SAN DIEGO—Pitchers rule.

At least they did in May as the San Diego Padres’ Mat Latos and current Washington Nationals hurler Stephen Strasburg topped the list of athletes selected Stars of the Month by the San Diego Hall of Champions.

Latos came about as close as you can get to tossing the Padres’ first no-hitter when he one-hit the San Francisco Giants. For the month he went 4-1 with 1.54 earned run average, striking out 37 while walking just nine.

Strasburg, the No. 1 pick in last year’s draft out of San Diego State, made his minor league experience brief as he compiled a 6-2 record with a 1.43 ERA while splitting time in Double A Harrisburg and Triple A Syracuse. During the 50 1/3 innings he pitched, he struck out 60 batters before getting called up earlier this month.

Baseball players also dominated the eight college athletes and six high school standouts that were honored.

Former Poway High All-CIF player Alex Dickerson, now a sophomore at Indiana University, was selected the Big 10 Player of the Year after capturing the conferences triple crown with a .415 batting average, hitting 23 home runs and driving in 73 runs for the year.

Point Loma Nazarene University pitcher Chad Blauer and UC San Diego outfielder Kyle Saul were also chosen. Other amateur standouts included NCAA singles champion Bradley Klahn of Stanford University (another graduate of Poway High), Kristin Strimple of Point Loma Nazarene and Nikola Bubnic of the University of San Diego for tennis; SDSU’s Malin Enarsson for women’s golf and UCSD’s Nick Howe for track.

On the high school front, track athletes Jenna Puterbaugh of Santa Fe Christian, Kevin Finley of Granite Hills and Torrey Pines’ Alli Billmeyer topped the list. Others included section singles tennis champ Axel Bouillin of Torrey Pines, El Camino softball pitcher Naomi Amu, and section record-setter Kendyl Stewart of La Costa Canyon in swimming.

PROFESSIONAL

Mat Latos (Baseball, Padres)—The 6-foot-6 right-hander was dominant in May and the numbers support it. He was 4-1 with a 1.54 earned run average. He two-hit Houston, going eight complete innings, then went one better when he allowed one hit to San Francisco, hurling a complete game. During the 41 innings he allowed just seven earned runs in six games, striking out 37 while walking just nine.

Stephen Strasburg (Baseball, Washington Nationals, SDSU, West Hills High alum)—The No. 1 draft pick made short work of minor league competition as he went 6-2 with a 1.43 ERA, striking out 60 in just 50 1/3 innings. At Triple A Syracuse, he had a 1.27 ERA, going 3-1 in five starts. The ex-Aztec was also 3-1 in Double A Harrisburg where he wove a 1.43 ERA.

AMATEUR

Chad Blauer (Baseball, Pt. Loma Nazarene)–Helped PLNU reach the semifinals of the NAIA World Series. The hard-throwing right-handed senior notched three wins in NAIA Tournament play, all complete-games. In the NAIA opening round, Blauer fanned 16 against No. 7 British Columbia and struck out 11 batters in both of his World Series triumphs versus No. 14 Belhaven (Miss.) and No. 6-ranked Oklahoma City.

Nikola Bubnic (Tennis, USD) – A sophomore by way of Belgrade, Serbia, Bubnic was recognized by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association with the Player to Watch Award for the Southwest Region. He was named first team All-West Coast Conference and by finishing 30-6 in singles was the first USD men’s tennis player since Jose Luis Noriega (31-4 in 1991) to earn 30 singles victories in the fall and spring seasons.

Alex Dickerson (Baseball, Indiana University, Poway High alum)—A unanimous selection for Big 10 Player of the Year, Dickerson followed up last year’s freshman season with even more impressive statistics. He won the batting triple crown by hitting .415, slamming 23 home runs and driving in 73 runs. The outfielder was a two-time Player of the Week and has been invited to try out for Team USA in July.

Malin Enarsson (Golf, SDSU) — The sophomore from Gothenburg, Sweden, led San Diego State to its first NCAA Regional bid in six years. There, she posted the Aztecs’ top finish, tying for 12th place out of 123 golfers with a 54-hole total of 14-over 230, missing qualifying for the NCAA national championships by a single stroke. Enarsson’s 12th-place finish is the second-best at an NCAA regional in school history.

Nick Howe (Track, UCSD) –Put the finishing touches on a stellar sophomore campaign last week, winning the NCAA Division II National Championship in the men’s javelin throw. After posting five individual victories in the event during the season – including a second straight CCAA title on May 8 – Howe continued his dominance at the national meet in Charlotte, besting the field with an impressive toss of 225-feet. The mark was a school record, eclipsing his previous best of 220-6 in April.

Bradley Klahn (Tennis, Stanford, Poway High alum)—After upsetting No. 1 seed Henrique Cunha of Duke, 6-2, 6-2, the former Titan dominated Austin Childs of Louisville, 6-1, 6-2, to capture the NCAA men’s singles title in Athens, Ga. Klahn, a sophomore, won in straight sets in four of his six matches.

Kyle Saul (Baseball, UCSD) – The junior outfielder had a big month in May, batted a team-high .455 (25-for-44) with seven doubles, three triples, a homer, six RBI and seven stolen bases. Saul was the big bat for a UCSD squad that went 12-2 during the month – including 8-2 in postseason play – and advanced to the NCAA Division II National Championship game in Cary, N.C., before falling to No. 9 Southern Indiana 6-4. The West Regional MVP and a Rawlings/ABCA Third Team All-American, Saul hit .400 (6-for-15) in four games in the finals, with two runs, a double, a home run, and two runs batted in.

Kristin Strimple (Tennis, PLNU, Santa Fe Christian alum)– A junior from Carlsbad, Strimple led the Sea Lion women’s tennis team to a 20-4 season record, a No. 4 ranking and to the semifinals of the NAIA National Championships. Strimple won five matches (singles and doubles) at nationals and was named a first-team All-American for the third time. Arguably already the best player in PLNU history, Strimple posted a 20-3 record in singles in 2010.

HIGH SCHOOL

Naomi Amu (Softball, El Camino)–Dominant is about the only word that would describe the Wildcats senior the final month of the season as she led El Camino to the Division I title. In the championship game, the University of Utah signee kept Torrey Pines at bay by scattering just three hits and had only one serious challenge until the ‘Cats pushed across a run in the eighth to win, 1-0.

Alli Billmeyer (Track, Torrey Pines)–For less than 24 hours, the Falcons’ junior lost her season-long state lead in the state 1600-meter run. Once she stepped onto the track for the section championships there was no slowing her as she led three runners under 4:50 by clocking a time of 4:45.06, the second fastest in section history and, of course, the state lead.

Axel Bouillin (Tennis, Torrey Pines)–The player they call “Frenchie” entered the San Diego Section singles championships as the No. 2 seed but finished No. 1 after sweeping past six opponents. In the final the future UC Santa Barbara player faced No. 6 Dylan Trent and rolled to straight set victories of 6-3, 6-1, adding the singles crown to the double title he shared last season.

Kevin Finley (Track, Granite Hills)–All season the Eagles senior has been inching closer and closer to a wind legal sub-14 second time in the 110-meter high hurdles. Finally, at the section championships, last year’s state runner-up got a superb start and skimmed over the hurdles effortlessly, clocking a winning time of 13.96—second fastest in section history—with a legal wind.

Jenna Puterbaugh (Track, Santa Fe Christian)–Capped a month in which she posted times in the 100 and 200-meter dash that rank among the section’s fastest ever by sweeping the two events at the section championships in 11.78 and 24.02 seconds. She heads off to the state championships with the fourth fastest 200 meter time in section history at 23.70 and the sixth quickest 100 at 11.76.

