SAC
SPORTS
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
‘WE’RE GOOD WHEN
WE SHOW UP’
SAC women’s basketball team
ended their sub-par season
defeating Orange Coast College
by the score of 87-44. The Dons
finished with a 13-15 record
and went 7-7 in Orange Empire
Conference play, holding on to the
fifth spot in conference standings.
Freshman guard Nicole Robles
finished the season on top in
three-point percentage with a 40.7
average and also ended fourth in
field goal percentage with a 43.8
average. /Rafael Valencia
MEN’S BASKETBALL
ANOTHER DOWN
SEASON FOR SAC
Sophomores Leyna and Lauryn Wood were also named to the OEC all-conference team.
Doubling Down
Wood sisters honored as Scholar-Athletes of the Year
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The Dons men’s basketball
finished an up and down season
with an 11-17 record. SAC was
unable to get into a rhythm
throughout the season. They
finished seventh in OEC standings.
However, freshman forward
Jalani Horn ranked third in OEC
for points per game and first in
rebounds per game. The Dons
won their final game of the
season against rival Orange Coast
College by the score of 109-86.
/Dorian Zavala
STORY
KANDACE LARA
PHOTO
CHRIS CASTRO
ast season, soccer stars Leyna and Lauryn
Wood took the Dons to the playoffs for the first
time in more than a decade. At the end of the
semester, the twins were awarded the highest honor
of achievement for student-athletes.
The Wood sisters were both named Scholar-
Athletes of the Year by the Athletic Department for
their excellence on the field and in the classroom. The
award is given to one student from each sport who
maintains at least a 3.0 GPA while taking 12 or more
units. Leyna and Lauryn both earned a 4.0 GPA last
year. It’s the first time two players from the same team
have been given the award during the same season.
The Irvine-raised sisters began playing soccer at the
age of 11 and have been kicking the ball around the
field ever since.
Their road to SAC began when Terryn Soelberg,
assistant coach for the Dons women’s soccer team,
suggested they play for Santa Ana.
“The minute we were there, I knew that I loved [SAC]
and wanted to stay,” Leyna said.
Since starting in fall 2018, the sophomores have
proved to be critical in leading the Dons through
winning seasons.
Leyna, a sophomore forward, earned the 2019
Orange Empire Conference’s Most Valuable Player
Award and was honored with a spot on the California
Community College Athletic Association All-State
team.
Midfielder Lauryn was also named to the CCCAA
All-Regional team and to the All-Orange Empire
Conference First team.
Leyna scored 24 goals and six assists last season.
Lauryn notched two goals and six assists.
The Wood sisters plan to transfer to a four-year
college in the fall where they can pursue their passion
for soccer and school together.
“Even though soccer is also a priority, I have to make
sure to keep on top of my grades so that I am eligible
to keep playing,” Lauryn said.
After university, medical school is next on their list.
Leyna wants to be an athletic trainer, and Lauryn
aspires to be an orthopedic surgeon.
“Being a part of the women’s soccer team is the
one thing I’ll miss the most,” Lauryn said. “Soccer and
the coaches were the reason why I came here, and
I can say that being a part of this team was the best
experience I could have had.”
el Don Santa Ana College · March 2020
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