Freidinger is heading to Weber State this fall to study health administration.

Honorable mentions

Amelia Streuber, Canyon del Oro High School softball

– CDO ace Amelia Streuber ended her season with 100 strikeouts and a 0.88 ERA. While the Dorados didn’t come home with a state title this year, falling 4-0 in the championship game, they went undefeated in the regular season, thanks to Streuber. Off the field, Streuber has documented her college recruitment journey online, helping other athletes in similar positions. She will attend Oregon State this fall on a scholarship.

Bryan Martinez, Bisbee High School baseball

– Bisbee baseball star Bryan Martinez and the Pumas went undefeated this season, going 17-0 in the regular season. Martinez excelled this season with a 0.44 ERA and a batting average of .458. For his winning record, Martinez is ranked No. 2 in the state and No. 21 in the nation.

Lacey Kaufman, Salpointe Catholic High School girls tennis

– Salpointe sophomore Lacey Kaufman is making a name for herself in the local tennis scene. Kaufman took home the state title for the Div. II singles event at this year’s state championship. The Lady Lancers also took home the title for the team event.

Coaches of the year

Pat Nugent, Mica Mountain football

Mica Mountain football head coach Pat Nugent led the Thunderbolts to their first state championship in just three years as a varsity program. Soon after the state championship, Nugent retired, with 27 seasons as a head coach at multiple schools under his belt.

“You always want to keep fighting and battling but to end up being a champion and 14-0 with a special group, it’s a special way,” Nugent previously told the Star. “It’s always hard to leave but it’s a great opportunity to step away from the game.”

Nugent previously coached at Flowing Wells, Canyon del Oro and Cienega. He has a combined 172-66 career coaching record.

Shannon Woolridge, Empire softball

Empire softball head coach Shannon Woolridge guided the Ravens to their second consecutive state championship this spring. Before taking home the state title, Empire had quite the season. The Ravens were on a 39-game winning streak that dated back to last season. With the championship title in hand, Empire finished the season with a 28-1 record.

But if you were to ask what made the Ravens’ season so spectacular, Woolridge would give all the credit to his athletes.

“… To see these kids come in as bright-eyed, inexperienced freshmen to young women that are ready to lead and take on the world … I mean, the wins are great. The championships are great. But seeing them develop into young women who are ready for that next step is probably the most gratifying,” he previously told the Star.

Memorable moments of each season

Roebuck breaks state record

– Marana football star Dezmen Roebuck broke the state receiving record with 283 career receptions during a game against Higley in September. He ultimately finished his high school football career with 352 receptions.

Nogales debuts girls flag football team

– Nogales High School debuted its girls flag football this past fall. The team went 9-3 in its inaugural season.

Catalina Foothills girls win 13th state swimming championship

– Foothills’ girls swim and dive team won its 13th state championship (since 2000) last November. 

Salpointe girls and boys teams win state soccer tournament

– Salpointe soccer dominated the 4A conference in the winter, with both teams bringing home state titles. The boys took down Scottsdale Saguaro 7-2, and the girls defeated Prescott, 1-0, in the championship games.

Flowing Wells celebrates 50 years of Lady Cabs basketball

– More than 50 community members and alumni showed up last winter to celebrate 50 years of Flowing Wells girls basketball. The Lady Cabs have won 19 region championships, been to 11 state finals fours, were state runner-up six times and won the 2008 state championship since its inception in 1975.

Local student-athletes participate in the MLK Basketball Classic at McKale Center

– Numerous basketball players from Southern Arizona high schools competed in the annual MLK Basketball Classic in January. The event, which is hosted by Coaches for Charity, raises money for elementary school sports equipment and scholarships.

Empire wins back-to-back state softball titles

– Empire winning its second straight state championship was not only a memorable moment for the team, but for all high school sports enthusiasts in Southern Arizona. The Ravens defeated Yuma Catholic, 1-0, in extra innings for the state title.

Rincon/University boys volleyball wins TUSD tourney

– Rincon/University boys volleyball won the TUSD invitational in March, taking down Pueblo, Canyon del Oro, Cholla and Palo Verde Magnet, with an overall score of 8-0. The win is a first for new Rincon/University boys coach Sean Haynes, who led the Rangers to an 11-6 season.

Pusch Ridge wins first state golf title

– In the final push of the spring season, Pusch Ridge returned to Tucson with its first-ever golf state championship. The team edged Phoenix-area schools, Phoenix Country Day (604) and Valley Christian (605), with a final score of 603.

Reader’s choice

– Tucson’s top girl student-athlete of the fall season: Vita Carr, Tucson High School swim

– Tucson’s top boy student-athlete of the fall season: Emiliano Caldera, Catalina High School cross country

– Tucson’s top girl student-athlete of the winter season: Sarah Perez, Sahuarita High School wrestling, and America Romero, Douglas High School soccer (Results showed a 50/50 tie)

– Tucson’s top boy student-athlete of the winter season: Kameron Pippen, Palo Verde High School basketball, and Leo Gutierrez, Salpointe High School soccer (Results showed a 50/50 tie)

– Tucson’s top girl student-athlete of the spring season: A three-way tie among Amelia Streuber and Molly Herman, CDO High School softball; Lourdes Gamez, St. Augustine Catholic High School softball; and Claire Achilles, Tanque Verde High School softball

– Tucson’s top boy student-athlete of the spring season: Milo Mandolini, Sabino High School track and field