FACES IN THE CROWD

[This article consists of photographs--see below]

COLOR PHOTO: DOUG KNUTSON Karl Goehring APPLE VALLEY, MINN. Nathaniel Merrill FRESNO, CALIF. Karl, a senior goalkeeper on the Apple Valley High ice hockey team and valedictorian of his class, was named scholar-athlete of the year in the Twin Cities area and received the Frank Brimsek award as Minnesota's top goalie. He set a Class AA state tournament record by stopping 65 shots in a 5-4 defeat of Duluth East in the semis. Nathaniel, a senior on the Fresno High football and wrestling teams with a 4.24 GPA, was named California's male scholar-athlete of the year. As a quarterback he was the Northwest Yosemite League's offensive player of the year; in wrestling he was 40-4 as a senior in the 215-pound class. [Karl Goehring]

COLOR PHOTO: STEVE R. FUJIMOTO [See caption above--Nathaniel Merrill]

COLOR PHOTO: F. CARTER SMITH Melissa Middleton HOUSTON Melissa, 14, won the U.S. Tennis Association's girls' 16-and-under clay court championships by beating Lauren Kalvaria of Indialantic, Fla., 6-3, 6-1. Melissa also took the singles titles at the Campari Avenir and the Cadet Masters junior championships, two of the most prestigious 16-and-under events in the world. [Melissa Middleton]

COLOR PHOTO: ANCIL NANCE Jeremy Wilson AMITY, ORE. Jeremy, a senior at Dayton (Ore.) High, earned his fifth state title in six months when he won the Class 2A triple jump crown at the Oregon high school track and field meet. He was also a running back on the championship football team. In wrestling he won one team and two individual titles. [Jeremy Wilson]

COLOR PHOTO: LAURIE BECK Bert Linton PHILADELPHIA Linton, 80, golf coach at the William Penn Charter School, guided the Quakers to a 10-2 record, including a defeat of Chestnut Hill Academy for the InterAc title, Penn Charter's 24th league championship since Linton began coaching therein 1947. He has a 351-244-20 career record. [Bert Linton]

COLOR PHOTO: D.C. GOINGS Erica Strutz HARTLAND, MICH. Erica, a senior pitcher on the Hartland High softball team, set a national high school strikeout record of 1,637 after amassing 493 this season. She had a no-hitter with 18 strikeouts against Mount Clemens Chippewa Valley in the state Class A title game. She will pitch for Michigan State next year. [Erica Strutz]