Archive for June, 2009

Determination is often key to athletic achievement

    Persistence is one of the most important life skills, whether on the athletic field or off. Quinton Watson learned that early.
    Watson is the most recent Play It Smart National Student-Athlete of the Month selected by the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame (NFF). He's an honor roll student and three-sport star in football, basketball, and track.
    But it took overcoming a serious setback for Watson, who just finished his junior year at Huguenot High School in Richmond, Va., to get where he is today. And he wants other high school athletes to learn from his experiences.
    As a freshman, Watson had better than a 3.0 grade average, was an honorable mention athlete, and a budding football star for Huguenot.  Then he broke his left femur in his sophomore year and was sidelined from sports.   "When I broke my leg, I was really upset, and completely shut down. I didn't know how to deal with the injuries," he says now.
    Watson says Play It Smart, an eductional program developed by NFF and targeted at high school football players from economincally disadvantaged environmens, helped him realize that things don't always work out with sports, and it's important to have a back-up plan. So he began working with his academic coach (provided by Play It Smart) and teachers to improve his time management and study skills, which enabled him to renew his focus and raise his GPA back to a 3.4 this past year. He also got back on the football field and racked up three touchdowns and 230 yards. (continued next page...)
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Hard to believe a 1-2 pitching punch like this!

   Imagine being able to build a softball team around two pitchers that are arguably the best in the state - and one hits home runs for you in her spare time!
    That was the case when Hayley Temple and Kenzie Fowler played on the same club team. And now, in their final year of high school ball, each earn the coveted 'Player of the Year' honor at different schools.  Fowler was named the Arizona Republic's Big Schools Player of the Year for an outstanding senior year at Canyon del Oro High School in Tucson, and Temple snagged the Small Schools Player of the Year playing her last year at Valley Christian High School.
    Fowler, who has decided she will play for the University of Arizona, had an unbelievable 0.048 ERA, which means she allowed just one earned run the whole season! Temple, who signed with Wichita State, notched three no-hitters as she compiled a O.60 ERA - and also contributed to the offense with five home runs and a .624 batting average!
    Joining Fowler on the All-Arizona team is the complete battery from Basha High School: Sam Parlich, pitcher, and Desiree Meija, catcher. Also: Dallas Escobedo, pitcher, St. Mary's HS; Katie Asher, infield, Canyon del Oro HS; Brigette DelPonte, infield, Sunrise Mtn HS; Sierra Rodriguez, infield, Basha HS; Kelsey Rodriguez, infield, Seton Catholic HS; Mel Aphayrath, outfield, Xavier Prep; Lisa Tarnowski, outfield, Mountain View HS; Kayla Ensminger, outfield, Red Mtn HS; MacKenzie Popescue, DP, Chaparral; Jamie LaBovick, UT, Sunrise Mtn HS.
    First-team and Second-team selections... (continued next page)
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Desert Ridge gets lion's share of All-Arizona picks

    Desert Ridge HS not only won the 5A-II state baseball title this year, but the was the only team to place more than one player on the All-Arizona Team. The Big Schools Player of the Year Jake Barrett, Desert Ridge's senior pitching sensation, joined with teammate, Alex Villar, a senior outfielder who hit .505 in his final season, on this year's All-Arizona roster.
    Barrett had 96 strike-outs this season - but also contributed big-time at the plate, with a .510 batting average and 20 home runs (highest in the state). And add to that 66 RBIs in 104 trips to the plate!
    It was a different story in the 'small school' division, where Jay Baumgardner, the Small Schools Player of the Year, was the only representative of Scottsdale Christian Academy on either the first or second team All-State rosters.  The outfielder racked up 11 home runs and 60 RBIs (10 of those in one game).
    While the All-State teams are made up of the best players from each conference, the All-Arizona team represents those considered the best, regardless of the conference in which they play. Sports writers at the Arizona Republic make the selections for both squads.
    In addition to Barrett and Villar, the All-Arizona roster includes: Joey DeMichele, Arcadia HS, infield; Mike Felton, Corona del Sol HS, infield; Trey Ford, Chaparral HS, infield; Taylor Lindsey, Desert Mtn HS, infield; Jaycob Brugman, Desert Vista, outfield; Tony Vocca, Mingus HS, outfield; James Pazos, Highland HS, pitcher; Andrew Walter, Cactus HS, pitcher; Tom Joseph, Horizon HS, catcher; Sergio Burruel, Trevor Browne HS, DH; and Jordan Luvisi, Notre Dame Prep, UT.
    Selections to the All-State teams included... (continued next page)
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All-Arizona track and field teams announced

    Desert Vista's Spencer Chase and Xavier Prep's Jessica Tonn took top honors as the selections were announced for this year's All-Arizona Track & Field teams. Chase, who was named boys Track Athlete of the Year, broke a state record in the 400 meters (46.47) that had stood since 1977 and Tonn, the girls Track Athlete of the Year, had the fastest times in the state in two events, the 1600m (4:57.67) and the 3200m (10:25.85). She is ranked second in the state for all-time in both events.
    Named to the All-Arizona Girls Track & Field Team: (100m) Serene Williams, Peoria HS, 12.03 sec. and Tamara Pridgett, Rincon HS (Tucson), 12:12.  (200m) Serene Williams, 24.78, and Mackenzie Flannigan, Chandler HS, 24.79. (400m) Mackenzie Flannigan, 56.36, and Bianca Lewis, Xavier Prep, 56.47. (800m) Chloe Phillips, Flagstaff HS, 2:11.76, and Jessica Tonn, 2:14.84. (1600m) Jessica Tonn, 4:57.67, and Jessica Rydberg, Lakeside HS (Blue Ridge), 4:58.34. (3200m) Jessica Tonn, 10:25.85, and Jessica Rydberg, 10:32.23. (100 hurdles) Larissa Matthews, Chandler HS, 13.97, and Callie Davis, Gilbert HS, 14.60. (300 hurdles) Kala Stepter, Canyon del Oro (Tucson), 43.64, and Kathy Fisher, Sahuaro HS (Tucson), 43.84.
    In the field events: (High jump) Rachel Orr, Thatcher HS, 5'8", and Samantha Collins, Westwood HS, 5'8". (Long jump) Samantha Collins, 18-8 3/4, and Alexis Clay, Chandler HS, 18-7. (Triple jump) Jasmine Todd, Chandler HS, 37-11, and Essence Johnson, Amphitheater HS (Tucson), 37-9. (Pole vault) Shaylah Simpson, Desert Vista HS, 12-9 3/4, and Lacey Palmer, Westwood HS, 12-6. (Shot put) Omotayo Talabi, Chandler HS, 42-0 1/2, and Hannah Carson, Chandler HS 40-8. (Discus) Hannah Carson, 138-1, and Leah Graziano, Deer Valley HS, 134-6.
    Boys All-Arizona Team... (continued next page)
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