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There is much to celebrate in SUSD Athletics – three state championships!
Tennis
The #1 Desert Mountain girls tennis team succeeded in reclaiming the Division I state title on May 10th, shutting out #2 Xavier Prep. 5-0 at Paseo Racquet Center in Glendale. Earlier in the week, the Wolves’ top doubles teams had to face each other for the state championship. In the end, it was the duo of Hannah FitzGerald and Julia Zhang that outlasted teammates Kaley Gravel and Alexandra Frazier, 6-3, 4-6, 10-5. Tessa Wachtel competed for the state singles title but ended up falling to Boulder Creek’s Michelle Bullock, 1-6, 6-4, 7-10. What a fabulous season by the Kim Dever-led Wolves girls tennis team!
Softball
Moving from the courts to the softball diamond, the Lady Wolves pulled off the trifecta, repeating their winning ways for the third consecutive season in 5A softball competition. Despite a nail-biter of a first inning in the state championship game at ASU’s Farrington Stadium on May 19th, the Desert Mountain girls, led by Lilly Goodwin on the mound and at the plate, and big hits and aggressive baserunning by Cyan De Luigi and McKinsey Beyer, shut out Tucson’s Canyon del Oro Dorados by a score of 4-0.
Spring Athletics Banquet
SUSD’s high school athletics season wrapped up May 12th with a final banquet celebrating 50 outstanding student athletes in five sports: baseball, beach volleyball, softball, tennis, and track and field.
Among those honored were Natasha Stewart, Coronado High School, and Michael Bostrom, Desert Mountain High School. The excelling students each received a $500 scholarship from the Charro Foundation for being leaders on their school campuses, on their teams and in their communities.
Natasha graduated from Coronado last month with a 4.0 GPA, earning numerous college credits through AP courses. She was a member of the National Honor Society, HOSA (Future Health Professionals), CHANT (Coronado High Alliance of Native Tribes), Sports Medicine and CEO clubs, while also being a 3½ year member of the state champion Coronado Marching Band’s Color Guard. She is an active community volunteer at Yavapai and Crockett Elementary schools, and with Feed My Starving Children, and has participated in school hygiene and food drives.
Natasha is a proud recipient of a 2025 Coronado Promise Scholarship and will attend Scottsdale Community College in the fall, with plans to complete a bachelor’s degree in nursing at Arizona State University.
Michael has been a tremendous student athlete in the Desert Mountain Learning Community since kindergarten. Michael graduated with a 4.1 GPA, taking AP and Honors courses even as a senior. Michael has been a four-year varsity member of the Desert Mountain track and field team, qualifying for state each year. He also competed in the Nike Track Nationals in Eugene, Oregon, as a junior. He was the team’s Most Valuable Player in 2024 and won multiple SUSD championships in the 800 meter during his high school running career.
Michael is also a tremendous part of his community, volunteering as a counselor at La Casa de Cristo Lutheran Church and at the St. Vincent de Paul kitchen as a Feed My Starving Children server. Next year, Michael will attend Arizona State University’s Polytechnic Campus in Mesa, where, through an ASU partnership, he will attend the University of North Dakota’s aviation program, one of the best in the country. Michael intends to earn an accelerated associate degree in Airway Science Technology with a Flight Emphasis, while also earning his bachelor’s degree.
Congratulations to these fine student athletes and to all of our high school student athletes who gave it their all to represent their schools and SUSD during the 2024-25 school year. They – and we – are grateful for the support they have received from their coaches, their families and their communities. Thank you!
SUSD Summer Athletic Camps
Are your students already stir-crazy with summer boredom? Are they wanting to improve their skills in a particular sport or learn a new one? Maybe they’re just looking for some fun?
Have we got the summer programs for them! Based at all five SUSD high schools, you’ll find a variety of summer athletic camps your student is sure to want to sign up for. Volleyball and track – got it. Cheer and strength and conditioning – got it. Soccer and pom – got it, and so much more!
Our summer sports camps are for all ages.
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Post-season competition in high school baseball, beach volleyball, softball, tennis, and track and field is in high gear as we enter May. Keep tabs on your home team on the AIA website!
- Baseball: https://azpreps365.com/brackets/baseball
- Beach Volleyball: https://azpreps365.com/brackets/beach-girls
- Softball: https://azpreps365.com/brackets/softball
- Tennis:
- Track:
In baseball, Chaparral and Saguaro, last year’s state champions, survived play-in games. Desert Mountain did not. First-round action begins May 3.
