In the 2019-2020 high school basketball season, senior Gage Gomez won himself a Mountain League MVP for Arroyo Grande High School helping lead them to a CIF State SoCal Regional Division 3 championship.
Fast forward four years later, he's now a senior on the U.C. Santa Barbara Men's Basketball team looking to make his last year just as special.
Back in 2020 when he made the decision to become a Gaucho, aside from proximity to home, he wanted to be a part of a program with the right culture.
“Basketball wise, Santa Barbara has a different culture than a lot of other programs I was looking into, and that's something I definitely want to be a part of,” Gomez recalled of the process that led him to Goleta.
Fast forward to now, as a three-year walk-on, Gomez came into his senior year expecting the same standing as a student-athlete but instead was rewarded with an athletic scholarship for his final season.
“Gage, for three years honored our process every single day," UCSB Head Coach Joe Pasternack explained of the decision. "He brought an incredible amount of a great attitude, great energy, and was really helpful on our scout team every single day.”
For Gomez, it was a moment he’ll never forget.
“Coach P[asternack] brought the team together and he just announced it," Gomez recalled. "I'll never forget the moment my teammates kind of just hugged me, like showered me with so much affection.”
“At the end of the day, he deserved it and we rewarded him for his hard work,” Pasternack stated.
Arroyo Grande boys basketball head coach Ryan Glanville coached Gomez during his four years in high school and it’s no surprise to him that after years of hard work, Gomez is seeing the fruits of his labor pay off a the Division I level.
“When you pair that work ethic with that attitude, that team attitude, he's just the ultimate basketball player," Glanville explained. "I'm not at all surprised what he's doing at UCSB right now. I couldn't be more proud of him. Our high school is very proud of him. We have been for a long time.”
After two trips to the NCAA Tournament, two Big West championships and the opportunity to be part of another magical year, Gomez considers himself fortunate. While he may not be the face of the program, he’s been a foundational piece of success for the Gauchos and as he makes his way through his final season, there’s nothing but gratitude.
“I'll just appreciate every moment. My first three years have flown by so fast, and this last year for me, I have to take a step back and kind of just soak in everything that I've had.”
