Unfortunately as specialization is pushed at younger and younger ages, the high school multisport athlete is largely becoming a thing of the past, with year-round commitments crowding out the old-school approach. As such we wanted to recognize four Long Beach athletes competing in multiple sports at a high level this year. On the boys’ side, […]
Author: Mike Guardabascio
Spirit of Long Beach 2024: LBCC’s Randy Totorp
Each year we present the Spirit of Long Beach award to a person or group of people that’s inspired us over the course of the school year. This year, LBCC Dean of Kinesiology, Athletics, and Public Health Randy Totorp is our obvious selection. Anyone who’s seen the revitalization of LBCC’s sports facilities knows that they’re […]
Heartfelt Moment of the Year 2024: St. Anthony’s Alan Mitchell Dedicates Title to Father
Every year features emotional highs and lows, and 2023-24 was no different. But no moment moved us more than seeing St. Anthony boys’ basketball coach Alan Mitchell pointing to the sky in memory of his father after leading his Saints to the CIF-SS Division 2AA championship. Mitchell lost his father just a month prior to […]
Feature: From Iowa to Long Beach, Twin Sisters’ Legacy of Giving Shines Brightly
Photos by John Napalan The two twin sisters are having a conversation that could be had by any siblings in Long Beach, but could also be only had by these two women: Marilyn Bohl and Arline Walter. They’re trying to figure out whose place to meet at to take a few pictures together—that’s the normal […]
All-City Tech Team of the Year: Cabrillo Drone Soccer
With the rise of e-sports and other technologically-driven competitions like drone soccer, The562 and the Grunion Gazette are adding a “Tech Team of the Year” honor to this year’s All-City Awards, and our first selection couldn’t be easier. The Cabrillo High drone soccer team won a national championship this year, sweeping through the United States […]
Freshmen of the Year: Wilson’s Saniah Varnado & Long Beach Poly’s Ben Harris
No sport in Long Beach has been more successful than track and field over the last several years, so it’s no surprise that both of this year’s All-City Freshmen of the Year come from the oval. Long Beach Poly and Wilson both captured state titles this year, and neither would have been atop the podium […]
All-City Coaches of the Year: Crystal Irving, Neil Nelson & Shannon Fisher
Long Beach Poly track and field head coach Crystal Irving continues to blaze a trail. She’s the head of the most prestigious high school sports program perhaps in all of California, a Trackrabbit team that’s won more boys’ and girls’ state titles than any other school in state history (in any sport). Despite the pressure […]
For the Fridge: East Long Beach PONY 6s Win Regional Championship
The ELB PONY Shetland 6U All Star team won the central regional championship tournament two weeks ago, and will begin play in the PONY West Zone 6s World Series this weekend in Simi Valley. The team went 4-0 in the regional tourney and defeated LAYB in the championship game. The coaches are Joey Diette, Dana […]
All-City Athletes of the Year: Hamilton, Ricks, Parra Bring Home Top Honors
Our All-City Athletes of the Year award has been around for more than a decade, just a fraction of the 120+ year history of amazing youth athletes in Long Beach. But over the last 11 years we’ve gotten a good look at the top flight of the city’s talent pool: previous recipients of this award […]
For the Fridge: Long Beach PONY 13s All Stars Win Super Regional Championship
The Long Beach PONY 13s all stars out of Whaley Park are off to a great start this Summer, claiming the Region and Super Regional Tournaments to advance to this weekend’s Zone Tournament in West Hills. After a second-place finish in the District Tournament, the Long Beach boys have ripped off eight straight wins to […]