Kendyl Stewart (Swimming, La Costa Canyon)–Not only did the Mavericks’ sophomore shatter her own 100-yard butterfly record, lowering it to 52.43 seconds from the 53.44 she clocked a year ago, she came within a hundredth of a second of the national record. Additionally, Stewart won the 100 back in in 54.89 seconds as well as participating on two winning relay teams.

Maybe it was his 6-iron shot out of a tangle of trees on the 13th hole, going for the cup instead of playing it safe—and succeeding. Or maybe it was his birdie on the final hole as he clinched the three-stroke win with his 5-under 67 for the final round. Or maybe it was his score of 16-under 272, best since 2001.

Then there were the images as he spotted his wife, Amy, and three children behind the green. Amy, who had been diagnosed with cancer 11 months earlier and had been in bed much of the week, simply could not stay away.

Mickelson’s emotional victory placed him along side the Padres’ Chase Headley and Wade LeBlanc as well as another former USDHS standout, San Francisco Giants pitcher Barry Zito, as professional Stars of the Month.

Headley batted .322 and LeBlanc had a 0.81 ERA going 2-0 in lifting the Padres into first place while Zito helped keep the Giants close by fashioning a 4-0 record with 1.53 ERA.

On the amateur front, hard-throwing pitcher Samantha Beasley of SDSU and star outfielder James Meador of USD topped the list of nine award winners. Aztec school-mates Mitch Blackburn (baseball) and Addison Reed (baseball) were feted along with Beasley while fellow Toreros Taylor Hensley (softball) and Gunner Wiebe (golf) joined Meador.

UCSD’s Brandon Gregorich (baseball) and Kelly Fogarty (track) were also honored along with Cal State San Marcos’ stellar softball pitcher Brenna Sandberg.

High school standouts for April included record-setting softball pitcher Cassidy Coleman of Horizon, golfer Jorgeo Catolico of Mount Miguel, sailor Kevin Laube of Point Loma, baseball catcher Jon Putnam of Mission Hills and track specialists Erin Menefee of Mt. Carmel and Devin Hickey of Vista.

PROFESSIONAL

Chase Headley (Baseball, San Diego Padres): The Padres were alone at the top of the National League West by the end of the month and Headley was one of the major reasons. Headley batted .322 with eight RBI and one home run. He led the National League with seven stolen bases, drew six walks and posted a .422 slugging percentage and a .361 on-base percentage.

Wade LeBlanc (Baseball, San Diego Padres): When you fashion a 0.81 earned run average through you first three starts of the season, you attract some attention. The kind that if you keep that up will land you an All-Star berth. That’s what the Padres lefty did in April, going 2-0 and allowing just one earned run. LeBlanc fanned 16 batters and walked only four while scattering 18 hits.

Phil Mickelson (PGA, University of San Diego High alum): Lefty was the epitome of cool over the final round of the Masters as he made some incredible shots, taking chances when necessary, to capture his third green jacket. Mickelson’s final-round 67, in which he birdied the final hole, gave him a 272, the best score since 2001 and enough for a three-stroke victory.

Barry Zito (Baseball, San Francisco Giants): Although the 6-foot-4 left hasn’t had a winning a record in his three previous seasons with the Giants, he’s looking to reverse that in a big way this year as the ex-Dons pitcher jumped out to a 4-0 record, fashioning a 1.53 ERA in five starts. In his 35.1 innings, Zito struck out 24 batters and walked only 11.

AMATEUR

Samantha Beasley (Softball, San Diego State, Steele Canyon High alum): Only one word can describe Beasley’s performance in April: Dominant. The Mountain West Conference certainly recognized that fact as they named her the Pitcher of the Week for the eighth time this season after she tossed consecutive 3-0 wins over UNLV. On the season she is 24-7 with a 0.81 ERA, a school record 301 strikeouts and 13 shutouts.

Mitch Blackburn (Baseball, San Diego State): Placed his name among the all-time Aztec greats when he had a 23-game hitting streak that included the entire month of April. That’s No. 4 all-time in SDSU history. During the month the infielder batted .397 with 22 runs scored, six doubles, three home runs and 16 RBI. Walking eight times brought his on-base percentage to .455.

Kelly Fogarty (Track, UC San Diego): Competing at the Pomona-Pitzer Invitational, the senior sprinter set Triton records of 11.74 in the 100-meter dash and 24.12 in the 200, winning the century and finishing second in the furlong while facing stiff Division I competition. She went on to win the 100 at the Mangrum Invitational and the Soka Peace Invitational.

Brandon Gregorich (Baseball, UC San Diego): The senior first baseman helped lead UCSD to a 13-3 record which included a stellar 9-1 road mark. Going 35-for-61 (.574), he accumulated 11 doubles, a triple and four home runs, driving in a team-high 24 runs and scoring 21 times. His slugging percentage: .984.

Taylor Hensley (Softball, USD, Patrick Henry High alum): The Toreros starting catcher, a sophomore, went 8-for-35 but half of those hits were powerful home runs, two others were doubles and as a result she scored six times and drove in eight runs with a .341 on-base percentage. With the four homers, her slugging percentage was a whopping .629.

James Meador (Baseball, USD, Ramona High alum): Last year’s conference Player of the Year helped the Toreros get hot at the right time as USD went 12-0 in WCC play. Meador, the senior outfielder, was 22-for-55 (.400) with seven doubles, two home runs and 19 RBI. He earned WCC Player of the Week honors and had a 4-for-5 game with four RBI and a homer against Gonzaga.

Addison Reed (Baseball, SDSU): Twice a Mountain West Conference Pitcher of the Week for the month, Reed just got better and better. He started with a win over Utah in which he fanned 11, shut out Wagner on three hits and then pitched eight innings of shutout ball in an 11-0 victory over New Mexico. That gave him a 3-0 record with a glittering 0.75 ERA and a scoreless streak of 20 innings.

Brenna Sandberg (Softball, CS San Marcos): By winning 11 of 13 games in the month, Sandberg pushed her win total to 33 for the season, No. 1 in the NAIA. Her 280.1 innings is also tops in the NAIA as she helped CSUSM to a No. 7 ranking nationally. Among her wins were back-to-back shutouts against then No. 3 Point Loma Nazarene and a victory over No. 1 Cal Baptist.

Gunner Wiebe (Golf, USD): Just a junior, Wiebe won medalist titles at two tournaments. At the Wyoming Cowboys Classic, Wiebe beat out 129 golfers with a 7-under par total of 203 (67-70-66). His score included two birdies. He also won the WCC championships with an even-par 216 (73-71-72) over the Hiddenbrooke course at Vallejo, leading the Toreros to a second place finish.

HIGH SCHOOL

Jorgeo Catolico (Golf, Mount Miguel High): Topped off an unbeaten month by capturing both the Grossmont Valley League and the Ed Curtis Grossmont Conference match play titles. The 5-foot-4 sophomore was the medalist in all six matches for the Matadors and then beat four opponents in match play at Barona for the Valley title. Going against the Hills titlist at Bonita, he again won 1-up to complete the stellar run.

Cassidy Coleman (Softball, Horizon High): A future USD Torero, Coleman recovered nicely from having a rib removed in December and became the all-time section career strikeout leader. During the month, in which she pitched four games facing 61 batters, she fanned 39, allowed just two hits, walked one and hit a batter while going 2-1. She fanned 17 batters in the win over Bishop’s and finished the month with 970 career strikeouts.

Devin Hickey (Boys Track, Vista High): A mere wisp of a breeze prevented the Panthers sophomore from really making a national splash. Already the fastest 10th grade 110-meter high hurdler in the state, Hickey scorched a time of 14.11 seconds at the Dick Wilkins Frosh-Soph Championships before it was announced that the wind gusted to 2.5 meters per second during the race, beyond the allowable 2.0 for record purposes. He also clocked a 38.7 in the 300 hurdles.

