July 9, 2008
High school athlete Q&As
High school sports
Recent Sun photos of area athletes and action
Athletes of the Week
Photos of recent Sun boys and girls Athletes of the Week
Q&A // Maura Linde, Century, track
Maura Linde never realized prior to this school year that she had what it took to make her mark as a high school distance runner. In her freshman year at Century, however, Linde exceeded her wildest expectations, leaving an indelible impression.
Q&A // Joe Cummings, Loyola, boys lacrosse
The Loyola boys lacrosse team won the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference title last season and the Dons were looking to repeat as champions this year. It looked as if injuries would derail their chance, but their players stepped up all season -- including senior attackman and captain Joe Cummings -- and the team became the first since Gilman in 1994 and 1995 to win back-to-back A Conference titles. Cummings, a Maryland-bound senior, had a knack for scoring and formed a formidable one-two punch with Virginia-bound attackman Steele Stanwick. Cummings saved his best game for last, with three goals and an assist in a 12-11 win over previously No. 1 Gilman in the title game. Cummings was also a safety and slot receiver on the Dons football team that won a share of the A Conference title with Mount St. Joseph. He plans on majoring in letters and sciences next year and hopes to have a career in business.
Q&A // Tim Blair, Marriotts Ridge, baseball
Marriotts Ridge junior pitcher Tim Blair is an old-school three-sport athlete. In the fall, he plays football. In the winter, it's basketball. And come spring, he takes to the mound. His favorite sport? "Whatever season it is," he said.
Q&A // Elaine Nescio, Archbishop Spalding, softball
Elaine Nescio pitched No. 2 Archbishop Spalding to the Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland A Conference championship. The junior windmiller went 15-1 in leading the Cavaliers (17-1) to their first title in two years.
Q&A // Chase Gardner, Harford Tech, baseball
Chase Gardner played a big role in Harford Tech making it to yesterday's Class 1A state baseball final. The junior third baseman led the team with a .539 average heading into the state semifinals, where he went 2-for-4.
Q&A // Brittany Bolster, Liberty, tennis
After growing up playing a variety of sports, Brittany Bolster six years ago chose to pursue a career in tennis.
Q&A // John Healey, Atholton, tennis
After playing a number of sports when he was younger, Atholton sophomore John Healey found tennis to be his favorite, and he has concentrated on the sport for the past five years. After winning a state title in mixed doubles with partner Julia Southerland last year, Healey is focusing on singles play, with the state tournament set to begin Friday at College Park. This season, Healey has finished runner-up at the county championship and in District V play. Healey, who maintains a 3.8 grade-point average, plays tennis throughout the year, competing in the USTA Mid-Atlantic Section as well as some lower-level national tournaments. He also enjoys going to concerts - he recently saw Kanye West perform - and college sports. His favorite television show is The Office.
Q&A // John Hodges, Northeast, baseball
Northeast's John Hodges, a senior pitcher-infielder, just completed his second straight seven-win season (7-3), although the season didn't end the way he had hoped.
Q&A // Nicole Clarke, John Carroll, track and field
John Carroll senior Nicole Clarke has had a spring to remember. She won the 3,200 meters Wednesday during the first day of the Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland championship meet and has developed into one of the area's best distance runners. She recently accepted a scholarship to Florida Tech.
Q&A // Brad Martz, Francis Scott Key, track and field
Francis Scott Key's Brad Martz has drawn acclaim for his play on the football field, establishing himself as one of the area's top running backs. It's been his performance on the track, however, that has turned heads of late.
Q&A // Andrew Sellers, Archbishop Curley, lacrosse
Archbishop Curley's Andrew Sellers is the consummate athlete. The senior dominated on the football field this season as a middle linebacker, registering 176 total tackles and shattering the school season record by nearly 50 in the process. He wrestled for three varsity seasons, too, but his favorite sport is lacrosse. He helped Curley win a Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association B Conference title last year, and the Friars are expected to repeat this year, having reeled off 25 straight B Conference victories. The long-pole midfielder and captain will play at Mercyhurst (Erie, Pa.) next season on a scholarship, and he plans to major in business. He has a 3.25 grade point average, was a member of the Franciscan Youth Ministry, the junior class president and volunteers at a nursing home on weekends.
