FACES IN THE CROWD
DYLAN BEASLEY
BARDSTOWN, KY. > FOOTBALL
Dylan, a senior quarterback at Nelson County High, threw for a state-record 652 yards and eight touchdowns to lead the Cardinals to a 59--38 win over Marion County High. He completed 30 of 43 attempts with no picks, and broke the 21-year-old Kentucky record by one yard; his total ranks fourth highest alltime in the nation. The state's third player to surpass 600 yards, Dylan has thrown for 1,738 yards with 17 scores and two interceptions in four games this season.
DIAMOND DESHIELDS
NORCROSS, GA. > BASKETBALL
Diamond, a 6'2" senior guard at Norcross High, had 13 points, eight rebounds and five assists to help the U.S win the FIBA U-17 World Championship final, 75--62 over Spain. She averaged a team-high 14.8 points over the U.S.'s eight games, all victories, and was named tournament MVP. Georgia's Gatorade player of the year and a Miss Basketball selection in 2011, Diamond was voted the Class 5A player of the year this season. She has orally committed to North Carolina.
TYLER DUNN
MANHASSET, N.Y. > LACROSSE
Tyler, a sophomore attacker at Manhasset High, scored three goals, including the final two, for his club team, the Long Island Express, to clinch a 7--4 win over two-time national champion, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, at the 15-and-under national championships in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. It was the Express's first national title. Tyler, who led the team with 47 goals this summer, was the Express's top scorer at the tournament with 17 points in seven games, earning all-tournament honors.
BEATRICE BURNS
HAMDEN, CONN. > TRIATHLON
Burns, a retired nurse and grandmother of three who will turn 70 in November, swept the women's 70--74 age group at nationals in Burlington, Vt., with wins in the Olympic and sprint championships. She finished the Olympic circuit (1,500-meter swim, 40-kilometer bike ride, 10-kilometer run) in 2:59:46 and the next day won the sprint (750-meter swim, 20K bike, 5K run) in 1:30:17. Burns, the only competitor to claim multiple titles, earned a spot at the 2013 worlds.
MARTIN MURPHY
CARY, N.C. > SOCCER
Murphy, a senior striker at North Carolina, scored twice in less than two minutes to lead the top-ranked Tar Heels, unbeaten in 30 home games, to a 2--0 defeat of Virginia Tech in the schools' ACC opener. It was the third straight match in which he netted the decisive goal: He also scored in a 1--0 win over West Virginia and in a 2--1 victory over Boston. Murphy, who had only one goal playing in the midfield for UNC's national championship squad last season, led the team in scoring through Sunday.
DOMINIQUE MECCA
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. > RIFLERY
Mecca, a recent Orchard Park High graduate, won three events and defended her title in aggregate score at the state rifle championships at West Point. She won the off-hand event, scoring 96 points out of a possible 100 with four center shots, and the prone event (98 and seven). She also took second in kneeling (94 and three) for a total of 288 with 14 center shots. Mecca, who now attends Buffalo, set the aggregate state record in 2011 for both girls and boys (292).
RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS
After he overheard Bridgette Johnson tell her 12-year-old son, James, that the sneakers he wanted were too expensive, Baylor point guard Pierre Jackson—who happened to be shopping at the same Waco, Texas, store—gave the boy two pairs of never-worn shoes that the Bears had received last season.
Nominate Now
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NELSON CHENAULT/US PRESSWIRE (JACKSON)
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DAN BRADLEY (BEASLEY)
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STEVEN MAIKOSKI/USA BASKETBALL (DESHIELDS)
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BOB'S PHOTO MANHASSET (DUNN)
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MIKE SKELPS/CAPSTONE PHOTOGRAPHY (BURNS)
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JEFFREY CAMARATI/UNC ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS (MURPHY)
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COURTESY OF THE MECCA FAMILY (MECCA)