Kevin Laube (Sailing, Point Loma High): As skipper of the two-man FJ Class boat, Laube led the Pointers to a resounding victory in the Baker Cup Qualifier and individually won his division in the Pacific Coast Championship. Laube, a senior headed to Stanford, and crew Will Herrin and Kyle Sutter, went 16-0 in the Baker event held on Mission Bay. Going north to San Francisco Bay, Laube, who has a 4.73 GPA, won the A class in the 20-team event.

Erin Menefee (Girls Track, Mt. Carmel High): With the help of the fast pace set by Torrey Pines’ Megan Morgan, Menefee clocked the second fastest 1600-meter time in the state when she ran 4:51.02 to capture the Escondido Invitational. The time was a 12 second improvement this season and sets up a potentially sizzling section final against Alli Billmeyer (4:50.10). The Sundevil senior is also among the leaders in the 800 (2:17.8) and 3200 (10:54.26).

Jon Putnam (Baseball, Mission Hills High): Since the very first day of the season, the 6-foot-3 Grizzly junior catcher has been among the section’s top hitters. During April, Putnam collected 14 hits in 33 plate appearances, four of them doubles, scoring seven runs, driving in four, drawing seven walks and compiling a .568 on-base percentage to go with a .545 slugging average.

While many things change, there seems to be one consistent in this world—the San Diego Sockers hoisting a championship flag.

Perhaps it has become contagious because the San Diego State basketball programs also captured Mountain West Conference Tournament titles, not to mention NCAA playoff berths.

Both programs were honored for their success as the Sockers’ Kraig Chiles and Paul Wright as well as San Diego State’s Jene’ Morris and Kawhi Leonard were selected Stars of the Month for March by the San Diego Hall of Champions.

Chiles was the overall Sockers’ leading scorer with 41 goals, including three-goal hat tricks in the 6-5 playoff victory over Mexico City and the 9-8 triumph over La Raza de Guadalajara for the All-Professional Arena Soccer League playoff title, their 11th overall.

Wright, the last remaining active player from the 1991-92 MSL championship team, accounted for five points in the 9-8 victory as he scored a goal and was credited with four assists.

Chase Budinger, who led La Costa Canyon High to the 2006 San Diego Section Division I title before heading off to the University of Arizona, was also honored on the professional level for his play in his rookie season with the Houston Rockets.

Morris, the senior whose stock soared as she led the Aztecs into the Sweet 16, and Leonard, the freshman who was a major force as the Aztecs rolled into the NCAA playoffs, led the list of seven collegiate standouts.

Joining them were USD baseball closer Matt Hauser and golfer Alex Ching, Aztecs Johan Carlsson (men’s golf) and Malin Enarsson (women’s golf) and the UC San Diego duo of high jumper Casey Ryan and infielder Blake Tagmyer.

High school athletes cited included Victor Dean and Norman Powell off Lincoln’s state Division II championship basketball team, track standouts Kortney Ross (Westview) and Darren Fahy (La Costa Canyon), plus pitchers Martin Romo (Otay Ranch baseball) and Jenny Lahitte (Granite Hills softball).

PROFESSIONAL

CHASE BUDINGER (Basketball, Houston Rockets/La Costa Canyon): Saved the best for last as the rookie out of the University of Arizona scored a career high 24 points, including the game-winner with 28 seconds remaining in a win over Washington. Budinger scored in double figures in three of the last four games as his minutes increased.

KRAIG CHILES (Soccer, San Diego Sockers/SDSU): A former striker with San Diego State, Chiles led the Sockers with 41 goals and scored three-goal hat-tricks in both of their playoff victories, 6-5 over Mexico City and 9-8 over La Raza de Guadalajara. Chiles was named to the All-Professional Arena Soccer League second team.

PAUL WRIGHT (Soccer, San Diego Sockers): Age was no factor as the 40-year-old midfielder, the only active player remaining from the 1991-1992 MSL championship team, scored a game-high five points (1 goal, 4 assists) in San Diego’s 9-8 North American Championship victory over La Raza de Guadalajara.

AMATEUR

JOHAN CARLSSON (Golf, SDSU): Led the Aztecs to the Barona Collegiate Cup title by a whopping 22 strokes, leaving No. 1-ranked Oregon 25 strokes behind. Carlsson had three sub-par rounds and five of even-par or better. At the Barona Collegiate Cup he finished second with a 9-under 207, including 15 birdies.

ALEX CHING (Golf, USD): Finished another big month by going 4-0 in the Callaway Collegiate Match Play Championships at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Marana, Az. where he led the Toreros to wins over No. 7 seed Texas Tech and No. 1 seed Stanford. In the other two tournaments, Ching averaged 70.5.

MALIN ENARSSON (Golf, SDSU): Led the Aztec women to their first tourney title since 2006 when they won the 13-team BYU Dixie Classic by 15 strokes. She finished third overall at 219 for 54 holes. In the Anteater Invitational she was fourth, recording 11 birdies.

MATT HAUSER (Baseball, USD): Since moving into the closer role, the senior has been dazzling, going 1-0 while collecting five saves and posting a 1.17 ERA in nine appearances. In March he allowed just four runs, two of them earned, while striking out 10 and walking only two batters. His victory came against No. 14 Rice.

KAWHI LEONARD (Basketball, San Diego State): Even the TV announcers couldn’t find enough words to describe the play of the Aztec freshman who averaged 14.5 points and 11.8 rebounds in earning MVP honors while leading SDSU to the MWC Tournament title. He was All-MWC first team and Sports News All-Freshman second team.

JENE’ MORRIS (Basketball, SDSU): The Mountain West Conference defensive Player of the Year helped lift the Aztecs to heights never before achieved. The senior guard averaged 20.6 points a game with 26 steals, 26 assists, 18 three-pointers and an 89.7 free throw percentage as the Aztecs reached the NCAA Sweet 16 after capturing the MWC tournament.

CASEY RYAN (Track, UCSD): Setting a school record is one thing but the senior high jumper did it in back-to-back meets. Ryan erased his own record of 7-0 3/4, when he scaled 7-1 at the City Collegiate Championships then soared 7-3 ¼ to capture the Aztec Invitational at SDSU.

BLAKE TAGMYER (Baseball, UCSD): Racing out to a perfect 13-0 record and the No. 1 ranking in NCAA Div. II play, the junior infielder was a major force, batting .444 with three home runs and 17 RBI. Tagmyer had a .722 slugging average and .488 on-base percentage. Against Cal Poly Pomona he had a three-run homer and a three-run double.

HIGH SCHOOL

VICTOR DEAN (Basketball, Lincoln): As the month progressed, the Hornets seemed to get stronger and stronger with the 6-foot-6 Fresno State signee leading the way to the San Diego Section’s first Division II state championship. In that game, a 74-59 victory over Mountain View St. Francis, he poured in 24 points.

DARREN FAHY (Track, La Costa Canyon): After stepping to the front in cross country, the Mavericks sophomore wasted little time establishing himself on the track as Fahy rolled to a then state-leading time of 9-minutes, 8.76 seconds in the 3,200-meter run at the California Relays held at Cerritos College. He won by more than 12 seconds.

JENNY LAHITTE (Softball, Granite Hills): Whether in the circle or at the plate, the Eagles senior was simply devastating to opponents. In the seven games she started, Lahitte was 6-1 with a 0.60 ERA while hurling five shutouts. She fanned 129 batters, walking just 10. At the plate she hit .448 with a homer, two triples and two doubles while driving in five runs.

NORMAN POWELL (Basketball, Lincoln): A junior, Powell’s reputation extended well beyond San Diego as the 6-3, high-jumping guard provided the spark in Lincoln’s 24-game winning streak, concluding with a 74-59 victory over Mountain View St. Francis for the state Division II title. Powell scored 24 in the championship game and was unstoppable inside and out over those 24 final games.