Q&A // Andy Thrasher, Fallston, lacrosse
Fallston boys lacrosse coach Ryan Arist said he knew Andy Thrasher would be a good player. But he never expected 47 goals and six assists from a ninth-grader.
Q&A // Danny Mruk, Westminster, lacrosse
Danny Mruk this season has staked his claim as one of the area's most dominant midfielders, leading Westminster to a Carroll County title and finishing the regular season ranked among the county's top scorers.
Q&A // Josh Futter, Wilde Lake, baseball
As a freshman at Wilde Lake in 2005, Josh Futter won four playoff games to lead the Wildecats to an improbable run to the Class 3A state title game. The senior pitcher-first baseman is hoping to close out his high school career in similar fashion.
Q&A // Jordan Eades, Franklin, softball
Franklin junior pitcher Jordan Eades is a big reason the No. 6 Indians are 18-0 and headed into tonight's Baltimore County softball championship. A right-hander with a strong array of pitches, Eades (17-0) has thrown five no-hitters this spring and allowed only six earned runs with an ERA of 0.42 and 182 strikeouts. She also bats .603 and has driven in 25 runs and hit five home runs. Last season, she led the Indians to the Class 3A state semifinal, where they fell to Northeast, 4-0. She has a 3.0 grade point average and is considering becoming a lawyer with a concentration on family law.
Q&A // Sean Price, Severna Park, lacrosse
Junior Sean Price is one of the county's top midfielders and one of the main reasons Severna Park (12-2 overall, 10-1 in county league) finished first in the county during the regular season and played in last night's Anne Arundel County championship game.
Q&A // Erika Richardson, Patterson Mill, tennis
Erika Richardson has been one of the most consistent players on the surprising Patterson Mill tennis team this spring. Richardson plays doubles for the first-year school. The Huskies have led the Upper Chesapeake Bay Athletic Conference's Susquehanna Division most of the season, and were unbeaten in the division through the middle of last week.
Q&A // Chris Ashcraft, South Carroll, lacrosse
South Carroll's Chris Ashcraft has been a defender from his earliest days in lacrosse. In fact, he can hardly remember a time in his career when he wasn't carrying a long pole.
Q&A // Lee Reynolds, Poly, track and field
Lee Reynolds has some business to take care of before he graduates. Reynolds - a running back on Poly's football team who will attend James Madison on a football scholarship next season - helped lead his indoor track team to consecutive state titles the past two seasons. This year, the senior captain plans on leading Poly to its first state championship in track and field. He started running as a sophomore and now runs the 100- and 200-meter dashes and the 400 and 800 relays, in which he runs anchor. He has a 3.0 grade point average and plans on majoring in engineering or business.
Q&A // Lauren Gibson, Chesapeake, softball
Lauren Gibson was The Sun's Metro Softball Player of the Year in 2007 as a sophomore, and the Chesapeake pitcher-infielder is having a fine encore season this spring.
Q&A // Lauren Ahrens, Chapelgate Christian, softball
Chapelgate senior shortstop Lauren Ahrens, who has batted leadoff since the first game of her freshman year, has made her mark on the program as she enters the final few weeks of her high school career. She is its career leader in batting average (.410), hits (108), RBIs (104), runs scored (126), stolen bases (55), triples (14) and home runs (six).
Q&A // Amanda Holsclaw, Edgewood, girls lacrosse
Edgewood's Amanda Holsclaw recently broke the school record for career lacrosse goals -- for girls and boys.
Q&A // Meagan Borgoyn, Liberty, lacrosse
She may be 5 feet 2, but getting past Liberty lacrosse defender Meagan Borgoyn is a tall order for any opposing player. The senior, who will continue her career next season at Division II Shippensburg University, is as tough as they come on the field -- in part because of her extensive training in the Japanese martial art of Taijutsu.
Q&A // Dana Cahill, Mercy, lacrosse
One of the area's top lacrosse goalkeepers, Dana Cahill was a second-team All-Metro selection last season. Cahill, who signed early with Penn State, faces many of the area's toughest attack players when she's in net for Mercy in the Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland A Conference. She has a .504 save percentage as the Magic heads into the last week of competition before the tournament. Cahill, 18, plans to major in communications and is interested in public relations. A PR intern at Mercy, she travels to local middle schools to tell students about Mercy and her experiences there. Cahill also plays lacrosse for the ROME club team. She is also vice president of the Girls Athletic Association at Mercy.
Q&A // Eric Aumann Jr., South River, baseball
Last weekend was bittersweet for South River pitcher Eric Aumann Jr. He improved to 6-0 Friday, but his grandmother, who was 75, passed away.
Q&A // Jeff Randolph, Oakland Mills, baseball
Talk to Oakland Mills senior pitcher-first baseman Jeff Randolph for a few minutes about baseball, and it comes as no surprise that he first began playing T-ball when he was 5. Randolph, a captain and the team's No. 1 starter on the mound, loves the game and knows it well. In his fourth season starting on varsity, he's hitting .371 with eight RBIs and is 2-1 with one save and a 1.12 ERA.
Q&A // Gabriel Lincoln-Decusatis, Harford Tech, track
Distance runner Gabriel Lincoln-DeCusatis helped the Harford Tech outdoor track and field program grow rapidly in the past few seasons. But there's a lot more in the senior's life than track and field.
Q&A // Kelley Farley, Francis Scott Key, softball
Francis Scott Key junior Kelley Farley is one of the top softball players in Carroll County, hitting well over .400 this spring after last year earning first-team All-County honors as an infielder.
Q&A // Patrick Blair, Calvert Hall, baseball
The Calvert Hall baseball team is stockpiled with talent, but shortstop Patrick Blair might be the best overall prospect with the Cardinals. The junior has already garnered interest from Maryland, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, North Carolina and LSU. Blair, a first-team All-Metro selection last year, carries a 3.6 grade point average and scored 1,620 on the SAT. He's also a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes at Calvert Hall and plays for the Oriolelanders fall showcase scout team. After college, he hopes to play professionally. If not, he would happily own his own business and start a family.
Q&A // Funmi Alabi, Long Reach, track and field
Long Reach girls track coach Leslie Thomas said junior sprinter Funmi Alabi is "a diamond in the rough," one that surfaced during last winter's indoor season. Not only did Alabi win her first state title - capturing the Class 3A 55-meter dash - she did it in a state meet record time of 7 seconds flat. Alabi capped her third indoor season by also anchoring the team's gold medal-winning 1,600 relay. In her second season of outdoor competition this spring, she is focusing on giving a strong performance at the Penn Relays, which takes place later this month in Philadelphia. Alabi has a 3.8 grade point average and is still undecided on whether she wants to run track in college or focus entirely on academics. She plans to major in nutrition. When she's not studying or running, Alabi enjoys reading and watching television.
Q&A // Kaitlyn Rohrback, Archbishop Spalding, golf
Kaitlyn Rohrback is the only girl on the Archbishop Spalding golf team, which plays in the A Conference of the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland. Rohrback is a sophomore playing her second year on the varsity.
Q&A // Mallory Vogel, C. Milton Wright, girls lacrosse
Mallory Vogel is a three-year varsity player and one of three captains on the C. Milton Wright girls lacrosse team. She also has played varsity soccer and basketball for three yearsBut sports is not the only thing in her life.
Q&A // Phil Ruzbarsky, Westminster, baseball
Taking over the role of team leader isn't always easy, but that's one of the goals this season for Westminster baseball player Phil Ruzbarsky.
Q&A // Jason Patten, Archbishop Spalding, baseball
Jason Patten, a three-year varsity starting pitcher-outfielder for No. 2 Archbishop Spalding, is helping the Cavaliers make a run at knocking off top-ranked Calvert Hall. The Cardinals, who have won three straight Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference titles, visit Spalding for a game today at 4 p.m.
Q&A // Tsusa Matsui, Centennial, lacrosse
Senior Tsusa Matsui of Centennial has proven to be a quick study on the lacrosse field, now in his third varsity season as a crease defenseman after picking up the sport in his freshman year.
