FACES IN THE CROWD

Author:
Alexandra Fenwick

DONDRE ECHOLS

UPPER MARLBORO, MD. > TRACK AND FIELD

Dondre, a recent graduate of Potomac High, finished first in the 110- (13.59 seconds) and 300-meter hurdles (36.26) and ran a leg in the winning 4 √ó 100 relay (41.08), setting state records in each event, to help the Wolverines win the 3A title. Last month, he won the 110 hurdles at the USA Track & Field juniors (13.56) to qualify for the world juniors in Barcelona, where he was the top American finisher, placing sixth (13.71). He will compete at South Carolina.

ANNA SMITH

VENETIA, PA. > TENNIS

Anna, who will be an eighth-grader at Peters Township Middle School, became the youngest player, at age 13, to win a title at the National Collegiate Clay Court Championships/West Penn Amateur, the nation's oldest continuously contested amateur tournament in Mt. Lebanon. She defeated Sarah Shashura, an incoming Duquesne recruit, 6--0, 6--0 for the women's singles crown. In the USTA's Middle States region, Anna is ranked third among 18-and-under girls.

SAM DEXTER

OAKLAND, MAINE > BASEBALL, ICE HOCKEY, FOOTBALL

Sam, a senior shortstop at Messalonskee High and a John Winkin Award finalist for Maine's best player, batted .475 and slugged .729 this season, leading the Eagles to a 6--3 win over Scarborough for the Class A state championship. He also scored a school-record 48 goals to lift Messalonskee to its first state title game in hockey, and led the football team to the semis with 1,786 all-purpose yards, 27 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Sam was named conference player of the year in all three sports.

ASHLEY PARK

ARCADIA, CALIF. > GOLF

Ashley, a 10-year-old fourth-grader at Highland Oaks Elementary, competed in the 12--14 age division in this year's Southern California PGA Junior tour and won six tournaments, finishing first in total points. She earned player of the year honors and an invitation to the Toyota Tour Cup Series in August. Last week Ashley placed fourth in a field of 70 in the 9--10 age group at the Callaway Junior World Championship at the Lomas Santa Fe Executive Golf Course in Solana Beach, Calif.

RYAN PATTERSON

GODDARD, KANS. > BASS FISHING

Patterson, a junior at Kansas State, won the FLW College Fishing National Championships on Lake Murray in Columbia, S.C., despite competing solo in the two-man team event after his partner failed to meet eligibility rules. Over three days he reeled in 14 bass weighing 46 pounds, 15 ounces, including a tournament-best 18-pound, one-ounce haul on the last day, to win by two pounds, four ounces. Patterson's victory earned him entry in next month's Forrest Wood Cup in Duluth, Ga.

ISABELLA CARACTA

PISCATAWAY, N.J. > TAEKWONDO

Isabella, a seventh-grader at Conackamack Middle School and a second-degree black belt, won six individual titles competing in the girls' ages 9--11, second- and third-degree black-belt level at the American Taekwondo Association's world championships in Little Rock. She took gold in traditional sparring and weapons, extreme forms and weapons, and creative forms and weapons. A 13-time world champion, Isabella is ranked No. 1 in the world in extreme forms and weapons among girls ages 12--13.

Nominate Now

To submit a candidate for Faces in the Crowd, go to SI.com/faces. For more on outstanding amateur athletes, follow @SI_Faces on Twitter.

BAT AND BALL

A field guide to the explosive football scene in The Dark Knight Rises

• The sequence was filmed at Heinz Field last August in front of 10,000 extras who were asked to wear Steelers black and gold—which are also the fictional Gotham Rogues' colors.

• Sideline Steelers cameos: Troy Polamalu, Ben Roethlisberger, Mike Wallace, former coach Bill Cowher and ex-LB James Farrior.

• The kicker for the rival Rapid City Monuments is in fact Pittsburgh mayor Luke Ravenstahl, who played that position for three years at Washington & Jefferson College.

• The return man, Hines Ward, takes it 98 yards for a TD. Had that in fact been a Steelers return, it would have been their third longest ever.

PHOTO

THE GAZETTE/GAZETTE.NET (ECHOLS)

PHOTO

MARY ANNE SMITH (SMITH)

PHOTO

DAVID EMERY JR. (DEXTER)

PHOTO

EUN-YOUNG PARK (PARK)

PHOTO

JEFF BENTON (PATTERSON)

PHOTO

MICHAEL CARACTA (CARACTA)

July 30, 2012