Mariucci thrilled to help honor top athletes in city

Former 49ers coach Steve Mariucci and former USF soccer coach Steve Negoesco were inducted to the San Francisco Italian Athletic Club’s Hall of Fame on Monday night at the group’s second annual High School Awards Banquet.

The event, which raised funds for the Academic Athletic Association and Dante’s Boys Foundation, honored former San Francisco athletes as well as the best of the 2017-18 season.

Mariucci told Prep2Prep writer Harold Abend that it was “a thrill being inducted,” but “even a bigger thrill for me to honor the student-athletes of the city and the deserving awards for all these kids.”

St. Ignatius long jumper Alex Enos, the state leader at 25 feet, is the SFIAC Athlete of the Year, while Lowell baseball standout Owen Mahoney was selected the Scholar Athlete of the Year.

Among top athletes honored: Yarvell Smith (Galileo sophomore, football), Spencer Spivy (University, boys basketball), Miyah Lewis-Hampton (Leadership, girls basketball), Nathan Kushner (St. Ignatius, boys soccer), Kikki Tucker (Lowell, girls soccer) and Martin Chavarria (Sacred Heart Cathedral, baseball).

Coaching awards went to Mark Huynh (Galileo, football), Carin Marrs (University, cross country) and Alan Downey (St. Ignatius, boys soccer).

NCS swimming: It was a record-setting day at the North Coast Section boys swimming championships Saturday at Las Positas College in Livermore.

Five records were broken or matched, two by NorthgateWalnut’s Alexei Sancov, who set the 500-yard freestyle record (4:17.17 in the prelims). He won the final the next day in 4:20.10.

Sancov tied the meet mark in winning the 200 free (1:33.70) and swam a leg on Northgate’s

winning 400 free relay (3:03.29).

Other meet records were by Spencer Daily (San Ramon Valley-Danville, 50 free, 20.12), Chris Jhong (Amador ValleyPleasanton, 200 individual medley, 1:45.51) and Jonah Cooper (Foothill-Pleasanton, 100 backstroke, 46.33).

San Ramon Valley, which won the 200 free and 200 medley relays, won the boys championship with 327 points, followed by Campolindo-Moraga (275) and Foothill (213).

Makenna Turner (100 fly, 53.94) and Zoie Hartman (100 breaststroke, 1:00.40) won individual events and contributed

to relay wins, leading Monte Vista-Danville to the girls crown with 292 points, followed by Campolindo (253.5) and Miramonte-Orinda (230).

CCS swimming: Bellarmine wrapped up its 33rd Central Coast Section boys swimming title in 34 years by scoring 308 points at Santa Clara’s Haines International Swim Center.

The Bells went 1-2-3 in the 50 freestyle — Nathan Yates (20.53), Max Saunders (20.55) and Emmanuel Ngbemeneh (20.88) — and then set a CCS record in the 200 free relay to help them outdistance St. Francis (190) and Serra (153).

The 50 trio plus Kevin Sichak went 1:22.30. Bellarmine won the 400 free relay and Saunders won the 100 free in 44.15.

Gunn-Palo Alto’s girls won the day’s first event, the 200 medley relay, to propel it to the team title with 241 points to 221 for St. Francis and 199 for Mitty.

Menlo-Atherton’s Izzi Henig (100 and 50 free), St. Francis’ Nicole Oliva (200 and 400 free) and Harker-San Jose’s Vivian Wang (200 IM and 100 breaststroke) won two events each.

The state championships are Friday and Saturday in Clovis (Fresno County).

Mitty softball honored: The 2009 Mitty team was picked as the best California softball team of the past 25 years by CalHiSports.

The squad coached by Sarah Thomas finished 32-0 and was led by Keilani Ricketts, who went on to help Oklahoma to an NCAA championship. Ricketts had a 0.10 ERA and struck out 347 batters.

The only other Metro team on the list was at No. 12 — the 2006 Freedom-Oakley squad (26-0) led by Amanda Williams (23-0, 0.07 ERA).