Maryland football
Vellano receives 3 awards at season-ending banquet
Maryland's Joe Vellano led the way by taking home three awards at the team's annual season-ending banquet Sunday. The junior defensive tackle was named the Ray Krouse Award winner as team Most Valuable Player, best defensive player and top lineman. Vellano had 94 tackles — including 7.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks — four pass breakups and two fumble recoveries this season. He was a first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference choice and a second-team Walter Camp All-American. Senior guard Andrew Gonnella secured the George C. Cook Memorial Award for the senior with the highest GPA and the C.P. "Lefty" McIntosh Public Service Award. Seniors Austin Walker (top special teams performer), Tim Downs (Alvin L. Aubinoe Award as the unsung hero) and Trenton Hughes (A.V. Williams Award for Outstanding & Conspicuous Sportsmanship) also picked up awards. Senior running back Davin Meggett, who ranks seventh on the Maryland career rushing list (2,411), was named the top offensive player.
Varsity boys basketball
J. Carroll secures 5th place at Gonzaga D.C. