By Dave Krider
MaxPreps.com
Though just an incoming junior at Valley Southwoods (West Des Moines, Iowa), Shawn Johnson continues to flash the awesome potential she showed as a mere freshman by placing first in all-around during Sunday’s Olympic gymnastics preliminaries in Beijing, China. The diminutive 16-year-old superstar totaled 62.725 points to edge Texas teammate Nastia Liukin (62.375). Johnson also advanced in individual events by placing second on the balance beam and third in floor exercise.
Elizabeth Beisel just missed a swimming medal in the women’s 400-meter individual medley when she placed fourth in 4:34.24. Earlier in the day, she had posted the fastest qualifying time (4:34.55) in the field. The rising 15-year-old star will be a junior at North Kingstown, R.I. The winner, Stephanie Rice of Australia, set a world record with a clocking of 4:29.45.
Summer Basketball Tournament Rundown
* USA2 outlasted USA1, 117-104, to win the championship during the annual Nike Global Challenge in Hillsboro, Ore. Avery Bradley, a 6-foot-3 senior guard from Bellarmine Prep (Tacoma, Wash.), led the champs with 25 points and 6-7 junior Roscoe Smith (Walbrook, Baltimore, Md.) added 22. Bradley’s 6-3 high school teammate, Abdul Gaddy, contributed 12 points and seven assists. The losers were paced by 6-10 senior DeMarcus Cousins (LeFlore, Mobile, Ala.) with a game-high 29 points. Avery and Gaddy shared MVP honors with Nikola Markovic of Serbia.
* The brilliant backcourt of Kenny Boynton and Brandon Knight paced Florida powerhouse Team Breakdown to a pair of major championships. Boynton, a 6-2 senior from American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.), and Knight, a 6-3 junior from Pine Crest (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), poured in 26 and 24 points, respectively, in an 81-64 victory over D-One Sports during the finals of the Reebok Summer Championships in Las Vegas, Nev. They shared MVP honors. The losers were led by 6-4 senior John Wall (Word of God Christian Academy, Raleigh, N.C.) with 20 points.
Boynton and Knight each scored 17 points as Team Breakdown defeated the New York Gauchos, 77-60, to win its second consecutive 17-and-under National AAU title at Disney World. Teammate Keith Clanton, a 6-7 senior from Orlando Christian, stepped up in a big way with 19 points and 10 rebounds to earn MVP honors…Scott Wood, a 6-6 senior from Marion, Ind., had the high tournament game of 41 points against the Houston Hoops.
* The National AAU 16-and-under title was claimed by towering All-Ohio Red of Columbus, which defeated the New York Gauchos, 85-61, in the finale at Disney World. Jared Sullinger (6-8, 240), a premier junior from Northland (Columbus, Ohio), had 19 points and 10 rebounds for the champs. Junior point guard Juwan Staten (Dayton Marshall) also scored 19 points as five players reached double figures.
* Grassroots Canada was the surprise winner of the Adidas Super 64 17-and-under title in Las Vegas with an 88-79 victory over the Compton (Calif.) Magic in double overtime. Tristan Thompson, a 6-8 junior who stars for St. Benedict’s (Newark, N.J.), scored 19 points and was named MVP. Guards Jason Calliste and Junior Cadougan scored 29 and 22 points, respectively. Cadougan, a 6-0 senior at Christian Life Center (Humble, Texas), has committed to Marquette University. Calliste is a 6-2 senior who plays for Mt. Zion Academy (Durham, N.C.). Six-foot-four Santa Barbara (Calif.) senior Roberto Nelson paced the Magic with 26 points.
* The Nike Main Event in Las Vegas was captured by California Supreme with a 79-70 victory over the Houston Hoops. Junior point guard Gary Franklin (Mater Dei, Santa Ana, Calif.) led the champs with 21 points, while Keith “Tiny” Gallon used his 6-9, 295-pound frame to collect 23 points and 13 rebounds in a losing effort. He is a senior at Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.).
* A powerful Oklahoma team, Athletes First, defeated the Illinois Warriors, 67-62, to win the Super Showcase at Disney World. MVP Xavier Henry, an outstanding 6-7 senior forward from Putnam City (Oklahoma City, Okla.), poured in 32 points for the champs despite nursing a still-unhealed ankle injury. Terrence Boyd, a 6-5 senior from Norman (Okla.), contributed 20 points. Henry also scored 34 points as Athletes First won the National Youth Basketball Championships with an 88-54 rout of AZ Rush in Las Vegas.
