FACES IN THE CROWD
CHARLIE HIGH
KNOXVILLE, TENN. > FOOTBALL
Charlie, a senior quarterback at Christian Academy of Knoxville, completed 29 of 37 passes for 505 yards and seven touchdowns—and also scored on a nine-yard run—in a 76--45 opening win over Anderson County. The nation's second-leading passer last year with a state-record 5,191 yards, he covered more than 100 yards in his first two passes of the game, both touchdowns. Last year Charlie led the Warriors to the Class 3A state title and set six Tennessee state records along the way.
NIKKI KIMBALL
BOZEMAN, MONT. > ULTRAMARATHON
Kimball, 41, a physical therapist and Vermont native, completed her home state's 273-mile Long Trail in five days, seven hours and 42 minutes to break the women's record by more than two days. The course, which follows America's oldest long-distance hiking trail, runs the length of Vermont along the Green Mountains and gains 67,000 feet in elevation. A three-time North American Ultra-Runner of the Year, Kimball is a three-time Western States winner and the 2007 Ultra-Trail Du Mont Blanc champion.
BRADEN THORNBERRY
OLIVE BRANCH, MISS. > GOLF
Braden, a 15-year-old sophomore at DeSoto Central High, shot a 10-under 61 at TPC Southwind on the second day of the Memphis Golf Association Junior Invitational for a total 12-under 130 to win his age group by 19 strokes. Playing 1,000 yards shorter than the championship tees on the PGA Tour course, he tied the course record set at the FedEx St. Jude Classic by Jay Delsing in 1993 and matched in 2001 by Bob Estes. This summer Braden also won the Mississippi Boys Junior Amateur tournament.
CARSON DINGLER
ELLIJAY, GA. > TRACK AND FIELD
Carson, an eighth-grader at Clear Creek Middle, won the youth girls' pole vault at the USATF Junior Olympics in Baltimore (10'6") a week after clearing 11 feet at the SMART Pre-National Invitational in Atlanta, for the nation's top vault this year among 13-year-old girls. Earlier this year she came back from a hip fracture to defend her Georgia state middle school title, for which she set the state record in 2011 (9'2"). Carson also set an age-group record at the AAU club nationals in Orlando this summer.
EMERSON GIBBS
NEW ORLEANS > BASEBALL
Emerson, a recent graduate of Jesuit High, pitched a three-hitter to lead New Orleans Post 125 to its first American Legion World Series title since 1960 with a 4--0 win over Brooklawn, N.J. He had a series 1.01 ERA and was named the American Legion's player of the year. In April he threw 193 pitches in 15 innings of an 18-inning, 2--1 win over Archbishop Rummel (Metairie, La.). He was named all-state for Class 5A and the All-Metro pitcher and player of the year. Emerson will play for Tulane in 2013.
FRANCES SILVA
OVERLAND PARK, KANS. > SOCCER
Silva, a junior at West Virginia, scored an unassisted goal in the 83rd minute against Stanford, ranked No. 1 nationally, to lead the Mountaineers to a 1--0 win over the defending NCAA Division I champions. She settled a cleared ball and lofted it into the upper left corner from 16 yards out to snap the Cardinal's 64-match regular season unbeaten streak. Last year, Silva scored the second goal in a 2--0 win over Louisville to seal the Mountaineers' second straight Big East Tournament championship.
FISH STORY
Of course Molly Palmer needed help to land her big catch at the Big Island Invitational Marlin Tournament in Hawaii on Aug. 18. Who wouldn't need help? The 5'9", 160-pound Palmer fought the 12-foot-long, 1,022.5-pound fish for more than four hours before she and her crewmates hauled it aboard. The catch would have set a world record for a woman using a 130-pound line, but Palmer threw back both the victory and the record when she told the truth to the organizers of the contest, which requires fish to be reeled in solo. "I didn't come here to set world records," said Palmer, who, along with her captain and crew, put up roughly $9,000 to enter the tournament. "I came here to catch fish."
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COURTESY JODY BRIGHT/AP (FISH)
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COURTESY OF CHRISTIAN ACADEMY OF KNOXVILLE (HIGH)
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FIVE PRODUCTIONS AND MONTANAPBS (KIMBALL)
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COURTESY OF THE THORNBERRY FAMILY (THORNBERRY)
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JUDY DINGLER (DINGLER)
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GREG CAMPBELL/TULANE ATHLETICS (GIBBS)
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WVU SPORTS COMMUNICATIONS (SILVA)