Napa Valley Notes and Quotes: Prolific Prep's Dybantsa earns MaxPreps honors (2024)

MARTY JAMES

A.J. Dybantsa, a 6-foot-9 junior wing for Prolific Prep of Napa Christian, was named to the 2023-24 MaxPreps All-America Team for high school basketball, it was announced at maxpreps.com on April 10.

Dybantsa, the “top-ranked prospect in the Class of 2025,” according to MaxPreps, is on the second team. He averaged 21.2 points, 9.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game for the Crew.

He scored 30 points on 10-of-11 shooting from the field and 8-of-9 from the free throw line in Prolific Prep’s 80-69 win over Brewster Academy (Wolfeboro, N.H.) in January. He also had five assists and four rebounds, MaxPreps reported.

Dybantsa was also named to the MaxPreps Junior All-America Team for high school basketball during the 2023-24 season, maxpreps.com announced on April 15. Dybantsa is on the first team.

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Katie Robinson, a junior at Bethune-Cookman University (Daytona Beach, Fla.), was the individual low medalist at the 2024 Southwestern Athletic Conference Women’s Golf Championship, shooting 78-73-72 – 223 at The Refuge April 15-17 in Flowood, Miss.

Robinson, an American Canyon High School graduate, was named All-SWAC first team.

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Tyran Stokes, a 6-foot-7 forward for Prolific Prep of Napa Christian, was named to the MaxPreps Sophom*ore All-America Team for high school basketball, it was announced at maxpreps.com on April 16.

Stokes, who averaged 13.1 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game during the 2023-24 season, is on the first team.

“Stokes showed potential as a point-forward on a loaded roster,” MaxPreps said.

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Noah Piersig, a senior right-handed pitcher for Vintage High, was named as the Cal-Hi Sports Northern California Baseball Player of the Week.

“The search for the Northern California Baseball Player of the Week takes us to the picturesque Napa Valley,” Cal-Hi Sports.com said at calhisports.com on April 16.

Piersig threw a no-hitter, striking out six batters, in Vintage’s 5-0 Vine Valley Athletic League win over Justin-Siena.

“Of note, and for those potential colleges looking for a well-rounded student-athlete, Noah produces in the classroom as well where he reportedly carries a 4.3 grade point average. That’s crushing it!” the report at calhisports.com said.

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Rico Abreu of St. Helena has placed in three straight Kubota High Limit Racing “A” feature races for sprint cars.

Abreu was seventh in a 30-lap feature at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas, on April 13.

He was 21st in a 35-lap feature at RPM Speedway, in Crandall, Texas on April 14.

He was also seventh in a 35-lap feature at Red Dirt Raceway, in Meeker, Okla., on April 16.

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Jordan Washington, a junior at Justin-Siena High School, was named to the 2023-24 All-North Coast Section girls basketball team by SBLive Sports, it was announced at highschool.athlonsports.com on April 8. Washington is on the second team.

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Tyree Reed of American Canyon is batting .337 (35-for-104) with four doubles, two triples, three home runs and 34 RBIs as a redshirt freshman outfielder for Central Arizona College, a community college in Coolidge, Ariz.

Reed, an American Canyon High School graduate and a transfer from Oregon State, has nine stolen bases and a .504 on-base percentage in 36 games.

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Three Napa County players are among final nominees from the CIF North Coast Section for the 45th CalHiSports.com All-State girls basketball teams, it was announced at calhisports.com on April 13.

The list includes Lauren Keller, a sophom*ore from Justin-Siena; Jordan Washington, a junior from Justin-Siena; and Jordan Woodson, a sophom*ore from American Canyon.

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Prolific Prep of Napa Christian (33-6) is No. 4 in the MaxPreps final National Top 10 high school basketball rankings for the 2023-24 season, it was announced at maxpreps.com on April 9.

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Caitlyn Newburn, a sophom*ore catcher/infielder who is from Napa, is hitting .284 (21-for-74) with five doubles, three home runs and 13 RBIs in 36 games for the Army West Point softball team. Newburn is a Napa High graduate.

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Vintage High (10-2-1) is listed as among “more teams on the bubble” in the CalHiSports.com State Softball Top-35 Rankings, as announced at calhisports.com on April 16.

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Napa’s Shelby Morse is 6-5 with a 2.12 earned run average as a sophom*ore pitcher for the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Daytona Beach, Fla.) softball team.

Morse, a 2022 Vintage High graduate, has thrown 62.2 innings in 12 appearances.

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Aribella Farrell of St. Helena has a 12-7 record and 4.96 earned run average as a freshman pitcher for the San Diego Mesa College softball team.

Farrell, a 2023 St. Helena High graduate, has made 27 appearances and thrown 120 innings, with 10 starts.

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Napa’s Sierra Crocker is batting .389 (42-for-108) for the Valley City State University (Valley City, N.D.) softball team as a graduate student.

Crocker, a Vintage High graduate who is a catcher/infielder, has eight doubles, six home runs and 29 RBIs in 37 games.

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Jacob Aaron, a sophom*ore for the Santa Barbara City College men's golf team, fired a 78 in a recent Western State Conference tournament at Alisal Ranch Golf Course in Solvang.

Aaron, a Vintage High graduate who is from Napa, had a 79 in a tournament at Brookside Golf Course in Pasadena.

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Kimberlee Walston of Napa has a .286 batting average (20-for-70), with six doubles, two triples and 13 RBIs as a fifth-year player on the Simpson University (Redding) softball team.

Walston, an outfielder, is a Napa High graduate and has played in 29 games.

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Raegan Jackson of American Canyon is batting .208 (5-for-24) as a sophom*ore outfielder for the Cal State Northridge softball team.

Jackson, a 2022 graduate of American Canyon High, has a double and two RBIs in 26 games.

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Sahith Theegala, the winner of last year’s Fortinet Championship, a PGA Tour FedExCup fall event at Silverado Resort and Spa, said he is getting more and more confident, as well as getting more and more comfortable.

“I still feel like I have so much room to improve. But my ball-striking has been the biggest reason. I'm just getting more consistent. The misses are tighter. My body feels better. I'm taking more rest weeks. It's probably the most rested I've ever been in five years because I've always played, played, played every week. I'm learning how much that's helping my body,” Theegala said, according to a transcription at ASAP Sports at asapsports.com, during last week’s Masters tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.

“Honestly my short game has really been sub-par for the last four or five months and I've still been playing really well. I know the short game at some point, it's been my bread and butter my whole life so I know it's going to come back. I'm putting in the work. It's great to see the consistency paying off.”

Theegala tied for 45th place at the Masters.

“I haven't been in contention a ton, but I feel like there's a lot of weeks where I'm very close to doing that,” he said.