Finalists for the SoCal Prep Legends coach of the year aounced

Throughout the school year, SoCal Prep Legends has been recognizing the best high school student-athletes in Southe Califoia. As the end of the spring sports season approaches, SoCal Prep Legends will aounce award wiers in 11 categories, including boys and girls Athlete of the Year wiers.

In the weeks ahead, we’ll aounce finalists for the awards from KABC and the Southe Califoia News Group that includes 11 news outlets throughout Southe Califoia.

Here are the nominees for Coach of the Year:

Kelli DiMuro, Chaminade girls basketball

DiMuro led the Eagles to a 31-4 record, which culminated with the CIF State Open Division title — the second state crown in program history. Chaminade also captured the CIF Southe Section Open Division championship for the second straight year.

DiMuro’s strength was displayed through her management of prep stars Valerie Higgins, Leaoa Odom, Melissa Wright, Mackenzy Iwahashi, Zoe Tinsley and Alyssa Fisher.

Walter Escobar, Taft girls soccer

It was a Cinderella story for Escobar’s Taft girls soccer team. Escobar’s accomplishments were a product of his hard work and dedication to a program that had never won a West Valley League title or any league title in its history until this season.

And there was more.

In his third season in charge, Escobar transformed the program from one that lost aually into the 2016 L.A. City Section Division 1 champion, wiing the title in March. In the championship game, Escobar’s team rallied from a 2-0 deficit by scoring three goals in the final 12 minutes to pull out a 3-2 victory over El Camino Real.

Steve Baik, Chino HIlls boys basketball

Baik, who recently resigned, led Chino Hills to a perfect season, finishing 35-0 and No. 1 in almost every national poll. Baik’s team not only dominated Califoia with a CIF Southe Section Open Division title and Open Division State title, but defeated teams from nine different states and chalked up 11 wins against teams that were nationally ranked. The Huskies were on the road so much, they played just seven home games all season — five league games and two playoff games. Although Baik’s Chino Hills team was stacked with unmatchable talent this season, his culture of setting philosophies and demand for hard work caot go without being recognized.

Jeff Sink, Brea girls basketball

Sink guided his team to jaw-dropping heights this past season, with just one senior and one junior. Brea Olinda won the CIF State Southe Califoia Division 1 Regional title and the CIF State Division 1 crown. Sink tued a team filled with youth and talent into a champion. It helped that the lone senior on the team was 5-foot-7 guard Reili Richardson, who’s committed to play at Arizona State next year. But Sink’s ability to teach the game to a crop of freshmen and sophomores in a way that they could retain and execute was an outstanding display of coaching.

Advertisement

Doug Soles, Great Oak cross country

Soles’ Great Oak cross country program is a juggeaut in the ruing community, not just on a local scale, but also on the national level. Great Oak was labeled the best in the nation last fall after being crowned national champion at the Nike Cross Nationals in Portland, Ore., on Dec. 5. Not only did the Wolfpack win under Soles’ guidance, but they made history with 114 total points and won by 49 points — the largest margin in meet history. Soles led both the girls and boys cross country squads to CIF Division 1 State championships this past fall. The girls team also finished third in the Nike Cross Nationals.