Q&A // Stacy Berg, McDonogh, softball
Stacy Berg said that since she turned 12, softball has been her whole world, but the McDonogh junior sees well beyond the diamond. Interested in politics and diversity issues, Berg, 16, belongs to several school clubs and participates in the Hadassah Teen Leadership Corps, which addresses issues facing Jewish teenagers. A veteran of the Jewish Community Center Maccabi Games, an annual Olympics-style event for Jewish teens 13 to 16, she traveled to Buenos Aires, Argentina, over winter break to play for the senior U.S. team at the Pan American Maccabi Games. She caught three games as the United States won the gold medal. This spring, in her third year as the Eagles' starting catcher and cleanup hitter, Berg is batting .333 with 11 RBIs. She also plays club softball for the Riviera Beach Spirit. Berg, who has a 3.6 grade point average, plans to become a lawyer.
Q&A // Zach Chell, John Carroll, rugby
Last spring, Zach Chell, who had played football and baseball at John Carroll, was persuaded to try rugby, a sport he knew almost nothing about, but one that's gaining popularity among private schools in the metro area.
Q&A // Hannah Bordner, Century, lacrosse
Century senior Hannah Bordner is a first-team All-County midfielder in lacrosse, playing a vital role on the field for the two-time defending Class 2A-1A state champions.
Q&A // Stephanie Speierman, Hammond, softball
When asked what the key is to being a successful pitcher, Hammond junior Stephanie Speierman delivers an answer as fast as her overpowering fastball: "Loving it."
Q&A // Julie Gardner, Severna Park, lacrosse
An All-Metro midfielder and Anne Arundel County Player of the Year for the 20-0 Class 4A-3A state champion Falcons last year as a junior, Gardner is looking to close out her high school career in style.
Q&A // Charlie McComas, Boys' Latin, lacrosse
Charlie McComas, a defenseman for the Boys' Latin lacrosse team, will attend the University of North Carolina on a lacrosse scholarship next fall. Before he treks to Chapel Hill, however, he has some unfinished business in Baltimore. McComas was a big part of last year's Lakers team that went 18-2 but lost, 10-6, to Loyola in the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A conference title game. Before leaving Boys' Latin, McComas wants another A conference championship (Boys' Latin won in 2006) but knows it will be a difficult task after the school lost a handful of All-Metro players. McComas, a senior, was also the quarterback of the football team and a forward on the basketball team. Last year's team voted McComas to be a captain this year.
Q&A // Cam Hobin, South Carroll, wrestling
South Carroll senior Cam Hobin claimed the second state wrestling championship of his high school career last weekend, defeating Glenelg's Brendan Conway in the 119-pound finals at the Class 2A-1A state meet. It was a momentous day that many, including Hobin himself, thought would never come.
Q&A // Chris Hoffman, Aberdeen, wrestling
Despite only wrestling three years, Aberdeen junior Chris Hoffman finished sixth in the state last year and improved to third in last weekend's Class 4A-3A state meet at Cole Field House at the University of Maryland, College Park.
Q&A // Ashley Davis, Arundel, basketball
A three-year varsity starter as a junior, Arundel guard Ashley Davis is second in scoring (13.8) and assists (3.4) for the Class 4A East regional champion Wildcats.
Q&A // Matt Robinson Atholton, basketball
A day will come when Matt Robinson will look back on his sophomore year in high school and smile. In the fall, he enjoyed his first season of varsity football, becoming a starter at safety and also seeing time at wide receiver to help the Raiders reach the regional playoffs. From there, Robinson, 6 feet 3, worked his way into the starting lineup of the basketball team as a forward. He averaged 7.5 points and nearly five rebounds a game, providing solid defense and hustle as the Raiders reached the county championship game and finished the season 18-6.
Q&A // Airelle Eldridge, Lansdowne, basketball
The best-kept secret in Baltimore County girls basketball, 5-foot-9 senior Airelle Eldridge, averaged 22 points and 11.2 rebounds on a struggling Vikings team. The versatile, athletic forward-guard, who transferred from North County last fall, scored more than 30 points four times. One of her best performances (25 points, 12 rebounds) came against No. 7 Catonsville. She plays Amateur Athletic Union basketball for the Lady Shooting Stars and is a two-time All-Anne Arundel County track selection for the high jump and triple jump. Considering a career in sports medicine, Eldridge, who has a 3.75 grade point average, is being recruited by several colleges and is looking at Morgan State, Virginia Commonwealth, Bucknell, North Carolina-Wilmington and North Carolina-Greensboro, among others.
Q&A // Brittany Dashiell, John Carroll, indoor soccer
Brittany Dashiell has learned a lot while playing sports at John Carroll.
Carroll County
Q&A // James Ways, Winters Mill, indoor track
Winters Mill's James Ways recently won a pair of bronze medals at the Class 2A state indoor track meet, and has been named first team All-Conference as a defender in soccer each of the past two seasons.
Q&A // Larry Bastfield, Towson Catholic, basketball
Larry Bastfield is accustomed to winning. The senior captain of Towson Catholic's basketball team was an integral part of last year's team that won the Baltimore Catholic League and Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference championships. This season, nothing has come easy for the Owls, who started 2-7 and were swept by No. 2 Mount St. Joseph and No. 8 St. Frances during the MIAA regular season. The Owls, however, defeated the Gaels and the Panthers in the conference tournament for their second straight crown. Bastfield, the Owls' point guard and team leader, will take his game to Toledo next season. He hopes to become a sports broadcaster or sports agent.
Q&A // Dan LeRoy, Centennial, wrestling
Centennial's Dan LeRoy, a 119-pound junior who takes a 34-6 record into this weekend's state tournament, has been piling up wins and helping two worthwhile causes. Before the season, he asked family members, friends and neighbors to make a monetary pledge for each of his victories, with the money going to Habitat for Humanity and the Matt Watson scholarship fund. Watson, a close friend and Centennial graduate, was a sophomore at Maryland when he was killed by a drunken driver last spring. Last year, LeRoy raised $1,500 for Habitat for Humanity.
Q&A // Brad Bald, Severna Park, basketball
Severna Park's Brad Bald, a 6-foot-8, 215-pound senior center and an Archbishop Spalding transfer, emerged as the Anne Arundel County public schools league's top big man this season. Averaging 17.7 points and 12.8 rebounds with 18 double doubles, Bald scored in double digits in every game this season and turned the Falcons (15-7) into a contender for the 4A East region.
Q&A // Jeff Riley, Havre de Grace, swimming
Havre de Grace senior Jeff Riley got a later start in swimming than most other high school swimmers, not taking up the sport until about three and a half years ago. But the late start hasn't hindered him, as he has grew into one of Harford County's top swimmers. He led a small Havre de Grace team -- the Warriors had only six swimmers -- to finish third at last week's Class 3A-2A-1A state championship meet.
Q&A // Brendan Morales, Westminster, indoor track and field
To say that Westminster junior Brendan Morales has come a long way in the past year would be an understatement.
Q&A // Asia Logan, Digital Harbor, basketball
Digital Harbor's girls team has had a significant rise in the Baltimore City league during the past two seasons, and sophomore Asia Logan is a big reason why. An athletic, 6-foot small forward with a smooth jump shot, Logan has helped the Rams to a 16-6 overall record, including a 14-3 mark in the city league. An Amateur Athletic Union veteran who went to nationals with the Lady Lions this past summer, she averages 16.5 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks a game for the Rams. Logan also hones her skills playing against her father, 6-7 James Logan. She has an 85 average in school and is interested in computers and chemistry.
Q&A // Aleah Queen, Old Mill, basketball
Aleah Queen, like her older sister, former Old Mill point guard Anisha Queen, is an outstanding student who contributes to her basketball team.
Q&A // Brian Eads, Howard, basketball
In his second varsity season, Brian Eads, a 6-foot-6 senior center, has provided strong inside play coming off the bench for the Howard Lions, who finished the regular season 14-6. Eads, who averages five points and seven rebounds, prides himself on strong defense, hustle and helping control the boards.
Q&A // Donn Hill, Bel Air, basketball
Donn Hill keeps getting better. The Bel Air junior guard-forward was one of the county's top scorers last season, and he's taken his game to another level this year.