MARTIN ROMO (Baseball, Otay Ranch): Through 11 games, Romo led the Mustangs to an unbeaten record. In 33 at-bats, Romo had 20 hits which included four triples, a double and a home run. He drove in 11 runs and had another 11 runs scored. The senior leadoff batter was credited with six stolen bases and played flawless defense in center field.

KORTNEY ROSS (Track, Westview): Bound for the University of Oregon, Ross shattered the meet record by eight inches in the Mt. Carmel Invitational when she pole vaulted 13-feet, 2-inches despite running into a powerful headwind—a pole vaulter’s nightmare. Earlier in the week the section record-holder achieved a career-best 13-5 in a dual meet.

PROFESSIONAL

JIMMIE JOHNSON (Auto racing, NASCAR/Granite Hills High alum)—The four-time Sprint Cup champion got off to a good start for the 2010 season by winning back-to-back races. First, he took advantage of a late caution flag to capture the Auto Club 500 in Fontana and then came back a week later to win in Las Vegas, taking advantage of a timely tire change late in the race.

SHAUN WHITE (Olympic Snowboarding)—With his Vancouver Olympic Games gold medal in the halfpipe assured following a 46.8 score (out of 50) on his first run, the 23-year-old Carlsbad resident could have cruised through his second run. Instead, he hit a revolutionary Double McTwist 1260 (two flips and 3 ½ spins) to score a head-shaking 48.4, to defend his 2006 Turino Olympic title.

AMATEUR

SAMANTHA BEASLEY (Softball, SDSU/Steele Canyon High alum)—Twice the Aztec’s junior hurler captured Mountain West Conference Pitcher of the Week honors. The first week she was 4-0 at the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe with a 0.31 ERA over 22 1/3 innings. The very next week Beasley repeated, going 1-1 with a 2.15 ERA over 13 innings, losing only to top-ranked Washington.

CHELSEA CARLISLE (Basketball, UCSD)—When the Tritons jumped into the national rankings, Carlisle, a sophomore point guard led the way, averaging 17.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.8 steals in nine games during which UCSD rolled up a 7-2 record. The Tritons clinched the California Collegiate Athletic Association championship along the way and she was selected the conference MVP.

ALEX CHING (Golf, USD)—Led the Toreros men’s golf team to three first place finishes in three team events. Getting stronger as the month went on, he captured the Allstate Sugar Bowl Mardi Gras Invitational, tying the course record with a first round 64 and went on to win by six strokes. He placed second in the 5th Annual USD Callaway Invitational and was fifth in the San Diego Intercollegiates.

DOMINIQUE CONNERS (Basketball, USD/La Jolla Country Day alum)—The sophomore guard led USD to a tie for fourth in the WCC. Conners led the team with a 19.1 scoring average, shooting .430 from the field and finishing with three consecutive 20-plus point games. She earned one WCC Player of the Week award and was named to the All-WCC First-team. Her 16.1 season average is the fourth best in program history and her 73 steals is third all-time.

LIAH ECTOR (Basketball, Point Loma Nazarene University)—A senior guard, Ector led NAIA No. 8-ranked PLNU to a 6-2 record. She averaged 17.9 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.8 steals a game during that stretch. Ector posted her best games of the year with a pair of 25-point efforts and an 18-point game. She also earned NAIA National Player of the Week honors.

MAC FLEET (Track, Oregon/University City High alum)—Got his first track season off to a blistering start when he cracked the 4-minute barrier and set the school mile record when he roared to a 3:57.70 in the Husky Classic in Seattle. Finishing second to a club runner, Fleet broke the year-old school record of 3:57:86 set by Galen Rupp. Another San Diegan, A.J. Acosta (El Camino) also broke 4 minutes at 3:59.48.

DEAN JACKSON (Tennis, USD)-The consistent No. 1 singles player for USD, Jackson, a junior from Germany, has started the season 7-1 in singles and 4-2 in doubles. Jackson’s only loss thus far came against No. 1 USC’s Robert Farah, at the time ranked No. 14 in the nation. Since then, Jackson has won five straight singles contests, including garnering a three set victory against University of Pacific’s 87th ranked Artem Gramma.

PARIS JOHNSON (Basketball, SDSU/San Diego High alum)—The Aztec junior’s season-high 24 points helped SDSU edge BYU to cap a strong month. She averaged 14.7 points and a team-leading 7.0 rebounds in seven games, shooting a glittering 62.3 percent from the field as the Aztecs knocked off MWC leaders TCU and BYU.

BRANDON JOHNSON (Basketball, USD) – Johnson became the Toreros all-time scoring leader, passing Gyno Pomare (1,725 points) with his 21-point performance at Gonzaga. His high for the month was a 25-point performance at San Francisco. Wrapping up his career with 1,765 points and 516 assists, he became the first player in West Coast Conference history to lead his school in both career scoring and assists.

LORENZO KEELER (Basketball, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo/Escondido High alum)—Finished the month averaging 18.3 points and 4.3 assists for the Mustangs. The former Cougar standout opened the month with a bang by scoring 30 points against UC Davis and bettered that with a 31-point game in Hawaii. Although he only scored 12 points, he had four assists as Cal Poly upset UC Santa Barbara to finish the month.

KAROLINE KOEHLER (Track, SDSU) - Koehler earned the MWC High Point Award (33 points) after the senior captured the triple and long jump titles, both with NCAA automatic qualifying marks. The long jump mark of 21-3 ¼ broke her own school record, the MWC championship meet record, the Albuquerque Convention Center record and tied a MWC all-time record.

KAWHI LEONARD (Basketball, SDSU)—The 6-foot-7 forward out of Riverside earned his second Mountain West Conference Player of the Week honor, becoming only the second Aztec freshman to win the award twice in a season. Leonard scored a career high 26 points in a win over Wyoming, barely missing a double-double average with a monthly average of 16.2 points and 9.8 rebounds.

CHRISTINE WONG (Golf, SDSU)—No one was better than the true freshman at the 90-player Hurricane Invitational in Miami Lakes, Fla. Firing a 3-under par 69 on the first round to take the lead, the Richmond, B.C., native was never behind in capturing her second major tournament. She was selected Golfweek Player of the Week for her victory.

HIGH SCHOOL

CHACE ESKAM (Wrestling, Carlsbad)—It took the powerful Eskam just 3 minutes, five seconds to overpower La Costa Canyon’s Taylor Cox in the 191-pound weight division at the section Master’s meet. Eskam also captured the Division I title.

HILLARY ESTRADA (Water Polo, Coronado)—Bound for UC Irvine, the Islanders senior was one of the team’s top defenders as well as a scorer. She scored three times in the title win over Bishops, giving her 16 goals and 20 assists as Coronado went 11-1 for the month.

CHRISTIE HENDEL (Soccer, Steele Canyon)—Led Steele Canyon to its first Grossmont Hills League Championship playing stellar defense. The Cougars posted a 5-1-4 record with 6 shutouts, and allowed only 5 goals in league play. Hendel, a senior, also  carries a GPA well over 4.0.

BRYAN GRUBBS (Wrestling, La Costa Canyon)—No one in the 121-pound division could handle the senior who capped his month by winning the Masters championships with a 15-5 victory that included six takedowns. He improved his overall record to 30-2.

JAVION WATSON (Basketball, San Ysidro)—Just a sophomore, Watson eclipsed the four-year-old San Diego Section record for steals in a season when he collected two against Olympian in the regular-season finale, moving out of a tie with Hoover’s JayDee Luster. His 194 is No. 2 in state history behind Jason Kidd’s 245 in 1992.

