Induction Year: 2018

To be selected as a Track and Field News magazine National High School Athlete of the Year out of tens of thousands of candidates is a memorable achievement. To be selected twice? To be one of only a handful of repeat honorees – in 1988 and 1989 – in more than seven decades leaves Rio Mesa High graduate Angela Burnham-Teart among the sport’s all-time greats.

When Angela won the 1986 California state girls 100-meter title as a 14-year-old, she became the youngest and only freshman to have accomplished the feat. In total, Angela won five state, four CIF-Southern Section and three section Masters individual titles.

No telling how many more she would have added had not a bout with chicken pox and a hamstring injury knock her out of the 1987 sophomore season after setting personal bests in the 100 and 200 that year.

If there was one year that stood out the most, one could point to 1988. That spring, Angela won section and Masters Meet titles in the 100 and 200. Participating in four events at the state meet, Angela won the 100 and 200 as she helped Rio Mesa become the only Ventura County girls team to win a state track and field title. And she wasn’t done.

At the 1988 U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials, where she was the youngest competitor at age 16, Angela reached the semifinals of the 100 with third-fastest clocking – at the time – of 11.28 seconds for a high school female.

As a senior, Angela repeated as a double state sprint champion—the first girls ever to defend these titles. She was the National Junior Champion in the 100 and represented the U.S. in the Pan American Games in Argentina. She was selected as the 1989 Gatorade National Player of the Year in girls’ Track and Field.

In her freshman year at UCLA, Angela won the 1990 PAC-10 100-meter title. Injuries sustained on the track and in an automobile accident cut short her collegiate career.

The Oxnard resident and her husband Anthony are the parents of Ashley and Anthony, who was also a state champion Track & Field athlete for Rio Mesa in 2012.

For one glorious autumn, there was no bigger action figure in high school football than the one nicknamed “Mighty Mouse.” From a 330-yard, 4-touchdown performance in the season opener to 276 yards gained in the CIF-Southern Section Division IV championship game at Arroyo High School, Tyler Ebell zig-zagged his way to a once-in-a-lifetime season, where he remains atop the CIF-Southern Section record books in single season: points scored, touchdowns and yards per game.

USA Today featured the Ventura High running back on the front page of its sports section. ESPN sent film crew to chronicle his feats—for good reason. All that Tyler did that season was set state records for 4,494 yards rushing – No. 3 on the all-time national list – 64 touchdowns and 388 points. In leading Ventura to the section championship, Tyler rushed for 300 or more yards in 10 of the team’s 14 games. For his career, Tyler finished with 7,385 yards rushing and 111 touchdowns. He was also an all Channel League selection and three-year starter on the Cougar boys’ basketball team.

The postseason honors were numerous: Ventura County Star player of the year, L.A. Times Southern California player of the year, Division IV offensive player of the year, Cal-High Sports state player of the year, Parade Magazine All-American, Student Sports Senior All-American, Prep Star All-American, National High School Athlete of the Year by the National High School Coaches Association and was the first high school Heisman Trophy winner.

At UCLA, Tyler set a UCLA freshman season rushing record with 994 yards, ranked fourth in the PAC-10 in scoring and fifth in scoring in 2002. He became the first freshmen in school history to rush for at least 100 yards six times (all consecutive) in a single season. He was recognized by The Sporting News with second team All-America honors.  Additionally, he was voted second team All Pac-10 and UCLA’s offensive rookie of the year. After three years at UCLA, Tyler transferred to UTEP where he amassed 786 all-purpose yards in seven games and missed the rest of the season due to injury.

Injuries limited him to three seasons in the Canadian Football League, ending in 2009 with the BC Lions and Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

Since retiring from football, Tyler became a deputy with the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department. Tyler and his wife Adriana are the parents of Tyler Jr. and Marielena.

Brigham Young University offered a football scholarship to Larry Hamilton in 1980. Hamilton had been a two-way lineman for the Hueneme High football program and started in the California State Shrine All-Star game. Brigham Young University offered a wrestling scholarship to Hamilton as well. And why not? Hamilton had placed in the top five at the CIF state championships in different weight divisions as a junior and senior. The two-time Channel League champion won a section title in 1980.

What to do? Larry arrived at the Provo, Utah, campus in 1980 to play football and wrestle, excelling in both as a rare two-sport standout in college.

