News Detail
Lightning Athletics Names 2026 CIF-SS Academic Student Athletes
Ryan Manesh ‘26 and Ella Wong ‘26 were recently named as Sage Hill School’s candidates for the 2025-26 CIF-Southern Section (CIF-SS) Academic Student Athletes of the Year Award.
Ella and Ryan are senior captains of the Girls’ Tennis and Boys’ Volleyball teams respectively.
Through the CIF-SS Academic Awards Program, each CIF-SS member school is invited to name a male and female “Student Athlete of the Year.” Each must be a senior who has maintained a minimum of a 3.5 GPA (4.0 scale) over the past three years, in addition to earning a letter in at least one varsity sport and participating in extracurricular activities such as music, theater and service-learning groups.
Lightning Athletics also saw several teams earn high marks once again in the CIF-SS Academic Awards program.
To be considered, varsity teams must have at least five student-athletes with a minimum 3.0 GPA average (4.0 scale) in the first semester or first two quarters of the 2025-26 school year. The highest team GPA in each sport category by enrollment determines the winner. Schools are divided into two enrollment categories: 1,500 students and above and 1,499 students and below.
Sage Hill had several notable finishes this year in the team category:
First Place
Girls’ Beach Volleyball
Boys’ Track & Field
Second Place
Football
Boys’ Tennis
Third Place
Boys’ Cross Country
Girls’ Volleyball
“We couldn’t be more proud of our varsity teams for this great accomplishment along with our two amazing student athletes of the year,” Director of Athletics Megan Cid said. “These recognitions demonstrate that our student athletes work equally as hard hitting the books as they do on the athletic field or court. They represent the best of Lightning Athletics!”
Sage Hill School
A college preparatory independent day school for grades 7-12.
20402 Newport Coast Drive, Newport Coast, CA 92657
Phone: 949.219.0100 | Fax: 949.219.1399
20402 Newport Coast Drive, Newport Coast, CA 92657
Phone: 949.219.0100 | Fax: 949.219.1399
Sage Hill School admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the School. The School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship programs, and athletic and other School administered programs.