* Perennial Virginia power Boo Williams defeated BABC (Boston, Mass.), 62-55, to capture the 17-and-under title at the Nike Peach Jam in North Augusta, S.C. DeShawn Painter (6-9) and Marshawn Powell (6-7) both scored 13 points for the winners. In the 16-and-under division, Team Final defeated the Albany City Rocks, 71-58, as 6-7 sophomore Michael Gilchrist (St. Patrick’s, Elizabeth, N.J.) had 18 points and 14 rebounds. For the losers, 6-7 junior Tobias Harris had 20 points and 10 rebounds.
* The USA Men’s National Under-18 team settled for the silver medal when they lost to Argentina, 77-64, during the finals of the FIBA Americas Championships in Formosa, Argentina. Both teams entered the finale with 4-0 records. Point guard Kemba Walker, headed for the University of Connecticut, paced the Americans with 21 points and was named tourney MVP.
* The USA Women’s National Under-18 team, however, did win the gold medal with an 81-37 rout of Argentina in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Stanford-bound Nneka Ogwumike led the charge with 20 points and 15 rebounds. Three prep seniors also made major contributions. Six-foot-five Kelsey Bone (Dulles, Sugar Land, Texas) had 12 points and nine rebounds, 5-8 Skylar Diggins (Washington, South Bend, Ind.) had 11 points, four assists and four rebounds and 5-11 Kelly Faris (Heritage Christian, Indianapolis, Ind.) had eight points and six rebounds.
Basketball Notes
* Oregon State has received a commitment from 6-8, 290-pound senior Joe Burton of West Valley (Hemet, Calif.). Burton, who has lost 50 pounds since last season, averaged 21 points and 16 rebounds as a junior…Another Californian, 6-4 senior Demetrius Walker of Junipero Serra (San Juan Capistrano), has chosen the University of Southern California…Bush (Richmond, Texas) senior Ray Penn has made a commitment to Oklahoma State. The 5-9 sleeper averaged 35.8 points during the Reebok Summer Championships in Las Vegas.
* Duncanville’s 6-7 senior standout, Shawn Williams, says he will attend home state University of Texas. He averaged 19.6 points and 9.5 rebounds as a junior…Tony Chenault has made a commitment to Wake Forest. The 6-1 junior averaged 15.5 points, 3.5 assists and 3.0 rebounds last year at Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia, Pa.)…Another junior guard, 6-2 Keith Appling, has chosen Michigan State. He averaged 20.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.0 steals and 2.8 assists last year at Pershing (Detroit, Mich.).
* The University of Louisville has received commitments from two seniors: 6-8 Rakeem Buckles of Monsignor Pace (Miami, Fla.) and 6-0 Peyton Siva of Franklin (Seattle, Wash.)…Other recent senior commitments include 6-8 Isaiah Armwood, Montrose Christian (Rockville, Md.), to Villanova; and 6-7 Quincy Ace, Horn (Mesquite, Texas), to the University of Texas…Austin Rivers, a 6-3 sophomore from Winter Park (Fla.) and the son of Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers, says he will attend the University of Florida.
* National power Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) is reloading again. Already announcing their transfers are Tommy Mason-Griffin, a highly-regarded 5-11 senior guard from Madison (Houston, Texas); Doron Lamb, a 6-4 junior guard from Bishop Loughlin (Brooklyn, N.Y.); and Kevin Kegarise, a 6-1 senior guard from Franklin (Tenn.). Lamb averaged 22 points as a sophomore.
* DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.) edged Bishop McNamara (Forestville, Md.), 56-52, to win “The Rock” Summer League championship. Junior guard Josh Selby paced the champs with 25 points – including his team’s final 11 in a fine clutch performance. The losers showcased a very talented big man, 6-9 senior Talib Zanna, a native of Nigeria who matched Selby’s 25 points.
* Now that MaxPreps’ 2008 National Boys Player of the Year Brandon Jennings has signed with Pallacanestro Virtus Roma of the Italian pro league instead of attending the University of Arizona for a “one-and-done” year, will other top high school graduates follow suit in the future?...Al Rhodes, who has compiled a 27-year record of 454-192 with three schools and captured one Indiana state title, has been named head coach at his alma mater, Penn, in Mishawaka, Ind.
* On the girls side, a key transfer could change the landscape in Western Pennsylvania. Darche Jackson, a 5-7 guard who averaged 33.8 points with two 54-point explosions as a junior, has moved from Wilkinsburg to Pittsburgh Penn Hills…Senior guard Tierra Rogers, who helped California power Sacred Heart Cathedral (San Francisco) to a national championship last year, says she will attend the University of California…Tanya Johnson, who posted a 557-158 record with two Class AA state titles, has resigned as girls coach at Loyola Academy (Wilmette, Ill.).