VICTORIA WILLIAMS (Water Polo, Vista)—Improving on a 4-goal performance in a 15-3 semifinal win over Fallbrook, the Panthers junior peppered the Carlsbad goal with 5 goals in a 10-6 victory that delivered the third straight section Division I title.

Flatt, who still calls Del Mar her home but is currently living in Colorado Springs where she trains and attends high school, stunned the figure skating world when she went from third place to first on the final day competition to capture the U.S. Championships in Spokane, Wash., earning a berth on the U.S. Olympic team that will compete in the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games.

Her score of 200.11 points, if duplicated in Vancouver, could make her a serious medal contender.

Keiaho, the former San Diego State Aztec who is a valuable special teams member and backup linebacker for the Indianapolis Colts, and Bush, the ex-Helix High standout who is a star running back with the New Orleans Saints, will get a chance to meet head-to-head in the 2010 Super Bowl this Sunday.

Jackson not only had a 7-catch, 111-yard game against the New York Jets in the AFC Playoffs, he showed his ability again when he grabbed seven more passes for 122 yards and a 48-yard touchdown in the Pro Bowl.

Seven area college stars were also cited for their performances during January.

Basketball standouts Jene Morris of San Diego State, De’Jon Jackson and Dominique Conners of USD, Point Loma Nazarene’s Colleen Planeta and JayDee Luster of Wyoming, a Hoover grad, were joined by Aztec water polo player Ronni Gautschi and USD golfer Gunner Wiebe.

On the high school front, record-setting basketball players Angelo Chol of Hoover (section career blocked shots) and Katie Kuklok of Poway (school career scoring), were joined by girls basketball standouts Ariana Elegado of La Jolla Country Day and Ashlee Guay of the Academy of Our Lady of Peace, Bishop’s soccer standout Devan Osegueda and Rancho Bernardo 171-pound wrestler Jonathan Beck.

PROFESSIONAL

VINCENT JACKSON (Football, San Diego Chargers)—The talented wide receiver overcame his frustration of losing in the AFC semifinals by catching seven passes for 122 yards and a 48-yard touchdown to lead the West over the East in the Pro Bowl, 41-34. Earlier in the month he grabbed seven passes for a game-high 111 yards in the 17-14 loss to the New York Jets.

FREDDY KEIAHO (Football, Indianapolis Colts)—Playing backup middle linebacker and on the special teams, the former San Diego State Aztec helped the Colts march into the Super Bowl against the New Orleans Saints. Keiaho, who earned a Super Bowl ring in 2006, was one of those invaluable team assets as he filled all three linebacker positions as the Colts rolled in January.

REGGIE BUSH (Football, New Orleans Saints)—Just as he did at Helix High and USC, Bush picked up his game in the playoffs to help the Saints march into the Super Bowl. Against the Arizona Cardinals he rushed for 85 yards, including a 46-yard TD, caught four passes for 24 yards and he dramatically returned a punt 83 yards for another score. Bush followed that up with 33 yards on just two receptions against the Vikings, including scoring a key touchdown.

RACHAEL FLATT (Olympics, Figure skating)—Raised on the ice at the Westfield UTC mall, Flatt came through with the performance of her life, hitting seven triples, in the U.S. Championships in Spokane to go from third to first, not only capturing the gold medal but earning a berth in the Vancouver Olympic Games. Flatt, a high school senior who is training in Colorado Springs, collected an eye-opening score of 200.11 points.

AMATEUR

RONNI GAUTSCHI (Water Polo, SDSU)—With nine goals in four games, the Aztec senior from Morgan Hill helped lead SDSU to a 3-1 record at the Michigan Kick-Off in Ann Arbor, Mich. Earlier, Gautschi was one of seven Aztecs to score a goal in the Aztec’s 7-6 overtime win over No. 3 UCLA, just the fourth over the Bruins in school history, the first since 1995.

COLLEEN PLANETA (Basketball, Point Loma Nazarene)—The senior forward led PLNU to a 9-0 record. The two-time NAIA All-American averaged 23.1 points, 6.9 rebounds and 4 blocks per game during that stretch. Against four ranked squads, Planeta posted games of 21, 20, 15 and 21 points for the NAIA’s second-ranked team.

DOMINIQUE CONNERS (Basketball, USD)–Conners helped lead USD into third place in the WCC after topping the team with a 17.1 average (44-for-101). Conners also averaged 6.1 rebounds-per-game and did not score less than 12 points as she finished the month with 20 against Loyola-Marymount University and 26 against Pepperdine.

JAYDEE LUSTER (Basketball, Wyoming)—A star at Hoover High, Luster has come into his own during MWC play, especially against San Diego State where his two three-point field goals in the final seconds of the game allowed the Cowboys to collect an 85-83 victory. He finished with a season-high 14 points against the Aztecs, one game after hitting for 13 against Colorado State.

GUNNER WIEBE (Golf, USD) — By beating his coach, Tim Mickelson, by one stroke in an 18-hole playoff, the USD junior earned the one amateur spot for the Farmers Insurance Open. In his opening round on the South Course, Wiebe fired a solid 1-over par 73, carding three birdies over his final seven holes. On Friday he opened with two birdies and finished with a 78, missing the cut. By besting 100 amateur golfers with a handicap of zero or better to earn the sponsor invite, Wiebe followed his dad (Mark Wiebe) in playing in a PGA event.

JENE MORRIS (Basketball, SDSU)–The preseason Mountain West Conference Player of the Year, Morris led SDSU to a 5-2 record during the month of January in helping lift the Aztecs to first place in the conference. She averaged a team-best and league-high 19.3 points while also chipping in 26 assists, 22 steals and 15 of the team’s 30 three-pointers during the month. She was named MWC player of the week on Jan. 11.

DE’JON JACKSON (Basketball, USD) – USD’s Jackson averaged 12.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.3 steals for the Toreros. He converted 42.6 percent of his field goals (29-68), 33.3 percent of his three-pointers (11-33) and 87.0 percent of his free throws (20-23). Jackson reached double-digit scoring in five of the seven games.

HIGH SCHOOL

ARIANA ELEGADO (Basketball, La Jolla Country Day)–Rolling through the month undefeated, Elegado, a senior headed to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo was clearly the LJCD leader. In eight wins she averaged 16.5 points and 8.8 assists as the Torreys scored eye-opening victories against Beverly Hills (13 points, 13 assists) and Mount Miguel (24 points, 6 assists), surpassing 1,000 career points.

ANGELO CHOL (Basketball, Hoover)–Dominating inside on defense and picking up his outside game on offense, the 6-9 junior led the Cardinals to a 7-1 record in January, winning the final seven games. Along the way Chol eclipsed the section career blocked shot record and averaged 15.6 points, 14.0 rebounds and 9.9 blocked shots—just missing a triple double.

DEVAN OSEGUEDA (Girls soccer, Bishop’s)–One of the major problems beating the Knights, who are ranked 12th in the nation by ESPN, is scoring. That’s because the Bishop’s junior goalie deftly backs up the defense, which she did during the month when she added five more shutouts to her season total, giving her 11 on the season.

KATIE KUKLOK (Basketball, Poway)–With Kuklok leading the way, the Titans dominated play in the Palomar League and compiled an 8-0 record. Kuklok averaged 20.5 points with a high of 32 versus Rancho Bernardo. She had four 20-point-plus games. Late in the month she reached 1,101 points, moving into No. 1 all-time on the Titans all-time scoring list.

JONATHAN BECK (Wrestling, Rancho Bernardo)–In Southern California, no wrestling competition is more prestigious than the Five Counties in Fountain Valley. Beck, who wrestles at 171 pounds, captured that division against the best in the state as well as the Holtville Invitational en route to posting a 32-2 overall record giving him 100 career wins—one shy of the Broncos school record.

