Scottsdale-native Nathan Ponwith grew up attending Sun Devil women's tennis matches as a child with his family, all of whom are well known in the Arizona tennis community as the 2015 USTA National Family of the Year for their efforts to cultivate the game. The Ponwith's operate their own tennis specialty shop in the valley and are donors to the tennis program. With men's tennis' revival for the 2018 season, Ponwith would transfer to Arizona State as a junior in 2019 in order to come back home and rep his hometown team.
"It's been an incredible experience playing for my hometown team," Ponwith said. "Having support from my friends at family at home matches is something that I find very special. It means a lot to me to look up in the crowd and see so many familiar faces. I also take a lot of pride representing Arizona State and my hometown."
Cierra Flood from Xavier College Prep holds the same sentiments as Ponwith, as the Phoenix-native played a dominant high school beach volleyball career growing up in the area. Flood lost only one match in all four years, becoming a four-time AIA state champion while also being named to the Arizona Republic's 2017 All-Arizona Beach Volleyball team. She holds a 34-31 record at Arizona State heading into her junior season this spring, including a dominating match with Katie Cross against North Florida, winning 21-2, 21-2 her sophomore year.
"Being from Arizona, everyone knows ASU and the reputation it has for great athletics, so it is such a dream come true to be an athlete here," Flood said. "I feel like I have had such a huge connection to ASU from the start being that my family and I would always attend the sporting events when I was growing up. Now I see other local girls getting to watch me play and I think how awesome it is that it all has come full circle! "
BASEBALL (9)NCAA Competing for the Sun Devils is a family affair for siblings Abby and Mason Andersen of ASUSoftball and sundevilmgolf: https://t.co/CP7xO2QxvT pic.twitter.com/TgnFLtvzK0 pic.twitter.com/OmOpwKc6zY
— Beyond the Whistle (@BTW_Sports) May 10, 2019
Nathan Baez (Oro Valley/Ironwood Ridge)
Trevor Hauver (Chandler/Perry)
Brian Kalmer (Chandler/Corona del Sol)
Dan Marshall (Queen Creek/Queen Creek)
Seth Nager (Oro Valley/Ironwood Ridge)
Drew Swift (Chandler/Hamilton)
Boyd Vander Kooi (Mesa/Skyline)
Nick Wallerstedt (Tempe/Mountain Pointe)
Gabe Workman (Queen Creek/Basha)
FOOTBALL (35)
Trenton Bourguet (Marana/Marana)
Kyle Breed (Tucson/Ironwood Ridge)
Oliver Carras (Scottsdale/Chaparral)
Anthonie Cooper (Goodyear/Millennium)
Cade Cote (Gilbert/Williams Field)
D.J. Davidson (Mesa/Desert Ridge)
Roman Dewys (Chandler/Basha)
Erik Dickerson (Scottsdale/Chaparral)
Ralph Frias (Safford/Safford)
Alijah Gammage (Phoenix/Desert Vista)
Josh Hart (Tucson/Salpointe)
Case Hatch (Gilbert/Perry)
Curtis Hodges (Mesa/Mountain View)
Parker Jacobs (Chandler/Basha)
K.J. Jarrell (Scottsdale/Saguaro)
Andre Johnson (Tolleson/Tolleson Union)
Tyler Johnson (Gilbert/Highland)
Chase Lucas (Chanlder/Chandler)
Jose Lugo (Tucson/Catalina Magnet)
Kevin Macias (Mesa/Dobson)
Grant Miles (Scottsdale/Horizon)
Steven Miller (Gilbert/Gilbert)
Fritzny Niclasse (Queen Creek/Queen Creek)
Ricky Pearsall (Tempe/Corona del Sol)
Alexander Randle (Mesa/Red Mountain)
Armand Reichelt (Scottsdale/Desert Mountain)
Angel Ruiz (Peoria/Sunrise Mountain)
Marco Salas (Mesa/Dobson)
Jonathan Sanchez (Mesa/Westwood)
Connor Soelle (Scottsdale/Saguaro)
Kyle Soelle (Scottsdale/Saguaro)
Corey Stephens (Scottsdale/Saguaro)
Tyler Whiley (Scottsdale/Chaparral)
Donato Zavala (Phoenix/Northwest Christian)
Cristian Zendejas (Chandler/Perry)
MEN'S BASKETBALL (4)
Micah Burno (Scottsdale/Chaparral)
Grant Fogerty (Scottsdale/Desert Mountain)
Jalen Graham (Phoenix/Mountain Pointe)
Jaelen House (Phoenix/Shadow Mountain)
Solid start for two local freshman through seven games@jaelenhouse2 17-18 FTS (.944)@JalenGraham9 17-23 FGS (.739)
— Sun Devil MBB (@SunDevilHoops) December 6, 2019
Tickets to see them play: https://t.co/391YZLky49 pic.twitter.com/OJM9eXWKip
BEACH VOLLEYBALL (8)
Sierra Ellett (Scottsdale/Notre Dame Prep)
Allyson Eylers (Gilbert/Highland)
Cierra Flood (Phoenix/Xavier College Prep)
Halle Johnson Pasichnuk (Tempe/Seton Catholic Prep)
Erin Myers (Gilbert/Perry)
Matea Suan (Chandler/Perry)
Kara Woodard (Phoenix/Arcadia)
Lauren Weintraub (Chandler/Chandler)
MEN'S GOLF (1)
Mason Andersen (Chandler/Hamilton)
Many Arizona high schools are represented on @TheSunDevils rosters across all our sports. Mason Andersen (Hamilton High School in @cityofchandler ) has had a great start to junior season. Can't wait until spring! pic.twitter.com/g02gyyLmy7
— Sun Devil Men's Golf (@sundevilmgolf) November 22, 2019
GYMNASTICS (5)
Jessica Ginn (Chandler/Hamilton)
Kaitlin Harvey (Mesa/Desert Ridge)
Gracie Reeves (Phoenix/Sunnyslope)
Megan Thompson (Gilbert/Basha)
Graycee Zaugg (Gilbert/Highland)
ICE HOCKEY (2)
Connor Stuart (Phoenix/Desert Vista)
John Walker (Phoenix)
Miss @jwalks96's game-winner last night?