Q&A // Jordan Neville, Winters Mill, basketball
An All-County selection each of her first two seasons, Winters Mill guard Jordan Neville was well on her way to an outstanding high school basketball career when a torn anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee during the Falcons' 2006 opener ended her junior season practically before it started.
Q&A // Tyler Kapp, St. Paul's, ice hockey
When he was 3, St. Paul's goalie Tyler Kapp talked his father, Tom, into buying him an action figure of Colorado Avalanche Hall of Fame goaltender Patrick Roy. Kapp learned to skate and was in goal the next year. On Friday, Kapp, who has a 3.2 grade point average, led the Crusaders (16-1-1) to the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association B Conference championship with a 9-2 win over St. Mary's. In his second season on varsity, he finished 14-1-1 with a .940 save percentage, allowing 1.5 goals per game.
Q&A // Jordan Benson, Arundel, basketball
Arundel's boys basketball team will play in its first Anne Arundel County championship game thanks to the play of senior guard Jordan Benson.
Q&A // Craig Morgan, River Hill, indoor track and field
Like other high school athletes, River Hill's Craig Morgan joined the cross country team as a freshman to help him stay in shape for his top sport, lacrosse. But after enjoying the challenges and improving vastly during his freshman cross country season, running has taken center stage for Morgan. The junior just completed his third season of indoor track at Monday's Class 2A state championships, winning the 1,600 meters run in 4:28.33 and also taking third in the 3,200. After two seasons playing lacrosse on junior varsity, he plans to run in outdoor track this spring. As a freshman, Morgan started out as the seventh runner on a veteran team. Last fall, he led the Hawks' cross country team to the Class 2A state title with a second-place finish.
Q&A // Kelly Protzko, Fallston, swimming
Fallston senior Kelly Protzko keeps busy, on the field and off.
Q&A // Zac Stavish, South Carroll, wrestling
South Carroll wrestling coach Dennis Frazier said that Zac Stavish wasn't one of his better wrestlers as a freshman.
Q&A // Cassie Anderson, Eastern Tech, basketball
There's not much Eastern Tech guard Cassie Anderson cannot do on the basketball court. Averaging a double double (17 points and 12 rebounds) for the 12-4 Mavericks, the junior also averages four steals and two assists. She followed her older siblings - Ashley, 20, and Brian, 19 - into basketball, a sport her father, Bill Anderson, has coached at the youth level for years. Enrolled in the allied health program at Eastern Tech, she is considering a career in nursing or veterinary medicine. Two years ago, Anderson and her family escaped a fire that burned down their house. Although she doesn't like to talk about the details of the fire, which killed her dog, she said the family has recovered and is doing well.
Q&A // Stefanie McLallen, Century, basketball
Century's Stefanie McLallen hopes to some day become a journalist. For now, however, the 16-year-old basketball player continues to leave her mark as one of the top scoring threats in Carroll County.
Q&A // Lindsay Smith, C. Milton Wright, indoor track
Junior Lindsay Smith played other sports, but she never ran before coming to C. Milton Wright.
Q&A // Tione Womack, Randallstown, boys basketball
When the Class 2A state boys basketball championships are discussed, Randallstown dominates the conversation. And senior guard Tione Womack knows all about championship teams, having played on two in his career. He has been the catalyst and floor general for a Rams team hungry for its fourth straight title. The three-year varsity player and two-year captain has averaged 12.7 points, 7.7 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game while directing a team focused on another deep run. After the season, he'll be thinking about playing basketball in college. He has about a 2.5 grade point average, and his favorite subject is math. He has an interest in Rhode Island and Towson.
Q&A // Chris Stinnett, Glenelg, wrestling
After so many close calls, Glenelg's 140-pound senior Chris Stinnett is hungry for a big finish, as he and the No. 3 Gladiators chase an elusive state title. After recovering from a shoulder injury that sidelined him early in the season, Stinnett, a two-time county champion, is 15-3 with a 115-15 career mark over four years.
