By Dave Krider
MaxPreps.com
Eleanor Roosevelt (Greenbelt, Md.) highlighted the high school portion of the 114th Penn Relays in Philadelphia, Pa., by setting a national record of 8:43.12 while placing second in the girls 3,200-meter relay. Relay members included Dominique Lockhart, Brittany OgunMokun, Amirah Johnson and Tasha Stanley. Holmwood Tech of Jamaica placed first in 8:41.92. The previous record was 8:50.41 by Boys & Girls (Brooklyn, N.Y.) in 2002.
The swift Raiders repeated as champions in the 1,600-meter relay – before a crowd of 39,904 – in 3:37.16, which is the fastest in the country this spring and No. 7 all-time. Those runners included Doris Anyanwu, Afaa Charles, Elan Hilaire and Stanley, who was named most outstanding high school female athlete in the relays. The award for the top female performer in individual events went to Virginian Natalie Baird (Park View), who won the discus at 154-9.75 – the third-best throw in the meet’s history.
In boys individual events, Morristown, N.J., freshman sensation Nick Vena took home top honors by breaking his own national freshman outdoor shot put record with a throw of 63-6 ¾ before a crowd of 49,831. The 6-foot-4, 290-pounder is the first freshman boy to win the award, which was started in 1958…Stephanie Morgan (Barnesville, Ohio) set a record by winning the mile in 4:41.22.
Track Notes
* Records also fell at the Drake Relays. The Waukee (Iowa) girls won the 1,600-meter relay in a record 3:53.65 behind a strong anchor by Collette Gnade. The previous record of 3:53.90 was set in 1980 by Indianola. Davenport North (Iowa) senior A.G. Bradford set another record by winning the 400-meter hurdles in 1:01.1 and was named girls MVP. The boys MVP was Burlington (Iowa) senior Jarred Herring, who won the 100-meter dash in 10.69 and anchored two winning relays.
* Roselle Lake Park junior Dan Block set an Illinois state record when he heaved the discus 201-5. He won the Class AA state title last spring with a throw of 183-4. The previous state best had been 198-4 and had stood since 1982…Though ineligible due to a transfer, junior Reggie Wyatt (La Sierra, Riverside, Calif.) qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials by clocking 50.46 while finishing second in the 400-meter hurdles at the Mt. Sac Relays.
* Ben Miller, a junior at De La Salle (Warren, Mich.), won the 27th annual foot race over the Seven Mile Bridge in the Florida Keys. His time of 37 minutes, 17 seconds topped a field of 1,500 entries. Miller placed fifth last fall in Michigan’s Division I state cross country meet and is a former national AAU champion.
Football Notes
* University of Georgia fans still are celebrating the commitment of an outstanding quarterback from Florida. Aaron Murray (Tampa Plant) amassed 4,012 yards and 51 touchdowns, with just seven interceptions, as a junior. The 6-1, 200-pounder, who has great accuracy and velocity, also ran for over 900 yards. Then he helped Austin Long, a 6-5, 270-pound junior tackle from Briarcrest Christian (Memphis, Tenn.), to make a similar commitment to the Bulldogs…Shawn Bodtmann, a 6-0, 200-pound junior fullback from West Scranton (Scranton, Pa.), was so impressed by a crowd of 80,000 at Nebraska’s spring game that he committed to the Cornhuskers.
* Garfield Heights (Ohio) junior defensive end Melvin Fellows (6-4, 245) has switched his allegiance from the University of Illinois to Ohio State. The Buckeyes also have received a commitment from junior fullback Jordan Hall of Jeannette, Pa. The 5-9, 189-pounder, who runs a 4.5 40, rushed for 872 yards on 103 carries and scored 32 touchdowns while teaming with MaxPreps Offensive Player of the Year Terrelle Pryor.
* Dominique Allen has made a commitment to the University of Tennessee. The 5-11, 255-pound Henry County (Paris, Tenn.) fullback ran for 1,600 yards and 32 touchdowns as a junior…The University of Notre Dame has received a commitment from junior Theo Riddick, who ran for 1,352 yards and 23 touchdowns last fall for Immaculata (Somerville, N.J.). The 5-10, 185-pounder runs a swift 4.4 40…Highland (Medina, Ohio) junior fullback Chris Snook (6-3, 228) has chosen West Virginia University. Last fall he ran 253 times for 1,409 yards and 14 touchdowns.
