The Long Beach Century Club hosted its 69th Annual Sports Night Banquet at The Grand in Long Beach last week, recognizing the city’s top high school athletes along with many special award recipients.
The562’s Mike Guardabascio and Tyler Hendrickson emceed the awards ceremony and began by presenting Long Beach State men’s volleyball coach Nick MacRae with the Century Club’s Coach of the Year honor. MacRae earned the recognition in his first season as head coach after taking over for legendary coach Alan Knipe and addressed the crowd following the presentation.
The Century Club also named its Players of the Year in Lakewood alum JP Crawford and Long Beach State alum Azaria Hill. Crawford recently set the Seattle Mariners franchise record for games played at shortstop and for first-pitch home runs while helping lead Seattle to the American League Championship Series. Hill was a standout sprinter at Long Beach State before transitioning to bobsled, where she and teammate Kaysha Love finished fifth in the two-woman event at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics.
This year, the Century Club also had four new inductees into the Hall of Fame: Bryshon Nellum, Rich Foster, and Jim Michaelian (posthumously).
Foster served as president of the Aquatic Capital of America, was a board member of the United States Olympic Committee, and spent 12 years as president of USA Water Polo. He also served as vice chair of the FINA Water Polo Committee (now World Aquatics) and chaired the 2004 U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials in Long Beach.
Beyond his work in aquatics, Foster maintains a sports law practice that has represented numerous Olympic champions across multiple sports and taught a course at Long Beach State. He also authored and published a 2008 biography of Olympic swimming legend Mark Spitz.
Long Beach Poly alum Bryshon Nellum was a back-to-back state champion in both the 200m and 400m as a junior and senior in 2006 and 2007, earning consecutive All-USA honors from USA Today while breaking a 20-year-old state record in the 200 meters. Nellum continued his career at USC before earning a spot on the 2012 US Olympic Team, where he won a silver medal in the 4x400m and was selected by his fellow US athletes to carry the American flag during the Closing Ceremony.
Michaelian will be inducted into the Hall of Fame following his passing earlier this year at the age of 83. He spent 51 years with the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach, serving as controller, chief operating officer, and ultimately president and CEO beginning in 2001. Michaelian also served on numerous boards throughout Long Beach and was the driving force behind the growth of the Long Beach Grand Prix into what it is today.
The Century Club also recognized its Athlete of the Decade, honoring legendary diver Pat McCormick for her accomplishments in the 1950s. During her career, McCormick won 77 national championships and captured gold medals in both the springboard and platform events at the 1955 Pan American Games in Mexico City.
Olivia Birdsall and Andrew Zevallos were honored as the Century Club’s Long Beach City College Athletes of the Year. Birdsall starred in goal for the Vikings’ women’s water polo team, helping lead Long Beach City College to a second consecutive 3C2A State Championship in dominant fashion. Zevallos started 29 of the 35 matches he appeared in for the Vikings’ men’s soccer team, recording three goals and one assist.
The Athletes of the Year for Long Beach State were women’s water polo standout Elisa Portillo and men’s golfer Alejandro de Castro Piera. Portillo was a three-time All-American who finished her career as the program’s all-time leader with 251 goals and 145 assists. De Castro Piera was named Big West Golfer of the Year after leading the Beach to a fourth consecutive Big West Championship, a tournament Long Beach State won by 47 strokes.
In addition to naming Athletes of the Year in each high school sport, the Century Club honored Long Beach Poly’s Ki’ele Ho-Ching and Wilson’s Clara Adams as Overall Co-Girls’ Athletes of the Year, while Lucas Jue was recognized as the Overall Boys’ Athlete of the Year.
Oklahoma signee Ki’ele Ho-Ching was the top softball recruit in her class but also excelled on the football field, where she was named Flag Football Athlete of the Year. Although an injury cut short her senior softball season, she won a gold medal with the USA U18 Softball Youth National Team earlier in the school year and became the first Moore League player ever selected to the national team.