Q&A // Billy Nichols, Severna Park, wrestling
Ranked No. 3 in the state at 215 pounds by the Maryland State Wrestling Association, Severna Park junior Billy Nichols was a state runner-up at 171 pounds and had a 21-4 record last season on the Falcons' regional championship team. Only Georgetown Prep's Chance Gaffney is ahead of Nichols in the state rankings.
Q&A // Monica Fischer, Fallston, basketball
Monica Fischer is used to playing a major role on her teams. The Fallston junior is a three-year starter in soccer and is about to start for the third year in lacrosse, a sport in which she is being recruited by a number of Division I schools.
Q&A // Caitlin Bach, North Carroll, basketball
Despite being a sophomore, North Carroll's Caitlin Bach already has firmly established herself as the top inside threat in Carroll County, as well as a Division I prospect.
Q&A // Asya Bussie, Seton Keough, basketball
At 6 feet 3 with All-Metro skills, junior Asya Bussie is the centerpiece of the No. 1 Seton Keough girls basketball team. Averaging 15 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks, Bussie has a strong post game, rarely gets into foul trouble and is steadily increasing the range of her jump shot. She grew up battling for rebounds with her brothers Gerald, now 21 and a Milford Mill graduate, and Landon, 20 and a Woodlawn graduate - both 6-6. With a 3.2 grade point average, Bussie, 16, is considering a career as a dentist, but she said her interests can change quickly. However, she's not likely to change her mind about wanting to go to a big basketball school. That shouldn't be a problem with the number of college coaches she draws to Gators games.
Q&A // Leanne Hug, Severn, basketball
Severn junior Leanne Hug's talent and leadership are two of the main reasons why the No. 14 Severn basketball team is undefeated in the Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland B Conference and 17-3 overall.
Q&A // Brittany Bowen, Mount Hebron, basketball
Mount Hebron junior guard Brittany Bowen is loving life - and why not? In her third year on varsity and first as a starter, Bowen is playing a big role in helping the Vikings to a 15-0 mark.
Q&A // Lionel Perkins, Bel Air, basketball
Shooting guard Lionel Perkins had a good season for Bel Air last year, averaging 13.1 points per game, but he wanted to contribute more this season.
Q&A // Colton McLaughlin, Carroll Christian, basketball
Carroll Christian senior Colton McLaughlin has dreams of some day becoming an engineer. These days, however, the 6-foot-4 forward is busy helping the Patriots engineer an impressive turnaround on the basketball court.
Q&A // Ben Levin, McDonogh, wrestling
While many people are asleep at 5:30 a.m., McDonogh wrestler Ben Levin is already at work. The 130-pound senior is running and lifting weights because he knows he's part of one of the best Eagles teams in recent years and wants to stay at the top of his game. The two-year captain and four-year varsity wrestler is part of a No. 1 team that has no weaknesses in its lineup. Levin has been wrestling for 12 years and plans to attend the Naval Academy after graduation, where he'll continue to wrestle. He's considering majoring in political science or English and is interested in a military career.
Q&A // Obi Ukwuoma, Long Reach, basketball
Long Reach senior forward Obi Ukwuoma has thrived in his role as the Lightning's team leader and go-to player, averaging 17 points and 10 rebounds this season. Ukwuoma, 6 feet 4, was primed for the responsibility. During his sophomore year, he was called up to the varsity before the team's state championship playoff run, getting experience in what it takes to win a title. And last season, when senior standout Michael Bowden went down with an early injury, Ukwuoma stepped up to take a lead role and earn first-team all-county honors.
Q&A // Brandon Johnson-Farrell, Arundel, basketball
An All-Metro receiver in football, Brandon Johnson-Farrell also is one of the key players on Arundel's surging basketball team. Johnson-Farrell was one of the leaders on Arundel's Class 4A state runner-up in football and now is one of the leaders on the basketball team that is ranked No. 13 and is 10-2 after going 13-11 last year.
Q&A // Mike Maczko, John Carroll, basketball
John Carroll senior Mike Maczko is a true "gym rat." He would often follow his father, Terry - now the men's basketball coach at Baltimore City Community College and a former coach at CCBC-Essex and Edgewood - to games and scouting trips.