Ryan Finley - Contributor

As a senior at the University of San Diego High School, Phil Mickelson’s alma mater, Finley, the sports editor of El Cid , placed in the top 10 out of over 200 entries at the Greater San Diego high school write-off. Always a sports fan, Ryan had the rare opportunity to be the youngest journalist covering the 1998 California State Basketball Championships in Sacramento, Calif., contributing to both El Cid and the local Southern Cross.

Once reaching Tucson, Finley was hired to the Wildcat staff, the only freshman at the sports desk. His first year at the paper saw Ryan cover everything from lacrosse to hockey to men’s basketball. Between the months of October and March, Ryan covered the Arizona Icecats, the school’s hockey team. The experience saw Finley make frequent appearances as a between-periods guest on KNST (790 AM) while covering the team. Ryan was also the youngest journalist at the press table for Arizona men’s basketball games, adding feature stories to Monday’s coverage.

The Finley family practically bleeds newsprint. Ryan’s father, Bill Finley, was a sportswriter/ editor for the San Diego Union and the San Diego Tribune from 1966 until 1985. While writing, the elder Finley covered the San Diego Padres, San Diego State Aztecs, and national college basketball.