California is home to some of the greatest athletes of all-time, including the likes of John Elway, Cheryl Miller, Jackie Robinson and Ted Williams.
The 21st century has brought a new wave of outstanding prep performers from the Golden State.
Read on for our look at the top 10 high school athletes of the past 25 years from California beginning with the graduating class of 2001.
Top 10 California athletes of the 21st century 2023
Sport: Basketball
Resume: It
didn't take long for Watkins to rise to the top of the college ranks.
Just two years after winning MaxPreps National Player of the Year honors
as a senior at Sierra Canyon, Watkins won NCAA POY honors by multiple
organizations after a dominant sophomore season at USC. She scored
51 points in a game as a college freshman, topped only by the 60 points she scored
on senior night in her final home game in high school.
2. Lonzo Ball, Chino HillsClass: 2016
Sport: Basketball
Resume: Few
have had the type of senior season that Ball had as MaxPreps National
Basketball Player of the Year at Chino Hills. The Huskies were the
consensus No. 1 team at 35-0 and rank as one of the greatest teams in
high school history. Ball averaged a triple-double with 23.9
points, 11.3 rebounds and 11.7 assists per game.
3. Allyson Felix, Los Angeles Baptist now Heritage Christian (Northridge)Class: 2003
Sport: Track
Resume: The
most decorated female in Olympic track and field history, Felix has won
22 gold medals in the Olympics and World championships combined. She was
a five-time champion at the CIF state meet and was the female high
school athlete of the year by Track and Field News in 2003.
4. Sabrina Ionescu, Miramonte (Orinda)Class: 2016
Sport: Basketball
Resume: Ionescu's
triple-double in the state final against Chaminade was a sign of
things to come. The MaxPreps National Player of the Year went on to set
an NCAA record for triple-doubles with 26. A three-time Pac-12 Player of
the Year, Ionescu has been a WNBA All-Star the past four seasons.
5. Cynthia Barboza, Woodrow Wilson (Long Beach)Class: 2005 Sport: Volleyball
Resume:
One of the youngest members of the United States women's volleyball
team, Barboza played in the Pan American Games in 2003 and was an
alternate for the Olympic team in 2004. In high school, she was a
three-time All-American by PrepVolleyball.com and was the Gatorade
Female Athlete of the Year. She went on to earn AVCA All-America first
team honors three times while at Stanford.
6. Gerrit Cole, Orange Lutheran (Orange)Class: 2008
Sport: Baseball
Resume: Drafted
in the first round out of high school by the Yankees at No. 28 overall,
Cole opted for college. After three years at UCLA, he was the No. 1
overall pick by the Pirates. Cole was a MaxPreps All-American for the
Lancers striking out 121 batters as a senior. He was a unanimous choice
for the National League Cy Young in 2023.
7. Jordan Hasay, Mission College Prep (San Luis Obispo)Class: 2010
Sports: Cross Country, track
Resume: The
MaxPreps National Athlete of the Year in 2009, Hasay rarely lost in
cross country or long-distance running events. She was a four-time CIF cross country champion, a four-time Foot Locker West Regional champion,
two-time national Foot Locker Cross Country champion and four-time CIF
3200 meter champion.
8. Alex Morgan, Diamond BarClass: 2007
Sport: Soccer
Resume: An
All-American in high school at Diamond Bar, Morgan has been an integral
part of the United States Women's National Team that won the World
Cup in 2015 and 2019 and the London Olympics in 2012. She also won a
bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020. She has scored 123 goals in
her international career, which ranks fifth all-time.
9. Royce Lewis, JSerra Catholic (San Juan Capistrano)Class: 2017
Sport: Baseball
Resume: After
earning All-Area Player of the Year honors from the Los Angeles Times
as a junior and MaxPreps All-American as a senior, Lewis went No. 1
overall to the Minnesota Twins in the 2017 MLB Draft. He has become a
home run threat with the Twins, tying a postseason team record with four
home runs in the 2023 AL Wild Card Series and belting four career grand
slams.
10. Alix Klineman, Mira Costa (Manhattan Beach)Class: 2007
Sports: Volleyball
Resume: Hailing
from high school volleyball powerhouse Mira Costa, Klineman twice
earned California Gatorade Player of the Year honors and was the
national player of the year as a senior. She continued to excel at
Stanford,
earning All-American honors four times. Switching to beach volleyball
after college, Klineman won the Olympic gold medal in Japan in 2020.
