Longtime Watsonville High wrestling coach Steve Okamura dies
Steve Okamura was a big contributor for kickstarting the annual Apple Cider Classic wrestling tournament at Watsonville High in 2010.
The longtime Wildcatz wrestling assistant coach also helped pave the way for dozens of girls who were hesitant to step on the mat in a...
NBA G League Fall Invitational to take place at Kaiser Permanente Arena in Santa Cruz
The Santa Cruz Warriors announced July 8 that the 2024 NBA G League Fall Invitational will be held at Kaiser Permanente Arena in September.
The invitational will feature a pair of exhibition games between NBA G League United and Mega MIS on Sept. 4 and...
Watsonville High taps alumna Becky Clark as school’s newest athletic director
A little more than two decades ago, Becky Clark was one of the most passionate wrestlers to compete for Watsonville High. She made a name for herself after finishing runner-up at the California Interscholastic Federation State Wrestling Championships in 2001.
Clark, who will turn 40...
Pajaro Valley Majors All-Stars captures first-ever District 39 championship | Little League baseball
Pajaro Valley Majors All-Stars third baseman Brady Duque was put in a situation during last week’s district title game that nearly every Little Leaguer dreams of being in.
The game was on the line, score tied in the bottom of the sixth with two outs...
Aptos native Nikki Hiltz punches ticket to 2024 Olympics
Aptos native Nikki Hiltz guaranteed their spot at the upcoming Summer Games following a record-setting performance at last weekend’s U.S. Track and Field Olympic Trials.
The 29-year old middle-distance runner won the women’s 1500-meters finals in 3 minutes, 55.33 seconds, setting both a personal-best and...
Top moments for the 2023-24 sports year
With the 2023-24 sports year officially in the books, it’s time to reflect on some of the best moments that took place throughout this past year.
Watsonville native selected in MLB Draft
A lifelong dream came true for Watsonville native Luke Keaschall, who was selected by...
St. Francis’ Aaliysah Gomez named Pajaronian Girls Athlete of the Year
St. Francis High graduate Aaliysah Gomez had an incident when she was 2 that had doctors saying she would be blind and never able to see out of one eye.
Years later, she managed to overcome that obstacle and never let her foot off the...
Watsonville’s Ruben Mora named The Pajaronian’s Boys Athlete of the Year
No pain, no gain.
It’s an idiom often used by athletes for motivation during some of the most grueling moments of their lives.
Watsonville High graduate Ruben Mora had his fair share of those moments while donning a Wildcatz uniform. Whether it was overcoming injuries or...
Watsonville’s Amelia Martinez commended as Mission Division’s top pitcher | All-PCAL softball
Watsonville High sophomore Amelia Martinez was named the Pacific Coast Athletic League Mission Division’s Pitcher of the Year for the 2024 regular season.
The Wildcatz’s star pitcher finished with a 13-2 overall record in 20 appearances in the circle. She had a 1.59 ERA with...
SV’s LaRiviere named MVP, Aptos’ Espinoza earns Pitcher of the Year | All-SCCAL baseball
Blake LaRiviere had the initial plan of playing for both the Scotts Valley High football and baseball teams to close out his senior year with a bang. Instead, he decided to opt out of the football season so he could focus on baseball and...
