PROFESSIONAL
ADAM JONES (Baseball, Morse High): A graduate of Morse High, Jones’ sacrifice fly drove in the winning run for the American League in Major League Baseball’s 80th annual All-Star game in St. Louis. The Baltimore Orioles outfielder clubbed a long fly to right field to score Detroit’s Curtis Granderson for a 4-3 victory, allowing the Junior Circuit to remain unbeaten in the last 13 games. It was Jones first All-Star appearance. For the month, Jones batted .270 with five homers and 15 RBI.
CHARDE HOUSTON (Basketball, San Diego High): Talk about your breakout seasons. Houston was chosen to play in the annual WNBA All-Star game in Connecticut, where she hit seven of 10 shots from the field and both free throws for 16 points in less than 17 minutes. Houston, a third round selection by the Minnesota Lynx in the WNBA draft two years ago, averaged 14.0 points and 7.3 rebounds a game. During the month she tossed in a career high 26 points in an 83-76 win over San Antonio and pulled down 12 rebounds against Atlanta.
DANNY WAY (Skateboard, Encinitas): For a while, all it looked like Way was going to get for his efforts in the Skateboard Big Air Jam event at the X Games 15 in Los Angeles was sympathy. But the creator of the new event came through despite hobbling with injuries, scoring 92 points to capture the gold medal.
HEATH BELL (Baseball, Padres): Being selected to play in the All-Star game was such a thrill for Bell, he didn’t let the fact he was the losing pitcher bother him. The reality was, it didn’t affect the Padres and that’s his main focus as the team’s new closer. Through July, Bell had 25 saves, including three during the month where he struck out 12 batters, walked just one and allowed only four runs. Entering the All-Star game, Bell had a glittering 1.69 ERA.
JAKE BROWN (Skateboard, Oceanside): Ask anyone who has seen it – fan or not – and the one lasting memory of the X Games is the fall that Brown took in 2007, plunging 46 feet and landing so hard his shoes rocketed off in opposite directions. Fast forward to this year’s X Games 15 in Los Angeles and Brown staged a triumphant return to the Skateboard Big Air event by capturing his first gold medal, winning on his second best run (91.33) after tying Vista’s Bob Burnquist for the top score at 94.0.
KELLY RULON (water polo, USDHS): It was Rulon’s penalty shot with just 3:42 remaining that gave the United States a 7-6 victory over Canada in the gold medal game of the World Championships in Rome. Rulon scored a goal earlier as well as the Americans defended their world title, their third in the last four years.
JENNIFER SMITH (Surfing, Pacific Beach): The 23-year-old captured the ASP Roxy Jam Pro World Longboard Championships in LaCote des Basques, Biarritz, France. The judges awarded Smith a 9.25 in the semifinal, which was the highest score of the event. The competition, which she also won two years ago, featured the best 32 women longboard surfers in the world.
MARISSA DAL SANTRO (Skateboard, Carlsbad): After coming close a year ago and capturing the silver medal, Dal Santo climbed to the top step of the victory stand to receive her gold medal in the Women’s Skateboard Street event at the 2009 X Games 15 in Los Angeles.
COLLEGE
STEPHEN STRASBURG (Baseball, San Diego State, West Hills High): The honors just seemed to keep coming for the former Aztec who was named the winner of the 2009 USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award, annually given to the nation’s premier amateur baseball player. Strasburg, picked No. 1 overall in the major league draft by the Washington Nationals, led the NCAA in ERA at 1.32 and strikeouts with 195.
HIGH SCHOOL
RONNIE YELL (Football, Lincoln High): It was the 71-yard touchdown scamper by Yell, who is headed to San Jose State, which was the difference as he led the South to a 10-6 victory in the 19th Alex Spanos Classic All-Star football game. Yell, a quarterback and wide receiver in the game, eluded a tackle in the backfield and showed his speed, racing away for the clincher.
MIKEY HEAD (Football, Ramona High): For a while, it looked as though Head’s 25-yard circus catch to set up the North’s only touchdown would be the play of the contest in the 19th Alex Spanos Classic All-Star football game. Even though the South rallied for the win, the sure-handed Head was selected the North MVP after hauling in six passes for 62 yards.
KELLIE FOX (Softtball, Mt. Carmel High): The slick-fielding junior was one of just two San Diego Section athletes to earn softball All-State first team honors as selected by CalHiSports.com. Fox was a major contributor for the Sundevils, who collected their third consecutive CIF San Diego Section Division II title. She committed just six errors in addition to batting .490 with a .571 on-base percentage and .971 slugging percentage for the 28-6-1 Sundevils. Fox slugged 10 homers and was 12-of-12 on stolen bases.
Posted on August 6, 2009 by Christian Deleon
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