At the annual Warren High School senior awards night in Downey, the prestigious Athletes of the Year awards for the 2025-2026 season were presented to Avery Carrillo and Ashton Kumar. Carrillo, a standout in track & field and volleyball, and Kumar, a dominant tennis player, were celebrated for their exceptional achievements and leadership.
Carrillo, who will attend Mt. San Antonio College (Mt.
SAC) to compete with the defending 3C2A state champions, excelled in three track events: sprints, hurdles, and pole vault. She set two school records this season, including a 15.55 in the 100-meter hurdles and a pole vault of 11 feet 4 inches at the South Pasadena Tiger Invitational.
Her pole vault coach, Steven Estrada, compared her performance to a baseball player striking out the side and hitting a game-winning home run in the same inning. Carrillo was also part of the record-setting 4x100 relay team and qualified for the CIF Finals in both the pole vault and relay.
Kumar, who will attend UCLA for Computer Science & Engineering and attempt to walk on to the tennis team, posted an astonishing 177-3 league record over four years as the No. 1 singles player.
He was undefeated in league play for three consecutive years and served as team captain for three seasons. Tennis coach Conrad Del Rosario said Kumar’s impact extended beyond his matches, as he mentored younger players and set a standard of excellence for the program.
Kumar also received the Golden Bear Statue Award for outstanding achievement in mathematics.
Both athletes expressed surprise at receiving the awards. Carrillo recalled seeing the Athlete of the Year display as a freshman and telling herself she would earn that honor.
Kumar called it a dream come true and credited his coach and family for their support. Additional awards presented included Golden Bear Statue winners Lexi Cortez (softball and flag football) and Ashton Kumar, the TJ Peacock Most Inspirational Athlete Arielle Perez (girls’ wrestling), and the Jaylon Connish Memorial Scholarship to Richard Nichols (football and track).
Warren coaches praised Carrillo and Kumar for raising the bar of excellence and setting a lasting legacy for future Bears.