- Publish date:
Faces in the Crowd
Jessica Smith, MELVINDALE, MICH.
In-line Speed Skating
Smith, 18, won the overall professional women's division of the
U.S. Cup Inline Speedskating Series. A competitive skater since
age two, Smith is a five-time senior, and a 14-time junior, world
champion. She has also won the national crown six times.
Matt Scoggin, AUSTIN
Diving
Scoggin, 38, the coach at Texas, guided the men's team to its
third straight national championship, with 512 points, 11 ahead
of Stanford. He was named the diving coach of the year for the
fifth time since 1996-97. Scoggin's divers have won 13 individual
NCAA titles in his eight seasons at Texas.
Nik Caner-Medley, PORTLAND, MAINE
Basketball
Nik, a senior center at Deering High, was named his state's Mr.
Basketball and its Gatorade player of the year after he led the
Rams to their second consecutive Western Class A state crown. He
averaged 34.6 points and 15.4 rebounds this season and is set to
play at Maryland in the fall.
Emily Park, NEW YORK CITY
Squash
Emily, 11, won the girls' under-13 bracket at the U.S. Squash
Racquets Association Junior Olympics without losing a game,
becoming the only American to win in her age bracket at the
event. Undefeated in 2002 and the No. 1 player in the under-15
division, she also won the U.S. National Championship title.
Josh Mandel, CLARK, N.J.
Hockey
Mandel, a junior defenseman at Penn State, led the Nittany Lions
to their third consecutive ACHA crown, scoring eight goals and
making 26 assists in an injury-shortened 28-game season. A
three-time All-America, Mandel was named to the all-tournament
team for a league-record third year in a row.
Healy Thompson, CHICAGO
Track and Field
Thompson, a junior at Williams College, won her second straight
NCAA Division III indoor shot put title with a heave of 47' 4 1/4".
She has finished first or second at the five championship meets
she has competed in, establishing a personal best of 48' 7 1/2"
outdoors in 2001.
COLOR PHOTO: D.C. GOINGS
COLOR PHOTO: CHRIS CARSON
COLOR PHOTO: DEERING HIGH SCHOOL
COLOR PHOTO: JIM LUZZI
COLOR PHOTO: STEVE MANUEL
COLOR PHOTO: MARK KIMBALL