In the Division II team state beach volleyball championship game on April 30, Arcadia just missed bringing home the trophy, falling to Estrella Foothills by a 3-2 score. Pairs play gets underway May 5.
In 4A softball, both Arcadia and Saguaro lost their play-in matchups. Over in 5A, Chaparral won its play-in game. #1 Desert Mountain looks to three-peat. First-round play in both conferences starts May 3.
In tennis, team competition began April 29 for girls and April 30 for boys. In Div. I, the #1 Desert Mountain girls team is back in action May 6, having defeated Liberty 5-0 in team competition. Team, singles and doubles competition continues. The Chaparral girls team’s season ended with a loss to #2 Xavier. In Div. II team play, Saguaro’s girls are in the state quarterfinals in team competition, with singles and doubles play beginning May 2. The Arcadia girls did not survive their first-round matchup against Catalina Foothills but have athletes competing in singles and doubles.
In Division I boys tennis, #9 Desert Mountain continues its state championship team pursuit May 7 against #1 Hamilton. #13 Chaparral fell in its first-round match-up against #4 Desert Vista. In Division II, Saguaro’s season ended with a 3-5 loss to McClintock on April 30. Singles and doubles play is just getting underway.
SUSD Teacher Receives State Honors
Congratulations to Mohave Middle School P.E. teacher Shelley Dinges, who was inducted last weekend into the Arizona High School Coaches Hall of Fame! Shelley started her coaching career 27 years ago in Kansas before moving to Arizona and Notre Dame Prep in 2002, where she coached highly successful golf, soccer and tennis teams. In addition to her P.E. duties at Mohave, Shelley led the Saguaro High School boys tennis and girls badminton teams this school year. We’re happy you are now a part of the SUSD family, Coach Dinges!
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Winter Charro Foundation Scholarships Awarded
Congratulations to Tess Sage from Arcadia High School and Dylan Cruz from Coronado High School, the most recent recipients of Charro Foundation Scholarships. The duo was recognized at the March 5 All-District Athletics Awards Banquet for winter sports.
Tess has been a three-year starter for the Titans’ girls soccer team, holds a 4.125 academic GPA and is going all-in on her senior year, taking five Advanced Placement courses. Save one semester, she has attended SUSD schools since kindergarten. Tess heads up Arcadia’s high school mathematics society, Mu Alpha Theta, and belongs to the Thespian Honor Society, as well as the school’s Theatre and Bing clubs. Tess makes her mark in the community, too, as a participant in the National Charity League. Tess plans to attend Arizona State University in the fall and intern with Team Select, a program of the U.S. National Women’s Soccer organization.
Dylan is also a kindergarten-through-high school SUSD product, having attended Pima and Hohokam Elementary schools and Tonalea K-8 before becoming a Coronado Don. He is a three-sport varsity letterman in football, wrestling and baseball and served as wrestling team captain this past season. Dylan was chosen to serve on the AIA’s Student Leadership Council and is a member of the National Honor Society. His 3.9 GPA has earned him a Lumberjack Scholarship to attend Northern Arizona University in the fall, where he plans to study Exercise Physiology. In the community, Dylan is a volunteer at SUSD’s Yavapai Elementary School and David Crockett Elementary School in the neighboring Balsz Elementary School District. He also volunteers at Feed My Starving Children’s Tempe location.
The Charro Foundation presents a $500 award to one female and one male student athlete at each of the district’s three awards banquets. The spring banquet is set for May 12th. Thank you, Scottsdale Charros, for your continued support of SUSD Athletics!
Spring Sports in Full Swing
High Schools
Spring has sprung on the diamonds, courts and tracks of SUSD high schools. The baseball, softball, tennis, track and field, and beach volleyball seasons are underway. Follow your team’s journey at https://azpreps365.com/.
The District Track and Field Championships will be held April 15-16 at Desert Mountain High School, convening at 2:30 p.m. both days.
Middle Schools
Our middle school athletes are honing their track and field skills this month, too. Catch one of their Thursday weekly meets April 10th, 17th and 24th at 5 p.m. at Coronado High School. The Middle School Track and Field Championships are slated for May 1st, also at Coronado. The final meet gets underway at 4:30 p.m. that day.
Please remember that spectators must follow SUSD’s Clear Bag policy at these events. Refresh yourself on its requirements here.