ASHLEE GUAY (Basketball, Our Lady of Peace)–One of the reasons the Pilots led the Western League and posted a 7-2 record in January was the play of the 5-foot-7 guard. With 23 points against University City being the high game, Guay averaged 13.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.3 steals and 6.5 assists. She is the section’s leader in steals and No. 2 in assists.

The San Diego Chargers can thank nearby San Diego State for two of their key players, Brandyn Dombrowski and Kassim Osgood, as they raced through the month of December unbeaten and into the post-season playoffs.

Dombrowski and Osgood were selected as Stars of the Month by the San Diego Hall of Champions along with six amateurs and another six high school players. They will be honored at the 64th Salute to the Champions Feb. 22 at the Town and Country Convention Center.

A swift, sure-tackler who always seems to zero in on the ball, Osgood earned a spot in the Pro Bowl for the third time in his seven-year career after leading the Chargers’ special teams.

Dombrowski was expected to learn his trade as a backup offensive lineman this season but was suddenly thrust into the starting lineup when the Chargers suffered injuries at both guard and tackle. The Chargers never missed a beat.

San Diego State’s men’s basketball team went 7-1 for the month as junior D.J. Gay and freshman Kawhi Leonard were key performers. They were cited along with Brandon Johnson and Sam Child off the USD men’s and women’s teams, Quenese Davis from SDSU’s 5-1 women’s club and Tiffany Kracy, who led the Point Loma Nazarene women to a second place finish in the NAIA soccer playoffs.

Oceanside High two-way lineman Thomas Molesi led the Pirates to the state Division I Bowl Championship and topped the list of prep standouts which included Poway wrestler Victor Lopez, Eastlake quarterback D’Angelo Barksdale, Foothills Christian’s high-scoring basketball player Troy Leaf, and girls hoop standouts Yvonte Neal of Mount Miguel and Deanna Bembry of Monte Vista.

PROFESSIONAL

Brandyn Dombrowski (Football, San Diego Chargers)—While players like Philip Rivers or Vincent Jackson can point to glittering statistics, they know it would be impossible without teammates like Dombrowski, the 6-5, 323-pound former San Diego State player who stepped up to fill glaring holes at both guard and tackle after veteran starters were injured. Dombrowski was a key member of the team that rolled unbeaten through December.

Kassim Osgood (Football, San Diego Chargers)–It would be difficult to find anyone who has made the most of his situation better than the former San Diego State wide receiver. Finding himself in a backup position at WR, Osgood grew with the Chargers as a special teams standout. The seven-year veteran was selected to the 2010 Pro Bowl after amassing 15 tackles this season, all on kick return coverage.

AMATEUR

Kawhi Leonard (Basketball, San Diego State)—Freshmen rarely step right in and make an impact, but the 6-foot-7 Leonard has done just that for the Aztecs this season. When SDSU rolled to a 7-1 record for the month, losing only by three points to Arizona State, the Riverside Martin Luther King High grad was the leading rebounder in six of the eight games. His top performance came against Cal State Fullerton when he scored a season high 23 points while pulling down 18 rebounds, also tops for the year.

Brandon Johnson (Basketball, USD)—The senior started off the month with 21 points in a 69-62 overtime loss to San Diego State, and closed out the month with a personal-best 31 points in a 77-68 loss to Mississippi State. Johnson led USD in scoring (15.0) to go with 22 assists and 18 steals. He improved on his No. 2 all-time numbers for career scoring (1,583) and assists (461).

D.J. Gay (Basketball, San Diego State)—When the Aztecs needed someone to step up in two key December contests, Gay, a junior from the San Fernando Valley by way of Poly High, was the go-to player. The 6-foot guard tossed in 22 points as SDSU downed cross-town rival USD 69-62 in overtime and led the team with 18 points when Drake pushed the Aztecs into an extra session before SDSU prevailed, 76-73.

Tiffany Kracy (Soccer, Point Loma Nazarene)–A freshman goalkeeper, Kracy led the unseeded Sea Lions to a second place finish at the NAIA National Championships. Kracy was named as the Defensive Player of the National Tournament, which included 18 saves in four contests. She also stopped all three Azusa Pacific penalty kick attempts in a 3-0 shootout win in the semis. The All-American allowed only 12 goals all season.

Sam Child (Basketball, USD)—Child, a junior guard, led USD to a 5-2 record, including helping lift the Toreros to the championship of the Maggie Dixon Surf N Slam Classic where she was selected to the All-Tournament team. She paced the Toreros in scoring with a 15.3 average, including recording a career-high 28 points in the win over Nevada. In that same game, Child set a career-high with six steals.

Quenese Davis (Basketball, San Diego State)—Clearly, the senior point guard picked up her game as the Aztecs went 5-1. Davis posted a team-best 19.7 scoring average while pitching in with 6.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists. She had four 20-point games, including a career-best 26 on a 10-for-13 shooting night against Loyola Marymount University. Davis was named MVP of the San Diego Surf N Slam and MWC Player of the Week.

HIGH SCHOOL

Yvonte Neal (Basketball, Mount Miguel)–While the Matadors were racing to an undefeated month, Neal provided the push as she averaged 15.1 points a game, scoring in double figures in all 15 victories, capped off with a resounding 83-47 romp over highly-rated Bishop’s. Additionally, the 5-7 senior headed to Cal State Fullerton averaged 5.6 rebounds, 4.7 steals and hit 18 three pointers.

Deanna Bembry (Basketball, Monte Vista)–Just a junior, Bembry was a virtual double-double machine for the Monarchs as she collected 10 in her first 13 games. One of those was even better as she also had a triple-double in the season-opener when she scored 16 points, had 12 rebounds and dished out a whopping 12 assists in a 60-57 victory over Oceanside.

Troy Leaf (Basketball, Foothills Christian)—Sitting at the edge of the section career scoring record, the UC Santa Barbara signee put on quite a display in the MaxPreps Holiday Classic as his 42 points against Long Beach Jordan was high for the tourney. In the first 15 games Leaf averaged 29.5 points in leading the Knights to a 12-3 record.

Victor Lopez (Wrestling, Poway)–It isn’t often that a San Diego-area wrestler wins the Reno Tournament of Champions but that’s just what the freshman did, pacing Poway to the team title. Lopez captured the 103-pound weight class at Reno with an 11-6 victory in the title match, earning All-American honors. He also won the Grand Canyon dual meet competition and was second in the El Dorado Invitational.

D’Angelo Barksdale (Football, Eastlake)–When things weren’t going all that well for the Titans after the loss of Tony Jefferson in the section Division I title game against Vista, the senior quarterback rallied Eastlake, leading them to a 21-14 victory. Barksdale completed 7-of-11 passes, including a 52-yard TD pass to Jordan Hines in the third quarter and a 59-yarder to Daniel Diaz, as Eastlake recorded its first section football title.

Thomas Molesi (Football, Oceanside)–You won’t see a lot of stats next to Molesi’s name but the ones that really matter are in the record book—two state bowl championship titles anchoring the Pirates’ line. Molesi shook off an injury to stand tall on defense as the Pirates edged San Jose Bellarmine Prep 24-19 in the State Division I Bowl Championship in Carson after helping Oceanside to its sixth straight section title, 26-10 over Helix.

ANTONIO GATES (Football, Chargers): Fans of the San Diego Chargers got to watch vintage Antonio Gates this month. The 6-foot-4, 260-pound tight end, in his 7th year with the Chargers, had 25 receptions for 353 yards and 2 touchdowns. He had 7 receptions against Philadelphia and Kansas City and 118 yards against the Chiefs in a 43-14 win.