— Sun Devil Hockey (@SunDevilHockey) December 15, 2019
It's so nice, we're showing it twice. ?? pic.twitter.com/AThcC3dKbg
WOMEN'S TRACK AND FIELD/CROSS COUNTRY (13)
Anaya Bailey (Chandler/Chandler)
Ma'Kayla Dickerson (Laveen/Fairfax)
Reina Ferra (Phoenix/Desert Vista)
Hannah Flodin (Pinetop/Blue Ridge)
Madalyn Fritts (Gilbert/Perry)
Sevanna Hanson (Phoenix/Desert Vista)
Daan Haven (Ganado/Ganado)
Jenna Lee (Scottsdale/Horizon)
Courtney Lewis (Flagstaff/Flagstaff)
Alexis Nichols (Gilbert/Chandler)
Megan Reniewicki (Scottsdale/Arcadia)
VOLLEYBALL (3)
Callie Jones (Phoenix/Xavier College Prep)
Courtney Leffel (Flagstaff/Flagstaff)
Hattie Patton (Gilbert/Campo Verde)
Once a Santa Clara Bronco, senior setter Callie Jones has found her niche with @SunDevilVB over the past few seasons.
— Inferno Intel (@InfernoIntel) September 25, 2019
Feature piece from @HarrisonZhang23:https://t.co/LdeABN0E9I
WRESTLING (8)
Brandon Courtney (Goodyear/Desert Edge)
Cory Crooks (Anthem/Boulder Creek)
Josiah Kline (Tucson/Ironwood Ridge)
Joshua Kramer (Buckeye/Desert Edge)
Chad Porter (Phoenix/Desert Vista)
Roman Rozell (Apache Junction)
Alex Torres (Phoenix/Marcos De Niza)
Aaron Valenzuela (Somerton/Kofa)
MEN'S SWIMMING (2)
Aaron Beauchamp (Phoenix/Desert Vista)
Ben Olszewski (Scottsdale/Horizon)
Men amongst boys ??@BenOlszewski closes the gap to win the 1000 YD Free pic.twitter.com/TtEBj3XMNP
— Sun Devil Swim/Dive (@ASUSwimDive) November 1, 2019
MEN'S TENNIS (2)
Nathan Ponwith (Scottsdale/Connections Academy)
Jonah Wilson (Gilbert/Connections Academy)
First year playing for his hometown team.
— Sun Devil M. Tennis (@SunDevilMTennis) May 7, 2019
First all-Pac-12 selection ??
Congrats, Nathan! pic.twitter.com/kTiOtrLC38
WOMEN'S SOCCER (12)
Taylor Culver, (Scottsdale, Ariz. / Notre Dame Prep)
Callie Darst, (Chandler, Ariz. / Hamilton)
Katie Dohnel, (Peoria, Ariz. / Liberty)
Amanda Green, (Phoenix, Ariz. / Desert Vista)
Jessica Hale, (Phoenix, Ariz. / Desert Vista)
Olive Jones, (Phoenix, Ariz. / Desert Vista)
Julia Koharko, (Scottsdale, Ariz. / Notre Dame Prep)
Kylie Miniefield, (Chandler, Ariz. / Hamilton)
Olivia Nguyen, (Tempe, Ariz. / Corona Del Sol)
Adriana Orozco, (Buckeye, Ariz. / Verrado)
Cori Sullivan, (Prescott, Ariz. / Prescott)
Anna White, (Scottsdale, Ariz. / Notre Dame Prep)
WOMEN'S TENNIS (2)Master of Sports Law and Business #ASUGrad ??? pic.twitter.com/JtdIdMnKUr
— Kylie Miniefield (@kylieminie) December 20, 2019
Savannah Slaysman (Scottsdale/Connections Academy)
Grace Koester (Paradise Valley)
MEN'S TRACK AND FIELD/CROSS COUNTRY (11)
Ryan Bright (Scottsdale/Chaparral)
Austin Cox (Mesa/Mountain View)
Luke Hagaman (Flagstaff/Coconino)
Ahmad Jones (Tempe/Tempe Prep)
Adam Meyer (Mesa/Mesa)
Carlan Naisant (Tempe/Marcos De Niza)
Lee Nasewytewa (Phoenix/Desert Vista)
Cole Riddle (Surprise/Valley Vista)
Turner Washington (Tucson/Canon Del Oro)
Jesper Wolski (Phoenix/Pinnacle)
Ethan Wright (Phoenix/Desert Vista)
SOFTBALL (11)
Kiara Kennedy (Phoenix/Desert Vista)
Morgan Leinstock (Scottsdale/Horizon)
Macy Simmons (Chandler/Hamilton)
Bella Loomis (Chandler/Hamilton)
Olivia Miller (Tempe/Corona del Sol)
Lindsay Lopez (San Tan Valley/Poston Butte)
Yannira Acuña (Tucson/Salpointe Catholic)
DeNae Chatman (Goodyear/Millennium)
Alynah Torres (Glendale/Cactus)
Abby Andersen (Chandler/Hamilton)
Savannah Morales (Queen Creek/Queen Creek)
Okay @bellaloomis ???????? pic.twitter.com/uvAI0Oro40
— Sun Devil Softball (@ASUSoftball) October 16, 2019