Junior Clara Adams brought star power to Wilson’s dynastic track and field program after transferring in and quickly established herself as one of the nation’s top sprinters. She won three gold medals at this year’s CIF State Championships in the 200m, 400m, and 4x400m relay, while helping Wilson’s 4×400 relay team set a national record. Adams also recently earned a spot on the USA U20 Track & Field team at just 17 years old.
Long Beach Poly’s Lucas Jue is one of the most accomplished swimmers to come out of Long Beach and capped his high school career with a CIF State Championship in the 500 freestyle. Jue also won the 200 IM and 500 freestyle at this year’s Moore League Finals, setting his second and third Moore League records in the process.
Several other high school student-athletes were also recognized with $1,000 educational scholarships presented by the Century Club and Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson. One recipient was selected from each Long Beach high school: Brooke Blue, Paul Castillo, Nicole Cheshire, Clarissa Claudio, Bendito Diaz, Jack Furlow, Tanner Miramontes, Jah’Asharee Moore, Sophie Nishikawa, Jonas Oware, Jamie Ramirez, Julia Rapada, Evan Sailor, Matthew Searles.
The Century Club also took time to recognize several outstanding members of the community through its annual Citizen Awards. This year’s recipients included Faustino “Tino” Bernadett (Bob and Nell Kariger Award), Harry Saltzgaver (Keith Cordes Award), Avery White and Andrew Zevallos (Harold Hofman Memorial Scholarship Award), Hank Waddles (Keith Hansen Memorial Award), Noah Smith (Phillip Guardabascio Award), Kalin Badgley (Hank Hollingworth Award), Brad Rudy (Marie C. Gooch Past Presidents Award), Dawn Tran and Ian Dantas (Special Olympics Award), Alfredo Velasco (Ernie G. Pollman Memorial Award),Fausto Gaxiola iii (Jim Herrick Award), and Casey Kammel (Jim Knaub Award).
High School Athletes of the Year For Each Sport:
Girls’ Badminton: Ceci Fonseca, Lakewood
Boys’ Badminton: Peter You, Long Beach Poly
Baseball: Daunte Bell, Millikan
Co- Girls’ Basketball: Aniyah Lindsey (Lakewood), Jah’asharee Moore (Jordan)
Boys’ Basketball: Quali Giran, Millikan
Beach Volleyball: Simrin Adams and Sadie Calderone, Wilson
Girls’ Cross Country: Nadia Mejia, Wilson
Boys’ Cross Country: Jack Walsh, Millikan
Girls’ Diving: Lorealle Lobedecis, Long Beach Poly
Flag Football: Ki’ele Ho-Ching, Long Beach Poly
Football: Jude Nelson, Millikan
Co- Girls’ Golf: Jasmyn Munoz (St. Anthony), Hailey Stoskopf (Millikan)
Boys’ Golf: John Schroder (Wilson)
Girls’ Lacrosse: Amelia Nulty (Wilson)
Boys’ Lacrosse: Garrett Bruhl (Millikan)
Girls’ Soccer: Savannah Galvan (Millikan)
Boys’ Soccer: Ivan Cervantes Vega, Millikan
Girls’ Swimming: Sienna Ramirez, Millikan
Boys’ Swimming: Lucas Jue, Long Beach Poly
Girls’ Tennis: Mandy Oliveros, CAMS
Boys’ Tennis: Kamden Harden, Long Beach Poly
Girls’ Track: Clara Adams (Wilson)
Boys’ Track: Noah Smith (Long Beach Poly)
Co-Girls’ Volleyball: Mckennah Iamaleava (Long Beach Poly), Simrin Adams (Wilson)
Co-Boys’ Volleyball: Maurice Gibbs III (Jordan), Kobe Magdael (Millikan)
Girls’ Water Polo: Bella Salley-Najjarian, Wilson
Boys’ Water Polo: Samson Casem (Wilson), Keegan Abing (Wilson)
Girls’ Wrestling: Ashley Wafer, Lakewood
Boys’ Wrestling: Chris Anguiano, Millikan
