FACES IN THE CROWD
Pat Hackler | Skaneateles, N.Y. | Football
Pat, a junior quarterback at Skaneateles High, threw five touchdown passes in a 42--41 victory over Newark Valley to set the NYSPHSAA single-season record, with 46. He would connect on three more in a 28--25 win over Holy Trinity that clinched the Class C state title. Pat finished the year with 3,124 passing yards and 53 TDs.
Sharon Zavala | Grand Island, Neb. | Volleyball
Zavala, 64, a teacher and volleyball coach at Grand Island Central Catholic High, led her team to a 2--0 victory over Centura for her 1,000th career win. The Crusaders' coach since 1975, she has won nine state titles; this season her team lost in the Class C-1 final. In 2007, Zavala was named national volleyball coach of the year.
Dhruvil Patel | Skokie, Ill. | Cross-country
Patel, a junior at North Central College in Naperville, finished third at the Division III 8,000-meter championship (24:14.15) to lead the Cardinals to their second straight national title and 18th overall. He also came in second at the CCIW championship (24:47.3) and at the Midwest region championship (23:37.7) to earn All-America honors.
Adrienne Leblanc | Scottsdale, Ariz. | Triathlon
Leblanc, a 47-year-old physical therapist, won her age group at the World Triathlon Championship, in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, by more than three minutes, finishing in 2:13:27. A month earlier she took the U.S. title (2:12:01). At last year's worlds Leblanc collapsed from heat exhaustion with a three-minute lead and one kilometer left.
Olivia Barnhill | New York City | Soccer
Barnhill, a junior at Williams College, made six saves for a 1--0 victory over Chicago, helping the Ephs earn their second Division III title in three years. Over six tournament games she did not allow a goal and was named most outstanding defensive player. Barnhill went 21-0-1 in '17, and her .891 save percentage was ninth best in D-III.
Beau Barrington and Kyle Carinalli
Santa Rosa, Calif. | Football
Beau, a QB, and Kyle, a wideout, seniors at Cardinal Newman, connected on a 42-yard TD with 1:32 left, for a 29--28 win over Rancho Cotate in the North Coast Section Division 3 semifinal. Both lost their homes to wildfires in October.
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