baltimoresun.com - Athletes of the Week archive

Girls Athlete of the Week: Kourtney Salvarola, Broadneck, softball

Wed, 27 May 2009 00:00:00 -0400

The junior pitcher led the No. 1 Bruins to their first Class 4A state championship, getting a 5-2 win over North Carroll in Saturday's title game, to complete a 20-0 season. Salvarola allowed one run and four hits while hitting a triple and scoring one run in the championship game. For the season, Salvarola went 12-0 with a 0.90 ERA , also batting .619 at the plate. She finished with seven home runs, six triples, 28 RBIs and 30 runs. Salvarola has made a commitment to play softball at South Florida.

Boys Athlete of the Week: Erick Zarzecki, Pikesville, lacrosse

Wed, 27 May 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Boys athlete of the week

Erick Zarzecki Pikesville, lacrosse Zarzecki, a second-year starting goalie, anchored the Panthers' run to the Class 2A-1A state title with 12 saves in an 8-7 win over two-time defending state champ Glenelg in the state semifinal and followed it up with 17 saves in a 6-5 win over Queen Anne's. Zarzecki will attend Cabrini College in Pennsylvania next year to play lacrosse and study business and marketing.

Boys Athlete of the Week // Harry Slade, Loyola, baseball

Wed, 20 May 2009 00:00:00 -0400

A senior, Slade anchored the Dons in the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association playoffs during the past week. He went 7-for-11 (.636), with four walks. Among his hits were a double, two triples and a home run. He drove in six runs and scored six. Normally a center fielder, he started at pitcher against Cardinal Gibbons, a game Loyola won, 8-5. Although Slade did not get the win, coach Paul Schiminger said, "He had a quality effort over five innings that allowed us to pull out the win in the seventh." Slade, who has a 3.5 grade-point average, will attend North Carolina-Greensboro next year.

Girls Athlete of the Week // Ali Brennan, McDonogh, lacrosse

Wed, 20 May 2009 00:00:00 -0400

All season, the senior midfielder has brought athleticism, speed and fine two-way play to help control the middle for the No. 1 Eagles. In Saturday's 13-10 win over Notre Dame Prep to capture the program's first Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland A Conference championship, Brennan also brought big goals. She finished with a game-high five. Brennan completed the season with 27 goals and eight assists as McDonogh (19-1) went wire-to-wire as the metro area's top-ranked team. Brennan is set to play soccer at Miami in the fall.

Boys Athlete of the Week: Rudy Lee Daniels, Woodlawn, track and field

Wed, 13 May 2009 00:00:00 -0400

The senior won four events - two individual and two relays - Saturday to help the Warriors capture the Baltimore County championship. Daniels took part in 40 of his team's 91 points. He won the 100 meters (11.07) and the 200 meters (22.25) before running the anchor leg of the 800 relay. In the 1600 relay, Daniels ran the leadoff leg in 49 seconds, a time that was 1.33 seconds better than the winning time in the 400-meter individual race. "He's a super kid," Woodlawn coach Gerald Russell said. " A good student, Daniels has signed a letter of intent to attend Old Dominion next year on a football scholarship.

Girls Athlete of the Week: Alina Jong, Roland Park, golf

Wed, 13 May 2009 00:00:00 -0400

The sophomore captured the Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland A Conference individual title in last week's championship at Longview Golf Course in Timonium and led the Reds to their third straight team title. Jong, who began golfing three years ago, shot an opening-round 40 on May 5 and followed that with a 39 to finish with a 79. She was the only golfer to finish under 80 in the two-day event. "Alina peaked at the right time and had a great tournament. She has great fundamentals and was able to keep it together," Roland Park coach Tara Kramer said.

Boys Athlete of the Week // Andrew Parker Cardinal Gibbons, baseball

Wed, 6 May 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Parker, a varsity player for 3 1/2 seasons, went 7-for-10 last week, hitting two home runs, including a grand slam, and two doubles, and driving in 10 runs. He helped lead the Crusaders to wins over No. 12 Archbishop Spalding, Archbishop Curley and John Carroll. Parker, the team's starting catcher, has a .628 batting average. "He works very hard on his grades and on baseball," coach Lee Swartzenberg said. "He has a 1.8-second throw down from home plate to second base, and he is the rare high school catcher who calls the pitches." Parker has a 3.8 grade-point average and has signed with Towson University.

Girls Athlete of the Week // Ashley Bruns Mount Hebron, lacrosse

Wed, 6 May 2009 00:00:00 -0400

The senior attack started the week with a record-setting offensive performance and closed it with a game-saving defensive play. In a 21-14 win over River Hill on Tuesday, Bruns scored 12 goals and added seven assists, breaking two program records (goals and points) and tying a third for assists. On Thursday, in a 16-4 win over Glenelg to clinch the Howard County championship, Bruns scored five goals and added four assists. Bruns, a Florida commitment, closed out the week with eight goals in a 12-11 overtime win against Moorestown (N.J.) – breaking up a pass in the closing seconds of overtime to secure the victory.

Girls Athlete of the Week // Stephanie Speierman, Hammond, softball

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0400

The senior pitcher, a three-time first-team All-Metro selection, tossed two no-hitters at separate locations in a span of four hours Saturday. In 6-0 and 1-0 wins over Mount Hebron and Centennial, respectively, Speierman totaled 34 strikeouts in 14 innings, allowing two walks and hitting one batter. Speierman, who is set to play at Michigan next year, is 9-2 with six no-hitters and is batting .429 this season. As a sophomore, she led the Golden Bears to the program's first state title, tossing a perfect game in the championship win over North East from Cecil County.

Boys Athlete of the Week // John 'Squeaky' Thomas, City, lacrosse

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0400

The sophomore attackman recorded 18 goals and six assists in three Knights victories - two of them over previously undefeated Walbrook and Edmondson. In a 12-3 win over Northwestern, Thomas had four goals and one assist; against Walbrook in a 12-5 win, he had eight goals and three assists; and against Edmondson in an 11-1 win, he had six goals and two assists. City coach Anthony "Merk" Ryan credits Thomas as a major factor in extending the Knights' unbeaten league mark to 27 games (9-0 this season). Thomas has 42 goals and 19 assists this season. He carries a B average.