Breitbard Stars of the Month, June, 2005

PROFESSIONALS

BRIAN GILES (Baseball, Padres/Granite Hills High) – The Padres’ right-fielder led the team in on-base percentage (.415) and slugging percentage (.498) while leading the National League in walks (61) through the end of June. His month included a stretch of reaching base in 13 straight plate appearances, establishing a Padres franchise record. Giles’ defensive play running down balls in Petco Park’s spacious right field also has led the team in its rise to first place in the National League West. The Granite Hills High alumnus hit .344 in the final 10 games of June and finished the month with a season batting average .283 with nine home runs and 40 RBI.

MEB KEFLEZIGHI (Men’s track and field, San Diego/San Diego High) – The 2004 Olympic marathon silver medalist, making a comeback from Achilles’ tendon and hip flexor muscle injuries that forced him to withdraw from appearing in the London Marathon, placed second in the 10,000 meters at the U.S. track and field championships on June 23 at the Home Dept Center in Carson. In a sprint to the finish, Keflezighi’s time of 28 minutes, 10.57 seconds was second to Abdi Abdirahman by a mere .19. Keflezhighi competes for Team Running USA and is coached by Bob Larsen, the legendary track and field coach that recruited him out of San Diego High to UCLA.

TRACY O’HARA (Women’s track and field, San Diego/Rancho Bernardo High) – The Rancho Bernardo High alumnus placed second at the U.S. track and field championships on June 25 to earn a spot on the U.S. team for the World Championships in August in Helsinski. A former NCAA champion from UCLA, she cleared 14 feet, 5 ¼ inches, placing second to 17-time national champion Stacy Dragila. O’Hara is enjoying her best season, having established a personal record in May by clearing 15-1 in a meet at Stanford. In 2004, she missed an Olympic team berth by one place when she was fourth in the U.S. nationals. O’Hara, a part-time resident at the Chula Vista Olympic Training Center, also was named the OTC Athlete of the Month for June.

KEVIN REESE (Baseball, Columbus Clippers/Yankees/USD/Mission Bay High) -- The New York Yankees farmhand, a Mission Bay High and USD alumnus, followed up being named to the Eastern League All-Star team as an outfielder with his first Major League call-up by the Yankees on June 26. Reese, 27, was batting .272 at Columbus with 22 doubles, eight home runs and 37 RBI in 305 at bats.

KITTY YOUNG-ROBYN (Women’s golf, Coronado) – The teaching pro at Coronado Golf Course won the Hy-Vee Classic, an event on the Women’s Senior Golf Tour in Johnstown, Iowa. Robyn, 50, shot an even-par round of 72 on the final round on June 19 for a one-stroke victory. She recorded a four-under-par total of 140 for the 36-hole event. Robyn earned a first-place check for $75,000.

RYAN SMITH (Football, Riptide/Escondido High) – The San Diego Riptide’s Ryan Smith, an Escondido High and Palomar College alumnus, was named the Defensive Player of the Week in arenafootball2. Smith was honored for his performance in the Riptide’s 79-39 win on June 11 against Central Valley. Smith returned a fumble for a touchdown and had two interceptions. He also was credited with a pass breakup and three tackles.

AMATEURS

SHAYLA BALENTINE (Women’s track and field, SDSU) – The senior pole vaulter finished second at the NCAA championships while setting a personal record and earning All-American honors for the first time in her career. Balentine established a Mountain West Conference and San Diego State record by clearing a height of 14 feet 1 1/4 inches. Her finish was the best by an SDSU athlete in the NCAA track meet since 1985.

KRISTIE FOX (Softball, Arizona/Mt. Carmel High) – The sophomore shortstop from Mt. Carmel High was a first-team All-American choice by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association. Fox led the Wildcats to a No. 4 national ranking, a four-way tie for the Pac-10 title and a College World Series appearance. The Mt. Carmel High alumnus batted .356 (64 of 180) and led the team in RBI with 64 while finishing second in home runs with nine.

MONIQUE HENDERSON (Women’s track and field, UCLA/Morse High) – The UCLA senior, an Olympic gold medalist in the 1,600-meter relay at the 2004 Games in Athens, won the Honda Award as the nation’s top women’s college track and field athlete. She won her first NCAA title in the 400 meters on June 11 with a personal-best time of 50.10 seconds. Her mark set an NCAA meet record, a Pac-10 record and broke her own UCLA record. The four-time high school state champion from Morse High led from start to finish with a blazing fast time of 23.5 over the first 200 meters. Henderson, who earlier in the season became only the second woman to repeat as a Pac-10 champion in both the 400 and 200, was an eight-time All-American in her college career. On June 25, the two-time Olympian earned her first individual berth on a U.S. national team when she placed third at the U.S. track and field championships. She dipped under the 50-second barrier for the first time with a mark of 49.96. She will compete in the World Championships in August in Helsinki.