* Auburn University has received a commitment from junior linebacker Harris Gaston (6-2, 210), who made 112 tackles, 11 sacks and five interceptions last fall for Bessemer Academy (Ala.)…The University of Maryland was happy to hear from C.J. Brown, a 6-3, 190-pound junior quarterback, who passed for 1,576 yards and 11 touchdowns and ran for 443 yards and five touchdowns last fall for Seneca Valley (Harmony, Pa.). He also carries a 3.9 GPA.
* Western Branch (Chesapeake, Va.) junior quarterback Kevin Newsome has made a commitment to the University of Michigan. Newsome, who is 6-3 and 210 with excellent speed, passed for 1,312 yards, ran for 341 and accounted for 24 touchdowns last fall…LSU has received a commitment from junior linebacker Willie Ferrell (6-2, 230), who made 183 tackles (21 for losses) and forced four fumbles last fall for Florida A&M University Lab School (Tallahassee, Fla.). Ferrell, who made 212 tackles as a sophomore, hits so ferociously that he is not allowed to participate in his team’s tackling drills. He has started since seventh grade.
Basketball Notes
* Former players Tommy Polley, Rob Foster and David Manigault are making a documentary film about the great Baltimore Dunbar (Md.) teams and players from 1950 to the present. The film will be titled Poet Pride, will be about 90 minutes long and is scheduled to be released next spring. A trailer of the film already is posted at www.poetpride.com.
* The Boston Amateur Basketball Club defeated The Rising Stars Gold of Chicago, 63-43, to win the 17-and-under division of the King James Shooting Stars Classic in Akron, Ohio. Gerald Coleman, a 6-3 sophomore, paced the champs with 15 points. He was ably supported by 6-8, 220-pound junior Alex Oriakhi (Tilton, N.H.), who had 13 points and 11 rebounds.
* Several seniors have signed recently with colleges. Nick Williams (6-5), who averaged 21 points for Alabama power Mobile LeFlore, will follow coach Tom Crean to Indiana University after being released from his Marquette scholarship…Garrett Sim, a 6-1 guard who averaged 22.9 points for Sunset (Beaverton, Ore.), has chosen the University of Oregon. He was released from a University of California scholarship due to another coaching change. A third senior, 6-7 Jeff Taylor of Hobbs, N.M., has signed with Vanderbilt.
* Junior commitments: Melvyn Oliver (6-11, 330) of Mississippi Elite Christian Academy (Jackson, Miss.) has chosen Seton Hall University; Derrick Nix (6-9, 285) of Pershing (Detroit, Mich.) has chosen Michigan State; and Royce White (6-7, 210) of Hopkins (Minnetonka, Minn.) has pledged to the University of Minnesota.
Soccer Notes
* Valley (West Des Moines, Iowa) defeated Homewood-Flossmoor (Flossmoor, Ill.), 2-0, to win the championship at the prestigious Brine Tournament of Champions in Burlington, Iowa. The girls tournament, which was plagued by rain and cold weather, included nine of the top 50 teams in the country. Earlier the same day, Valley defeated two other Illinois teams: Rockford Lutheran, 2-1, and St. Charles North, 1-0. Valley senior Whitney Sharpe, a UCLA recruit, was named MVP.
* Waubonsie Valley (Aurora, Ill.) ran its unbeaten streak to 44 games with a 1-0 victory over Fremd (Palatine, Ill.) in the championship game of the 10th annual Naperville Invitational. Sophomore standout Vanessa DiBernardo scored the lone goal in the 46th minute, with Jessica Blake getting the assist. The champion’s defense was so air-tight that goalkeeper Claire Hanold had to make only two saves. The Warriors have outscored their opponents, 44-3, this year and have 10 consecutive shutouts.
Baseball Notes
* Quartz Hill (Calif.) senior shortstop Shon Roe belted four home runs, a triple and drove in 12 runs during a five-inning, 25-0 rout of Littlerock. He had a “cycle” of homers with a solo, two-run, three-run and grand-slam blast in the first four innings. Amazingly, they were his first circuit clouts of the season.