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High Schools - Winning Seasons!
Congratulations to the #1 Chaparral High School girls soccer team which secured the AIA 5A state championship this past weekend over Arizona College Prep! The 11-1 Firebirds secured the title with a 3-1 victory. Read all about the match and Coach Robyn Carlson’s ongoing, successful leadership here: https://azpreps365.com/articles/18271-chaparral-didnt-look-back-in-5a-championship-win
Over on the boys side, the Saguaro High School boys soccer team competed in the 4A state championship, also on Saturday. While the #3 Sabercats ended up on the wrong end of the 7-2 final score, falling to Salpointe Catholic, they certainly have nothing to hang their heads about. Congratulations, Cats and Coach Sabbagh, on your 9-1-2 winning season! Post-season play included wins over Dysart, Westview and Mica Mountain.
With the high school winter athletics season over for SUSD schools, it’s time to look forward to spring, the season with the most sports taking place at the same time. They are baseball, beach volleyball, softball, tennis, and track and field. Grab a lawn chair and catch a match sometime. You can find our high school teams’ schedules at azpreps365 anytime!
Middle Schools
Our middle school grades student athletes home in on competing in track and field during the last quarter of the school year. The beauty of track and field is that it has multiple different activities that allow students to develop in one or more individual sport, including running, high jump and javelin, to name a few. For your student to take part, please sign up your student in Aktivate, formerly RegisterMyAthlete.
TPC Scottsdale Debut for 2016 DM Golfer
Former Desert Mountain High School golfer Matt McCarty was on familiar ground last month when he competed in the 2025 Waste Management Phoenix Open. While the former Wolf did not make the cut, just getting there is a great accomplishment! Read more about Matt’s golf journey that brought him to his home stomping grounds.
https://cronkitenews.azpbs.org/2025/02/06/desert-mountain-alum-matt-mccarty-debuts-wm-phoenix-open/
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More than 70 middle school athletes hit the trails, courts and fields in and around Mountainside Middle School and Desert Mountain High School on Jan. 25 for the Quarter 3 Sports Festival. Boys and girls ran a cross-country event through the neighborhood and in the nearby mountain foothills, girls played basketball and boys played flag football. A great time was had by all, and the weather was perfect!
The cross-country season is short, with the final race scheduled for Feb. 19 at Chaparral Park.
Tier 2 play in basketball and flag football begins this week. See the game schedule here.
High Schools
Winter athletic seasons are starting to wind down, with post-season play getting underway soon. Here’s where to find teams, schedules and tournament information:
- Boys basketball - https://azpreps365.com/brackets/basketball-boys
- Girls basketball - https://azpreps365.com/brackets/basketball-girls
- Boys soccer - https://azpreps365.com/brackets/soccer-winter-boys
- Girls soccer - https://azpreps365.com/brackets/soccer-winter-girls
- Boys wrestling – https://azpreps365.com/championships/wrestling-boys
- Girls wrestling - https://azpreps365.com/championships/wrestling-girls
High School and Middle School Fee Increases for SY 2025-2026
At its Nov. 12, 2024, meeting, the Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD) Governing Board approved an increase in the High School Activities Participation Fee from $150 to $200 per sport, adding a cap per student of $400 per school year. The Board also approved an increase in the cost of Student/Parent Activity passes. These changes go into effect for the 2025-2026 school year.
On January 7, 2025, the SUSD Governing Board approved a Participation Fee increase for Middle Schools, as well. These new fees, which also go into effect next school year, will be $75 per Tier 1 sport, $40 for Tier 2, and $90 for Cross Country, Track and Spiritline. All Participation Fees can be paid as refundable Arizona tax credits. The Board also approved an increase in adult ticket prices for high school games from $5 to $7.
Please note that SUSD has not raised Athletics Participation Fees since 2010-2011. Reduced fees are available to students who qualify through SUSD Nutrition Services for Free and Reduced Lunch.
SUSD wants to continue to provide exceptional extracurricular opportunities to our students and families. Funds generated from these increases will help pay for tournaments, officials, game workers, equipment, security, police, bussing, facility improvements, and costs related to program expansion.
SUSD Athletics is grateful to our Governing Board for its recent actions, and we appreciate your understanding why they were necessary. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your site Athletic Director. Thank you.
Meanwhile, spring seasons are just around the corner for baseball, beach volleyball, softball, tennis, and track and field. Find out more on the AIA website.
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