UCSB soccer’s Will Baynham and the Cate School tennis doubles team of Grace Fuss and Carol Cai were honored as the Athletes of the Week at Monday’s Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table press luncheon at Harry’s Plaza Cafe.
Baynham was the hero in UCSB’s stunning 1-0 double-overtime victory at fifth-seeded Indiana in the NCAA Tournament Round of 16.
In the game’s 102nd minuite, the senior forward pounced on a turnover by Indiana’s center back at the top of the 18-yard box and drilled a right-footed blast inside the far post to beat the Hoosiers and put the Gauchos in the tournament quarterfinals for the first time since 2006, the year they won the College Cup national championship.
The result ended a 38-game unbeaten streak for Indiana on its home field.
Seniors Fuss and Cai last week won two matches at the CIF-SS Individual Northern Regional Tournament in Carpinteria to advance to the Southern Section Round of 32 on Tuesday at the Seal Beach Tennis Club.
Cai was playing in her fourth consecutive CIF Regional for doubles, including a run to the Round of 16 with sister Jackie Cai in 2017. For Fuss, this also was a fourth visit to the CIF Individuals, with her first two appearances coming in singles, before pairing with Cai in 2018 and 2019.
The Athletes of the Week from two weeks ago were also recognized. They were linebacker Johnny Valencia of the Santa Barbara High football team and SBCC soccer goalkeeper Elizabeth Estrada.
The honorable mention choices for this week’s awards were JaQuori McLaughlin (UCSB basketball) and Ila Lane (UCSB women’s basketball).
— Noozhawk Sports Editor Barry Punzal can be reached at bpunzal@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
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