SHAUN PHILLIPS (Football, Chargers): Needing big play from their linebackers, the Chargers’ 6-3, 262-pounder stepped up big for the month with 21 tackles, 14 of them solo, and four sacks—double his total for the entire season before the four November games in helping the injury-plagued defense do their part in four key victories.

JARED DUDLEY (Basketball, Phoenix Suns): Scored a season-high 18 points versus Philadelphia after a pair of 17-point outings. The 6-foot-7 Dudley, who led Horizon to a state basketball title and was the 22nd draft pick of the NBA draft in 2007 out of Boston College, averaged 8.9 points and 3.6 rebounds for the Suns who were 12-3 in November.

AMATEUR

ALI TROOST (Volleyball, USD): Just a junior, Troost capped a stellar season by being selected the WCC Player of the Year after helping USD to a second place finish. For the month, Troost led the team with 89 kills (4.68 kills per set), hit at a .318 clip, racked up a team-leading 11 service aces and was tied for second in digs with 89.

SEAN CANFIELD (Football, Oregon State University/Carlsbad High): Guiding the Beavers into the Rose Bowl picture, the 6-4 senior completed 72-of -97 for 758 yards and eight TDs in a 3-0 month. Canfield posted season highs of 342 yards in a 31-14 win over Cal and four TDs in a 48-21 victory over Washington.

SARAH McTIGUE (Soccer, UCSD): Helping the Tritons advance to the third round of the NCAA Division II tournament, the sophomore scored three of her team-high nine goals in the post-season. McTigue, who helped the Tritons to a 15-5-2 record, led UCSD to a second-round win over Chico State with two goals.

JORDAN WYNN (Football, Utah/Oceanside High): Just a freshman, Wynn started all five games in the month, going 3-2 with the only losses to TCU and BYU. The Oceanside High product was 78-of-143 for 991 yards and 5 TDs (only 3 interceptions) and in all three wins was not sacked. He was18-of-28 for 297 yards and 2 TDs against New Mexico.

BRANDON JOHNSON (Basketball, USD): Coming back for a season-ending injury last year, Johnson led the Toreros to a 4-2 start including wins over Stanford, No. 25 Oklahoma and Houston. The 6-foot guard averaged 15.6 points per game, 2.5 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 1.2 steals. Johnson had a season-high 22 points against Oklahoma.

SYLVIA SCHMIDT (Volleyball, UCSD): Earning CCAA Player of the Year honors, the Tritons senior set a school record for kills in a season with 478 en route to a school-best 29-3 record and No. 2 Division II ranking nationally. Advancing to the NCAA West Regional semifinals, she earned a spot on the All-Star team.

HIGH SCHOOL

DEVON BROWN (Golf, Cathedral Catholic): It isn’t often that the CIF San Diego Section has a Southern California Regional golf champion but the Dons’ senior, who will be headed to Northwestern University next fall, fired a 4-under par 68 at the SCGA course in Murrieta to accomplish that task. Her one-stroke victory was sandwiched around thirds in the section and state championships.

LACEY SMYTH (Tennis, San Marcos): If there was one to describe Smyth’s feelings upon winning the section singles crown it would be ‘finally.’ A finalist as a freshman and junior, the senior downed Cathedral Catholic’s Danielle Flores 7-5, 6-4 in the section championships to complete a dominating season in which she played 53 sets without a single loss.

COLIN SMITH (Water Polo, Carlsbad): This was supposed to be the year Carlsbad’s section title winning streak would be challenged. But with Smith, a senior and one of the few returning starters, leading the way, the Lancers rolled through the Division I playoffs to make it seven straight crowns. Smith scored a season-best equaling eight goals in the 12-10 championship win over Poway.

MALLORY ALBINI (Field Hockey, San Pasqual): The Eagles offense begins and often ends with the senior who is bound for the University of Michigan on a field hockey scholarship. Albini sparked San Pasqual to a 20-2 season record which included three shutout wins in the Division I playoffs, including a 1-0 victory over Fallbrook in the title game.

TONY JEFFERSON (Football, Eastlake): One had to look no farther than Jefferson to see why the Titans were undefeated in the month of November, earning the No. 2 seed in the San Diego Section playoffs. Jefferson, a two-way, four-year starter has rushed for 1,711 yards and 21 TDs, averaging 155 yards a game and 8.91 yards a carry this season.

BRENNAN CLAY (Football, Scripps Ranch): In the absence of a rifle-armed QB like Tate Forcier (now at Michigan), the University of Oklahoma-bound Clay, who gained more than 1,000 yards receiving as well as rushing in 2008, turned most of attention to running the ball and turned it up a few notches in helping the Falcons to playoff wins over Orange Glen and Lincoln.

Professional

VINCENT JACKSON (Football, Chargers): Clearly one of the go-to wide receivers for the Chargers, the 6-foot-5, 230-pound fifth year player was omnipresent for the month, catching TD passes in two of three games. Jackson finished with 13 catches for 244 yards (18.7 yards per grab). He posted a season-high 142 yards on five catches in a victory over Kansas City. Although it came on Nov. 1, Jackson followed up with an eight-catch game in a victory over the Oakland Raiders.

JIMMIE JOHNSON (Motor sports, El Cajon): Captured the Pepsi 500 at Fontana by 1.603 seconds over Chevrolet teammate Jeff Gordon to move into the lead in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Johnson is seeking an unprecedented fourth straight Sprint Cup title.

MEB KEFLEZIGHI (Running, San Diego): Set an American record for 20-kilometers en route to winning the San Jose Rock ‘n Roll Half-Marathon. Keflezighi, a graduate of San Diego High and the 2004 Olympic silver medalist, sped to a time of 57-minutes, 52 seconds to shave two seconds off the previous 20K record set by Ryan Hall in 2006. He went on to win the San Jose race by 25 seconds in 1:01.00. One day into November he captured the New York City Marathon.

Amateur

RYAN LINDLEY (Football, SDSU/El Capitan High): In a program whose reputation was built on the pass, the Aztec sophomore stepped in among the elite. The El Capitan High grad completed 55 percent of his passes (57-for-103) for 880 yards and 10 TDs to only two interceptions in three games. He led SDSU to a come-from-behind win over Colorado State with 459 yards and six TDs. The six TDs are the most by an Aztec since 1969.

J.T. ROGAN (Football, USD/Coronado High): A rare sixth-year senior, the Toreros team captain set school records for career touchdowns and points scored. With his fifth rushing TD of the year against Jacksonville, Rogan upped his career to 52 six-pointers and 314 points, adding those marks to the school career rushing record which improved to 3,449 yards. Rogan missed the entire 2008 season after injuring his knee in the season opener.

BEN MURRAY (Golf, USD): Just a junior, Murray tied for third in the Kauai Collegiate Invite (Puakea Golf Club, Par 72) with an 8-under 208, leading the Toreros to their second straight team title. His 1-under 215 at The Prestige at PGA West in La Quinta, Murray’s home town, resulted in an individual eighth place finish and a sixth for USD. He also finished 17th in the Wolf Pack Classic where the Toreros placed second in the 13-team field.

CHRISTINE WONG (Golf, San Diego State): By firing a 10-under par 206, Wong won the Price’s Give ‘Em Five Invitational in Las Cruces, N.M. by four strokes. She fired rounds of 69-68-69 over the par-73, 6319-yard New Mexico State course, including 10 birdies and 40 pars. She became the first Aztec to win the event since 2003 and led SDSU to a third place finish as a team.

PATRICK WALLEN (Soccer, USD): A 6-foot-2 freshman from Sweden, Wallen made an immediate impact as he was named WCC Player of the Month while leading the Toreros to a 7-1 overall record. Wallen had four goals and three assists, collecting game-winning goals with a back-to-the goal header against USF and a more conventional header that sailed into the corner of the net against Saint Mary’s.

