On ‘520 Day,’ these T-Locs do their hometown proud

On “520 Day,” we’ll take a look at five Tucson athletes who are impacting their sports of choice. We’ll also list 20 who have done the Old Pueblo proud. One caveat: Our list is limited to “T-Locs,” not Arizona Wildcats or local pro athletes who were born and raised elsewhere.

Here’s our list, in no particular order:

Delaney Schnell: The former Tucson High diver won a silver medal in the 10-meter synchronized platform event at last summer’s Olympics. And last momth, Schnell — an Arizona Wildcats standout — was named the Pac-12 Diver of the Year for the second straight season. She was the conference’s platform and one-meter champion in both 2021 and ’22.

Bijan Robinson: The former Salpointe Catholic High School running back, now a Texas Longhorns star, is among the favorites to win the Heisman Trophy this season. Robinson is projected by ESPN analyst Todd McShay to land in the first round of the 2023 draft. Robinson made news recently by agreeing to an endorsement deal with a Lamborghini dealership in Austin. 

Roman Bravo-Young: A Sunnyside High School graduate now at Penn State, “RBY” is a two-time national wrestling champion in the 133-pound weight class. Success is nothing new for the wrestling star, who was a perfect 182-0 at Sunnyside and is 80-9 in college. He has won 36 consecutive matches.

Audrey Jimenez: A 16-year-old who just finished her sophomore season at Sunnyside, Jimenez is one of the nation’s top female wrestlers. Earlier this month, Jimenez was named the Team USA Wrestler of the Week following her performance at the USMC Women’s Nationals in Texas, where she defeated three college prospects in the U20 division. Jimenez is ranked as the top wrestler in her weight class; she’ll travel to Italy and Bulgaria this summer for the world championships.

Alex Bowman: Driving the No. 48 car for the renowned Hendrick Motorsports, the Ironwood Ridge High School product won his seventh-career NASCAR race in March, when he placed first at the Pennzoil 400 in Las Vegas.

Abdi Abdirahman: Last summer, the former Tucson High, Pima College and Arizona Wildcats star became, at age 44, the oldest American runner to ever compete in the marathon at the Olympics.

Blake Martinez: The former Canyon del Oro High School standout missed the 2021 NFL season with a torn ACL after signing a three-year, $30 million contract with the New York Giants.

Lathan Ransom: The Salpointe graduate earned snaps in Ohio State’s defensive secondary, finishing the season with 38 tackles, one sack and five pass deflections before suffering a leg injury in the Rose Bowl.

Nick Gonzales: The Pittsburgh Pirates’ top pick in the 2020 MLB draft is shining for the Double-A Altoona Curve. MLB.com lists Gonzales, a Cienega High School grad who played collegiately at New Mexico State, as the No. 1 prospect in the Pirates’ system.

Kylie Wild: The Salpointe runner won a Division III state championships in the 1,600 meters and 3,200 meters and was part of a state championship relay team as the Lancers girls won a state title last weekend. In November, Wild won her second Division III cross country state championship, beating the runner-up by more than 15 seconds. 

Levi Wallace: The former Tucson High defensive back signed a two-year, $8 million deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers in March after four seasons with the Buffalo Bills.

Trevor Werbylo: The former Salpointe and UA standout won the Lake Charles Championship as part of the Korn Ferry Tour, which is a developmental tour for the PGA Tour. 

Dominick Cruz: The Flowing Wells High School product, a UFC fighter, won his bantamweight bout against Pedro Munhoz in December.

Ka’Deem Carey: Who says you need to play in the NFL to have a memorable professional football career? Carey, a former Canyon del Oro High School star and All-American running back at the UA, had 164 rushes for 869 yards and seven touchdowns for the Calgary Stampeders of the CFL last season. Carey is back in Calgary for another year. 

Trenton, Coben, Treyson and Rylen Bourguet: The Bourguet siblings are sports royalty. Trenton, a Marana High School graduate, is competing for the starting quarterback’s job at Arizona State. Coben, a Salpointe grad, is a walk-on wide receiver for the Sun Devils. Treyson Bourguet, a three-year starting quarterback at Salpointe, just signed to play football at Western Michigan. And Rylen, a junior at Salpointe, has won five combined state championships in girls soccer, girls volleyball and beach volleyball.

Riley Nielson: With Nielson in the circle, Sabino High School won another Class 3A state softball title last week. She finished with a 19-2 record as a starter this year.

Stanley Berryhill: The Tucson native and ex-UA wide receiver signed with the Atlanta Falcons as an undrafted free agent.

Derick Bush: The former Salpointe defensive back signed with the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent after a standout career at Coastal Carolina.

Tanvi Narendran: The Rincon/University High School tennis standout won the Division I girls state singles title earlier this month. It was a banner spring for tennis in Southern Arizona; Catalina Foothills’ Jared Perry won the Division II boys singles title, and the Falcons’ duo of Austin Cohen and Grant Cohen won the Division II doubles title. Foothills won state team titles in both boys and girls tennis.

Carlie Scupin: The former Tucson High Badger has hit 17 home runs and carries a .368 batting average in her second season with the UA softball program.

Alex Verdugo: Fenway Park is a long way from Sahuaro High School, but the starting left fielder for the Boston Red Sox is at home there.

Luis Gonzalez: The former Catalina Foothills High School baseball star hit his first big-league home run in the San Francisco Giants’ 4-2 win over the Milwaukee Brewers last month.

Kelsey Harshman: The former Sabino softball star won a bronze medal with Canada in the Tokyo Olympics.

Andre Jackson: The former Cienega pitcher made his big-league debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers last season.

Elijah Rushing: The 6-foot-5-inch, 225-pound edge rusher from Salpointe is currently rated as a four-star prospect in the Class of 2024. He carries offers from the hometown Wildcats as well as Florida, Georgia, Miami, Michigan, Notre Dame, Oregon, Texas, USC and Texas A&M.