Larry was a starting defensive lineman on BYU’s 1984 national championship football team. Upon graduation, he was drafted by the Denver Gold of the United States Football League.

His achievements as a wrestler were extensive. His went on to win three Western Athletic Conference titles (1981-83), NCAA Western Region titles in 1982 and 1983 as well as regional runner-up in 1981. A preseason All-American in 1984, Larry missed his senior season in 1984 because of a knee injury.

Outside his collegiate career, Larry had a memorable AAU wrestling campaign in 1981, highlighted by a second-place finish in the World Junior Championships. Other achievements on AAU mats that year included runner-up finishes at the Junior National Freestyle and National Greco Roman championship meets.

Had Larry not decided to accept major college athletic scholarship offers in football or wrestling, he could have made it as a track and field athlete. He was a Channel League shot put champion and placed fifth at the 1980 CIF-Southern Section Masters Meet.

For the past 25 years, Larry has helped with the worldwide implementation of Lean Six Sigma, a synergized management concept, and has taught many undergraduate and graduate level classes on this business strategy.

Currently a resident of Salt Lake City, Utah, Larry and his wife Tamara are the parents of Jared, Ashley, Justin and Jordan.

When the Ventura County Star picked its All-Century football team in 2000, there wasn’t much debate about one of its offensive line candidates. By the time that Rio Mesa High retired his football number in 1994, Blake Wingle had completed an athletic career with a resume that included starting for a Rose Bowl Championship team and being part of two NFL regular-season division championship teams.

Blake was a three-sport athlete at Rio Mesa. He was named as the school’s Most Athletic, earning co-MVP honors for Football, MVP for Wrestling and the outstanding field event athlete for Track and Field.

After stints at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and Ventura College, Wingle arrived at Westwood, where he would start for two seasons with the UCLA Bruins. In his senior year, Blake was awarded the game ball against Cal, selected as the offensive MVP against USC, and celebrated with the Bruins’ PAC-10 championship and victory in the 1983 Rose Bowl.

Among Blake’s honors was his selection to the Academic All-American football team. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology.

The Pittsburgh Steelers selected Blake in the ninth round of the 1983 National Football League draft. He was a member of the Steelers’ 1983 Central Division championship team that would lose to the Raiders in the postseason. Blake started 10 games for Pittsburgh in 1984, and he was awarded the game ball after Pittsburgh’s 52-24 win over the San Diego Chargers. The Steelers repeated as the division champion and advanced to the AFC championship game, before losing to the Miami Dolphins.

For the 1985 season, Blake split his time between the Steelers and the Green Bay Packers. In his final NFL season, Blake would play with the Cleveland Browns, starting three games.

A resident of Bakersfield, Blake and his wife Lisa are the parents of Brent, Emily, Brandon and Aubrey.

Decades have passed since Dmitri Young last wore a Rio Mesa High baseball uniform, but his feats on the diamond remain among the best in Ventura County history.

By the end of his high school career in 1991, Dmitri owned county records for career hits, doubles, RBIs and runs scored, made three All-CIF-Southern Section first teams, four all-state teams and was selected as the Cal-Hi Sports player of the year as a senior. USA Today named Dmitri to its 1991 All-American baseball team.

In the 1991 Major League Baseball draft, the St. Louis Cardinals made Dmitri the No. 4 pick of the first round. A breakthrough season with Louisville, the Cardinals’ AAA farm club, vaulted Dmitri to the major leagues.

Dmitri spent 13 big league seasons with four teams (St. Louis, Cincinnati, Detroit and Washington) before retiring after the 2009 season. He averaged .300 or high for four consecutive seasons from 1998 through 2001. In 2005, he became the third player in MLB history to hit three home runs on opening day.

That was not Dmitri’s only flirtation with baseball history. On May 6, 2003, Dmitri was 4 for 4 with two home runs, a triple and a single when he came up to bat in the ninth inning. Needing a double, Dmitri rounded second and reached third for a triple. When asked whether he considered stopping at second to complete the cycle, Dmitri said: “It crossed my mind, but since the game was close, my individual accomplishment took a back seat. The run is the important thing.”

Dmitri was named as the National League Comeback Player of the Year in 2007, averaging .320 with 13 home runs and 74 RBIs for the Nationals.

Since retiring, Dmitri has been involved in coaching amateur baseball and broadcasting.

The Camarillo resident and his fiancé Alycia are the parents of Owen, Damon and Layla.