Football Notes
* Old Dominion coaches were thrilled to sign in-state standout Jay Jay Simmons (Lake Taylor, Norfolk, Va.), who was one credit hour short of graduating this spring and had to take a pair of summer classes. The 5-9, 200-pound bruiser ran for 1,022 yards, caught 18 passes for 379 yards and scored 13 touchdowns as a senior…Notre Dame has received verbals from talented defensive back E.J. Banks (6-0, 180) of Montour (McKees Rocks, Pa.) and offensive tackle Zach Martin (6-5, 275) of Cathedral (Indianapolis, Ind.), who is rated Indiana’s No. 1 player.
* Ryan Mossakowski (6-4, 201), who threw for 3,029 yards and 19 touchdowns as a junior at Centennial (Frisco, Texas), has made a commitment to the University of Kentucky…Safety-wide receiver Paul Porras (6-2, 175) of Saguaro (Scottsdale, Ariz.) will attend Rice. He snared 40 passes for 1,032 yards and seven touchdowns in addition to making 89 tackles as a junior. Teammate Justin Jungblut (6-6, 245) will attend Boise State. While playing sparingly last year he made 14 sacks.
* Other recent senior commitments include offensive guard Will Jackson (6-4, 280) of Farragut (Knoxville, Tenn.), to Georgia Tech; super running back Bud Golden (6-0, 190) of Sycamore (Cincinnati, Ohio) to Illinois; linebacker David Conner (5-10, 185) of South Panola (Batesville, Miss.) to Auburn; offensive tackle Mark Zielinski (6-4, 320) of New Trier (Winnetka, Ill.) to Western Michigan; and offensive tackle Malcolm Bunche (6-6, 315) of Newark (Delaware) to Rutgers.
Baseball Notes
* The USA 18-and-under National Team was shut out, 7-0, in the gold medal game by Korea during the International Baseball Federation XXIII AAA World Junior Championships in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The Americans had routed their first seven foes, 66-10, before the wheels came off in the finale…Frankfort Lincoln-Way East (18-2) nipped Chicago Brother Rice, 3-2, to win its first Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association summer championship. George Patteson drove in the winning run to earn MVP honors.
* The Long Island Tigers defeated Delco Diamonds (Delaware), 9-1, to win the National Amateur Baseball Federation’s 17-and-under tournament in Lynchburg, Va. Ryan O’Kelly (New Hyde Park), Josh Laufer (Elwood) and Sean Apuzzo (Nesconset) combined to pitch a no-hitter. Second baseman Casey McKay (North Massapequa) was named tourney MVP after batting 14-for-23 with eight straight hits and seven extra-base hits.
Volleyball Notes
* The U.S. Women’s Junior National Team swept the Dominican Republic, 25-21, 25-20, 25-18, to win the NORCECA Women’s Junior Continental Championship gold medal in Saltillo, Mexico. Six-foot-one Gina Mancuso (Bellevue, Neb.) paced the champs with 13 points and had nine kills. Named the tourney’s best server, 6-4 Michelle Bartsch (Maryville, Ill.) had 12 points and nine kills, while 6-2 Darcy Dorton (Muncie, Ind.) also had nine kills. The Americans had lost their opening match to the Dominicans five days earlier in four games.
* The U.S. Boys Youth National Team swept Puerto Rico, 25-19, 25-21, 25-22, to claim the gold medal during the NORCECA Boys Youth Continental Championships in Miami, Fla. Ian Satterfield (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) led the USA with 12 points and nine kills on his 17th birthday. Taylor Sander (Norco, Calif.) followed with 10 points and six kills. MVP Weston Nielsen (Corona del Mar, Calif.) contributed eight points. The unbeaten Americans did not lose a set in the prestigious tourney.
Golf Notes
* Despite a steady downpour, Cameron Peck (Olympia, Wash.) routed Evan Beck (Virginia Beach, Va.), 10 and 8, to win the U.S. Junior Amateur at Shoal Creek in Birmingham, Ala. Peck had won three AJGA titles earlier in the year…Alexis Thompson (Coral Springs, Fla.) won the U.S. Girls Junior with a 5 and 4 victory over Karen Chung at the West Hartford (Conn.) Golf Club.
* Logan McCracken carded an 8-under-par score of 280 to win the 40th Trusted Big I Junior Classic at the Country Club of North Carolina in Pinehurst. The Putnam City North (Oklahoma City, Okla.) standout joins a list of champions which includes the likes of Tiger Woods, Bob Tway and Justin Leonard…The West defeated the East, 30-20, to win its fourth consecutive Canon Cup at the Stanwich Club in Greenwich, Conn. Michael Jae Woo posted a 4-0 record for the West, while Victoria Tanco was 4-0 for the East.