AUBREE SOUTHWICK (Soccer, SDSU): As the Aztecs compiled a 5-0-3 record in October, the Danville junior keeper was almost perfect, allowing a miniscule 0.58 goals against average. In the eight games, Southwick played every minute, recording four shutouts and 30 saves. During the month, Southwick set the school career saves record and figures to put it out of reach for years to come before she plays her final game.

High School

RACHEL MORRIS (Golf, Carlsbad): The three-time defending section champion fired a six-under par 30 over Shadowridge’s par 36 course. The round included birdies on 1, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9 and was very close to a 27 as she missed a hole in one by inches and lipped out a birdie putt. The USC commit also captured the Ping Invitational in Oklahoma featuring the best high school golfers in the nation.

MEGAN MORGAN (Cross country, Torrey Pines): Often running in the shadow of Rancho Bernardo’s Molly Grabill, Morgan showed her ability when she captured the Mt. SAC Invitational Team Sweepstakes race and led the Falcons to a second place finish. Morgan, a senior, attacked the ultra-hilly 2.95-mile course, clocking a winning time of 16:59 to capture the race by 39 seconds.

KENNY STILLS (Football, La Costa Canyon): The son of former NFL player Kenny Stills Sr., the younger Stills led the Mavericks to a 4-0 record in October and a lofty state ranking. For the month, Stills, who has 4.3 40 speed, caught 23 passes for 447 yards and three TDs, tossed one for a 29-yard TD, and ran for 26 yards on four carries on offense while picking off one pass and recovering a fumble on defense in addition to rolling up 320 yards in kick returns.

DEON RANDALL (Football, Francis Parker): Whether by land or air, Randall was unstoppable as the Lancers went 4-0. Randall carried the ball 47 times for 482 yards and seven TDs. That’s better than a first down per carry. The senior QB also passed for 382 yards, completing 27-of-33 passes for six touchdowns and zero interceptions.

KELLEN BLUMBERG (Cross country, Patrick Henry): Although he wasn’t expected to finish that high, Blumberg showed he was ready to compete as he capped a successful month by finishing sixth in the Mt. SAC Invitational Individual Sweepstakes, clocking a 14-minute, 42-second time, just seven seconds behind the winner and 44 seconds quicker than what he ran in 2008.

LAUREN BIRKS (Volleyball, La Jolla Country Day): En route to a glittering 27-1 season record, Birks, an outside hitter, was credited with a team-leading 287 kills on 478 attempts—a .594 percentage. Showing her all-around ability, Birks was also credited with 230 digs and 39 service aces on a .946 serving percentage.

Professional

CHASE HEADLEY (Baseball, Padres): As the Padres were compiling a 17-9 record in September, Headley not only was one of the team’s top hitters, but he filled more than ably for an injured Kevin Kouzmanoff at third base. Headley batted .281 (27-96), scoring 16 runs and driving in another 15. He posted a .417 slugging percentage and a .360 on base percentage.

PHILIP RIVERS (Football, Chargers): Anyone who doubted the strength of Phillips’ arm walked away from the Miami game with newfound appreciation as he capped a strong September showing in a 23-13 victory. For the month, Rivers completed 67-of-114 for 991 yards and three TDs. Against Baltimore he passed for 436 yards and his 330-yard average is almost 80 yards a game ahead of last year.

PHIL MICKELSON (Golf, PGA Tour/USDHS Alum): Firing a 5-under par 65, Mickelson rallied in the final round to capture the Tour Championship at Atlanta’s East Lake by three strokes over Tiger Woods. Mickelson entered the final round two down but finished 9-under at 271 to win the event for the first time since 2000. His third victory of the year also allowed Mickelson to finish second in the Fedex Cup overall race won by Woods.

College

TABITHA HENKEN (Volleyball, Point Loma Nazarene): A 6-foot-3 sophomore, Henken leads the country (NAIA) with 303 kills in 17 games as the Sea Lions soared to No. 10 in the country with a 14-3 record. During the month Henken also recorded 166 digs, 21 blocks and 17 service aces and was selected the GSAC Player of the Week.

TATE FORCIER (Football, Michigan/Scripps Ranch High alum): Although he is just a freshman, Forcier moved right in and led the Wolverines to a 4-0 record. During the month he passed for 671 yards, completing 62 percent of his passes (54-87) with seven TDs and two interceptions. He also rushed for 183 yards and a pair of TDs.

JEREMY YOUNG (Football, Ouchita Baptist/El Cajon Valley): As Ouchita (Arkadelphia, Arkansas) rolled through its first four games, Young was the go-to receiver, grabbing 32 passes for 471 yards and two touchdowns, including 13 for 261 against Valdosta State. Young was also the team’s leading kick returner and accounted for a total of 749 yards.

VINCENT BROWN (Football, San Diego State): A junior by way of Rancho Cucamonga, the 6-foot, 180-pound Aztecs wide receiver was unstoppable as he caught 34 passes for 547 yards (16.1) and five TDs. Last year he grabbed 64 passes for 631 yards, so he was less than 100 yards behind his entire 2008 season total after just four games.

DALLON WILLIAMS (Cross country, Cal State San Marcos): Known better as a steeplechaser in track, Williams is off to a fast start this cross country season as she won the UC Irvine Invitational in 17-minutes, 21-seconds before rolling to a fourth place in the UC Riverside Invitational in 16:55.

ALI TROOST (Volleyball, USD): When USD caught fire and won seven straight matches, it was Troost who led the way. Troost had 115 kills, 58 digs and 19 blocks. She was named the Most Valuable Player of the Denver Invitational as well as the WCC Player of the Week after recording 22 kills and 13 digs in a win over UC Irvine. For the month, she had seven double-doubles and earned Co-Player of the Month in the WCC.

High School

MOLLY GRABILL (Cross country, Rancho Bernardo High): There was no more dominant runner in the entire nation than Grabill who swept to victory in every major invitational. The two most impressive were the Stanford Invitational where she captured the Seeded race, featuring most of the state’s best runners, and the Mt. Carmel Invitational earlier where she not only won the Junior race, she took down the 14-year-old meet record along the way.

RICKY SEALE (Football, Escondido High): Another 1,000-yard rushing season isn’t very far away as the senior running back led the Cougars to a 3-0 record during the month, averaging almost nine yards a carry with 596 yards on just 67 carries. Escondido has jumped on opponents so early, Seale watched much the second half in those three games.

JAKE FELY (Football, Oceanside High): San Diego State will be getting a quality football player as the Pirates senior paced a defense that catapulted Oceanside to a 4-0 record and No. 1 in the state in the CalHiSports.com Division I Bowl rankings. Fely was credited with 20 tackles, 10 for a loss, and 28 assisted tackles from his linebacker position. He also collected four quarterback sacks.

CHRIS FAHLSING (Water polo, Cathedral Catholic High): The senior led the team in scoring as the Dons captured the American Finest City tournament with a win over Agoura of the Southern Section after dispatching six-time San Diego Section defending Division I champion Carlsbad in the semifinals. Cathedral also won the Menlo Tournament title and for the month Fahlsing scored 38 goals as Cathedral Catholic went 11-1.

DILLON BAXTER (Football, Mission Bay High): Although the Buccaneers are a much more balanced team this year than in the past, the catalyst behind a 3-0 start was the play of the USC-bound Baxter, who plays quarterback to get the ball in his hands every play. For the month, Baxter gained 998 total yards, rushing for 722 and 10 TDs in addition to passing for 276 and three more scores.

TAYLOR CRANDALL (Golf, West Hills): Coming from a family of golfers, it was only natural Crandall, a junior, would fit right in on the high school scene. In 11 matches during September, she medaled every time, twice shooting 1-under par 35s at Carlton Oaks and firing an even par 37 at the tough Steele Canyon Ranch course.