The proud, athletic community of Lompoc made history in a 48-hour span.
Amidst the soccer and basketball section championships going on throughout the state, Lompoc won three.
It started Feb. 23 when the Braves girls soccer program made their way out to Bishop Union for the Division IV Central Section Championship. According to Google Maps, the trip takes just over six hours. However, the hazardous weather conditions that came upon California made the trip difficult.
Lompoc's transportation didn't make it past Mojave, California which is still four hours outside Bishop. However, the true spirit of high school athletics was on full display as Bishop Union then helped complete the journey by sending their own transportation to retrieve the team. Even though Lompoc went on to win 5-1, they were returned safely back to Mojave totaling over 12 hours of travel and the first of three Central Section championships.
The following day on Feb. 24, Lompoc girls basketball played a 2 p.m. championship game at Selland Arena against Tulare Union. It wasn't the prettiest basketball game ever played but it was an exciting one. Up 32-31, Lompoc turned the ball over underneath their own basket, committing a shooting foul that resulted in two free throw attempts for the Tulare Union. However, The Tribe would miss both and Lompoc would go on to win their first Central Section title in 29 years with the last one being in 1994.
The third section championship would occur later that night. On a flooded field and snowy travel conditions, the game was tied 2-2 at the end of regulation, the Braves would seal the victory in penalty kicks for a 4-2 win over Riverdale. Both soccer programs had never won a section championship in their school's history.
"Lompoc is a special place. It really is," Athletic Director and head girls basketball coach, Claudia Terrones, said. "As far as athletics wise, we compete every day. Whether we lose or we win, we are going to compete from the first second to the last second and that's what I love about Lompoc High School."
All three programs lost their regional game, Tuesday, Feb. 28 but that doesn't extinguish the fact that it was an incredible winter sports season for Lompoc High School athletics.