Track Notes
* Several records were broken during the USATF National Junior Olympics in Omaha, Neb. Californian Turquoise Thompson (Long Beach Poly) won the young women’s 400-meter hurdles in a record 57.67, while Booker Nunley (Garner, N.C.) captured the young men’s 110-meter hurdles in a record 13.41. Another record was set by New York junior Phyllis Francis (Brooklyn Catherine McAuley), who won the intermediate girls 800-meter run in 2:04.83.
* Georgia standouts William Wynne (Powder Springs McEachern) and Chalonda Goodman (Newnan) also performed very well. Goodman easily won the 100-meter dash in 11.36 and the 200-meter dash in 23.29. Wynne captured the 400-meter hurdles in 49.84, just missing a record. Young Californian Elias Gedyon won the 800-meter run in 1:51.91, just missing the national freshman record of 1:51.03.
Swimming Notes
* St. Xavier (Cincinnati, Ohio) has been named boys national team champion by the National Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association. Using a dual-meet format, which included a team’s top three times in each event, St. Xavier received 6,027 points. The Bombers, who have won nine of the past 10 Ohio Division I state titles and 29 overall, had eight swimmers named All-America. Brophy Prep (Phoenix, Ariz.) was No. 2 with 5,956 points. Brophy has won 20 consecutive state titles and also had eight All-America swimmers.
* Representing the Minot (N.D.) YMCA, 16-year-old Dagny Knutson won four gold medals during the U.S. Junior Nationals in Minneapolis, Minn. She won the women’s 200-meter individual medley in a record 2:14.95; the women’s 200-meter freestyle in a record 1:59.91; the women’s 100-meter freestyle in a record 55.67; and the women’s 200-meter backstroke in 2:12.56.
Lacrosse Notes
* Rochester (N.Y.) nipped Delmar Prep, 9-8, to win the first annual Adidas National Lacrosse Classic in Germantown, Md. Tylon Thompson led the champs with three goals, while Kyle VanThof added a pair – including the winner with less than 30 seconds left. The tournament included 31 games in a 24-hour span and featured many of the top high school underclassmen in the nation.
* HoCoLax Select of Maryland defeated Alexandria Travel (Virginia), 8-1, to win the Dick’s Sporting Goods NDP Atlantic Cup Boys High School Elite Division. Junior Zack Wynne had three goals and three assists in the title game to earn MVP honors. Senior Curtis Adams also had three goals.
* This writer’s good wishes go out to longtime friend John Gillis, an assistant director for the National Federation of State High School Associations, based in Indianapolis, Ind. After undergoing treatment for throat cancer, he was preparing for surgery at the Mayo Clinic when he was told that “the tumor had completely disappeared. The doctors said outcomes like that almost never happen. I am indeed very fortunate and have the Good Lord to thank for that. We don’t think it’s stretching it to call this a miracle.”
Potpourri
* No. 6-seeded Chicagoan Evan King defeated No. 3 seeded Brennan Boyajian (Weston, Fla.), 6-4, 6-1, to win the Boys 18 USTA Clay Court Tennis Championships in Delray Beach, Fla…No. 3-seeded Lauren Embree (Marco Island, Fla.) overcame 90-degree heat to win the Girls 18 USTA Clay Court title with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over No. 1-seeded Beatrice Capra at the Racquet Club in Memphis, Tenn.
* The U.S. Under-17 Women’s National Soccer Team defeated Costa Rica, 4-1, to win the gold medal during the CONCACAF Women’s Championships in Macoya, Trinidad. Tani Costa scored two goals for the undefeated Americans, who posted three shutouts and outscored their opponents, 29-2…Woods Cross (Utah) senior striker Nikisha Fernandes rejected defending NCAA champion Southern Cal while making a commitment to San Diego State.
* Sammy Snygg, who led Alleman North Polk to the Class 2A state title, was named Iowa’s Softball Player of the Year and Pitcher of the Year…John Gallagher has resigned as softball coach at Cherry Creek (Greenwood Village, Colo.). His 21-year record was 307-157. Following a 34-year career with the Glendale Police Department, he now plans to teach criminal justice at a high school in New Braunfels, Texas.
* South Dade (Miami, Fla.) senior Shakendric Sanders was named the outstanding wrestler during the power-packed ASICS/Vaughan National Greco-Roman Tournament in Fargo, N.D. The two-time Florida Class 6A state champion won his second straight junior national title at 145 pounds, beating nine opponents in two days and yielding just four points. He won two of the three periods (6-1, 6-0) to defeat New Yorker Zach Clemente in the finals.