SBART Luncheon: Carpinteria High’s Keyla Manriquez Named School’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year

It was a packed house at the final Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table Press Luncheon of the calendar year on Monday as the winter sports season enters the beginning of the league schedule.

An individual award was handed out, a CIF champion was honored and local coaches gave updates on their squads as many local schools inch closer to Winter Break.

Keyla Manriquez Named Carpinteria Scholar-Athlete of the Year

Manriquez’s excellence on the tennis court and in the classroom made her this year’s Warrior Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

She has played a large role in the team winning back-to-back Citrus Coast League titles, as she is a two-time CCL doubles champion and a CCL Doubles Most Valuable Player alongside partner Charlotte Cooney.

“I would like to specifically thank my doubles partner Charlotte Cooney for always keeping me motivated and encouraging me throughout matches, especially in those critical moments,” Manriquez said.

Meanwhile, Manriquez boasts a 4.7 GPA while earning the President’s Education Outstanding Academic Excellence Award for three years in a row.

She also has obtained Certificates of Excellence in AP Social Studies, AP Biology, Mathematics, World Languages, Science and Language Arts. She plans on attending SBCC’s radiology program.

“It’s an honor to receive this award and I truly appreciate it,” Manriquez said. “I would like to thank my family and friends, my team and my coaches Charles Bryant and Sara Scott for always being there, encouraging me, taking the time to give me extra help, for their patience and most importantly always helping me have a positive attitude.

“It was a challenge but I enjoyed every part of this journey.”

Manriquez is the third of 11 Scholar-Athletes of the Year for the 2024-25 school year, joining Providence’s Sarah Monroy and Laguna Blanca’s Chloe Gidney.

The award is sponsored by Marc Gamberdella of the Gamberdella-Spruill Group of Merrill Lynch.

CIF Champion Santa Barbara High Girls Tennis Honored

The Dons girls tennis team was celebrated for their CIF-SS Div. 3 championship at Monday’s luncheon.

It was a historic season for Santa Barbara High, ending the year with an overall record of 24-5 while also fielding 11 total All-Channel League honorees.

The Santa Barbara High Dons enjoyed one of their best seasons in program history in 2024, punctuating it with a CIF-SS Div. 3 title. (Diego Sandoval / Noozhawk Photo)

“Championship teams have this unique quality. These girls brought the energy, they brought the focus, they love each other, they work incredibly hard,” Dons coach Danny Echt said. “There were a lot of tears and a lot of laughs. I’m so proud of their commitment to each other and making it as great of an experience as possible.”

It was a grueling playoff run for the Dons, who competed on the road in four out of their five matchups and traveled over 1,000 miles across Southern California, according to Echt.

“We got there and we played beautiful tennis, it was as if we were playing at home,” Echt said of the playoff matchups. “It’s a tribute to these girls and their commitment and how they brought it.

“I want to thank them individually, collectively for helping me understand what a team can be.”

Santa Barbara High defeated Santa Monica in the CIF-SS Div. 3 title matchup by a score of 12-6 at the University of Redlands in November.

League Play Begins for Winter Sports

The majority of local winter sports teams are either in the midst of their league schedule or will kick off league play this upcoming week.

While many of the smaller schools will see their league play roll on this week, the trio of Channel League schools will have their basketball and soccer league schedules begin on Tuesday.

Santa Barbara High and Dos Pueblos will square off on the pitch on Tuesday, as the girls soccer matchup will be at 5 p.m. in Goleta while Peabody Stadium will host the boys game at 6:45 p.m.

While there are no crosstown rivalry matchups on the basketball court this week, the local teams will look to start their league schedules on a high note.

Dos Pueblos, San Marcos and Santa Barbara High will all open at home on Tuesday at 7 p.m. taking on Buena, Pacifica and Rio Mesa, respectively.