HEATHER SCAGLIONE (Softball, Oklahoma/Rancho Bernardo High) – The Oklahoma senior catcher was named a first-team All-American choice by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association. The Rancho Bernardo High alumnus is the Sooners’ first two-time All-American selection. As a senior, Scaglione batted .370 with 18 doubles, 14 home runs and 59 RBI. Oklahoma coach Patty Gasso called Scaglione “one of the best catchers I have ever seen at the college level.” Scaglione also was named to the U.S. Elite Team that is competing internationally this summer. The Elite team is the highest level in USA Softball and the roster includes 11 Olympians.

PREPS

TAYLOR COFFMAN (Boys golf, St. Augustine High) – The junior led the Saints to the State CIF team title as the team’s medalist with a round of 2-under-par 70 on the Poppy Hills course at Pebble Beach. St. Augustine’s six-man lineup shot a 15-over-par team total of 375. In the individual medalist competition, Coffman finished one stroke back of Daniel Lim of San Jose Bellarmine. St. Augustine also won the team title at the Southern California Regional, which qualified the Saints to advance to the state championship.

JOHN DRENNEN (Baseball, Rancho Bernardo High) – The senior center fielder was named the State Player of the Year by CalHiSports.com and was the first California high school player drafted in the Amateur Baseball Draft on June 7. Drennen began the year projected as a second- or third-round draft pick, but after helping Rancho Bernardo to the CIF San Diego Section Division I title, his stock jumped. He was the 33rd pick overall in the compensation phase of the first round by the Cleveland Indians. The left-hander passed up a UCLA scholarship commitment when he signed a $1 million bonus. Drennen hit .463 (50 of 108) despite being walked 25 times and being hit by a pitch 15 times. He led the section in runs scored (61) and home runs (17) and shared the section lead in RBI (50) with teammate Allan Dykstra. He also set a state record with 47 career home runs. Drennen was later named the CalHiSports.com State Player of the Year.

SHAKARA LOTT (Girls track and field, University City High) – The Arizona State-bound senior finished her career as one of San Diego’s finest all-time sprinters with her times in the 400 and 200 meters. She was the highest placing San Diego girl at the CIF state track meet, where she finished third in the 400 with a mark of 54.05 seconds. Her time ranks No. 3 all-time in San Diego. She finished her career as a four-time section champion in the 400. She also ran a 24.11 in the 200 during the season that ranks her No. 5 in section history. She was the CIF Player of the Year for girls track and field.

JESSE O’BRIEN (Boys track and field, San Pasqual High) – The junior middle-distance runner pulled off one of the upsets of the CIF state meet by winning the 800-meter title at Sacramento. O’Brien took advantage of the slow pace by using his speed as a 48.5-second quarter-miler on the second lap. He took the lead with 300 meters remaining and won with a time of 1 minute, 53.71 seconds before a crowd of 11,208 fans at Hughes Stadium.

DARIUS SAVAGE (Boys track and field, Morse High) – The junior weight man, a 6-foot-4, 315-pounder who will be one of San Diego’s top football recruits in the fall, won the CIF state title in the discus throw and added a sixth-place state-meet medal in the shot put. Savage won the discus with a toss of 194 feet, 8 inches and put the shot 58-8. His season best of 196-11 in the discus ranks No. 4 in section history. He earlier in the year swept the CIF San Diego Section titles in the discus and shot. He will compete internationally this year for the U.S. Junior National team. He was the CIF Player of the Year for boys track and field.

BRIAN WILSON (Baseball, Rancho Bernardo High) – The senior was named the CIF Player of they Year as he led the Broncos to the CIF San Diego Section Division I title and a No. 2 state ranking in CalHiSports.com’s poll statewide poll for schools in all divisions. In his first year as a pitcher, Wilson tied for the section lead in wins with a 12-1 record while posting an ERA of 2.02 with 107 strikeouts in 87 2/3 innings. The Loyola Marymount-bound pitcher/outfielder also hit .403 (50 of 124), scored 35 runs and had 49 RBI (second in the section). In the CIF championship game, an 8-2 win over Granite Hills, he tossed a four-hitter with nine strikeouts, including a fastball clocked at 96 mph for the final out on a strikeout. At the plate he was 4-for-4 with a double, triple, two runs scored and two RBI.

Contact Tom Shanahan at 619-699-2334 or toms@sdhoc.com