* Lake Shore (St. Clair Shores, Mich.) senior pitcher-outfielder Kevin VanGheluwe will miss the rest of the season following three surgeries on his right arm due to blood clots. The University of Michigan recruit, who was a candidate for the state’s Mr. Baseball award, was batting .389 with a 1-0 pitching record.
* Albuquerque Del Norte senior Wade Hinkle set a New Mexico state record with his 25th career home run. The record was set 14 years ago by Christian Parker of Albuquerque Eldorado. Hinkle has 14 homers this year, just one short of the state single-season record, but his pursuit has been slowed considerably by 37 walks…Owasso (Okla.) senior pitcher Brian Flynn, who has a 6-1 record with 100 strikeouts, is a natural right-hander, but he throws left-handed because when he was four years old his father bought him a left-handed Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles glove by accident. The 6-8 Wichita State recruit throws 91 miles per hour.
* Coaching milestones: Mike Turo of Monroe (Bronx, N.Y.) recorded his 900th victory. He has sent over 300 players to college and has had 21 players taken in the Major League draft during his 31-year career…Sam Blalock won No. 700 at Rancho Bernardo (San Diego, Calif.). He is only the fifth California coach to reach that plateau…In Kentucky, Tom McAnally of Louisville DeSales also notched No. 700…Chesterton (Ind.) coach Jack Campbell, a former Big 10 batting champion at Indiana University, earned victory No. 600…Bob Malandro reached 300 victories at Holy Trinity (Hicksville, N.Y.).
Softball Notes
* Eagle (Idaho) senior pitcher Joni Cook has an 11-0 record this spring with a barely visible earned run average of 0.19. In 72 innings, she has faced 262 batters, struck out 179 and walked only three. She has yielded just nine hits while hurling three no-hitters and seven shutouts. She has one perfect game during which she struck out 20 of 21 batters. The University of Utah recruit also is batting .481.
* Turning to California, Woodland Hills El Camino Real clubbed nine home runs (one short of the state record) during a five-inning, 40-0 rout of city foe Taft. Kayla Dahlerbruch led the assault with 5-for-6 and drove in eight runs…In New Hampshire, Samantha Langlois pitched a perfect game, striking out 19 of 21 batters, as Raymond rolled past Newport, 12-0.
* Ohio players turned in several outstanding efforts. First of all, Warrensville Heights senior shortstop Victoria Pyles broke a 21-year-old state record with 152 career stolen bases…Brunswick senior pitcher Emlyn Knerem struck out the first 18 batters and finished with 20 as she fired a 1-0 no-hitter at Amherst. Then she came right back to fan 15 during a 3-1 victory over Gahanna Lincoln…Elyria pitcher Tess Sito (14-0) pitched two no-hitters and a one-hitter while striking out 36 during the Elyria Classic…North Canton Hoover senior pitcher Jessica Simpson struck out 36 while winning a Saturday twinbill.
Potpourri
* Tucson Flowing Wells senior twins Kirsten and Tristany Leikem set an Arizona record by winning the state doubles tennis championship (Class 4A Division I) for the fourth consecutive year…In New Mexico, Albuquerque La Cueva coach Dick Johnson raised his record to a glossy 200-40 in combined boys and girls tennis.
* The U.S. National Under-18 team defeated Sweden, 6-3, to win the bronze medal at the International Ice Hockey Federation World Under-18 Championships in Kazan, Russia. Goaltender Brandon Maxwell (Winter Park, Fla.) turned back 42 of 45 shots. Leading the U.S. to a 5-2 tourney record with eight points each were Jeremy Morin (Auburn, N.Y.) and Robbie Czarnik (Washington, Mich.).
* The Journal Inquirer (Manchester, Conn.) has renamed its high school track meet after longtime sports editor Randy Smith, who died recently at age 61. Smith wrote for the newspaper for 37 years and helped develop the meet into one of Connecticut’s best on the outdoor circuit…Richardson Pearce senior gymnast Marcella Fallon set a Texas state record while winning the girls uneven bars with a score of 29.675 at the state meet.
