MERCURY NEWS ATHLETES OF THE YEAR
WHO DOMINATED ALL SEASONS
``Best athlete I've ever been associated with, bar none,'' Leigh basketball coach Roger Smith said. ``I just think there's great things ahead for him.''
Guidry, who is headed to Nebraska on a football scholarship, is the Mercury News male athlete of the year.
Guidry led the Longhorns to an appearance in the Central Coast Section Division II football championship game. For the season, he had 2,817 total yards rushing, passing and receiving and scored 38 touchdowns by rush, pass, reception or return (kicks and interceptions).
Guidry said getting to the championship game, which the Longhorns lost 28-21 to Hollister, and playing in it were what stood out to him.
``It would have been better if we would have won it, but we didn't quite get to that step. But it was all around just a good year.''
One week after football season ended, Guidry became a scoring machine in basketball. The guard averaged 20 points and five steals per game, guiding the Longhorns to the CCS Division II semifinals for the second year in a row.
One month after basketball season ended, Guidry ran the fastest times in Northern California in the 100 meters. He won consecutive CCS titles in the 100 and 200 and ran a leg of Leigh's championship 4x100 relay team.
``He's going to Nebraska to play football, but he could play basketball and he could run track,'' Smith said. ``If they let him, he could do any of those.''
``I had faith that I could make it back,'' Barrientos said. ``And I knew that I could eventually come back to the place I was before. I just didn't know how quickly.''
She recovered enough to win her second state championship in the 1,600 meters June 2, breaking a 20-year-old Central Coast Section record with a time of 4:43.24.
For her yearlong comeback and record-setting race, she is the Mercury News female athlete of the year for the second consecutive time. She will attend UCLA this fall on a track scholarship.
``I'm just real proud of her, because it's been real tough for her this whole year,'' San Lorenzo Valley Coach Rob Collins said after Barrientos' victory at the state meet. ``Now she's so much more ready for the future, knowing you can have setbacks but also make comebacks.
``And it was a big comeback.''
She ran the race of her life in the state final, despite trailing Montgomery's Sara Bei for nearly 3 1/2 laps. Barrientos stormed past Bei on the final turn and won in the second-fastest time in the nation this season.
She emerged from a field that included three of the top five milers in the nation and beat the previous CCS record of 4:44.76, set in 1981 by Lynbrook's Tracy Weber.
``I felt that I had it in me to get closer to her,'' Barrientos said. ``The next thing I know I was in front of her down the home stretch. The crowd was screaming, and I thought, `This is what I've been waiting for the whole year and it's happening.' ''
She finished second in Division III cross-country this season. In all, Barrientos earned four state titles and six CCS titles in track and cross-country.
RUNNER COMPLETES COMEBACK WITH SIGNATURE STRENGTH, SPEED
BOYS ATHLETES OF THE YEAR HONORABLE MENTION
Athlete Year School Sport
| Matt Bates | Senior | Los Gatos | Track, cross-country |
| Jordan Beck | Senior | San Lorenzo Valley | Football, basketball, volleyball, track |
| Jack Galante | Senior | Valley Christian | Football, baseball |
| Jamaal Jackson | Senior | Oak Grove | Football, baseball |
| Jacob Palomino | Senior | Independence | Wrestling |
GIRLS ATHLETES OF THE YEAR HONORABLE MENTION
Athlete Year School Sport
| Undine Becker | Senior | Mt. Pleasant | Track |
| Kelly Corbett | Senior | St. Francis | Volleyball |
| Sebnem Kimyacioglu | Senior | Pinewood | Basketball |
| Kate Morgan | Senior | Mitty | Soccer |
| Shannon Rowbury | Junior | S.H. Cathedral | Cross-country, track |
| Elzunia Wojcicka-Lamb | Senior | Hollister | Track and field |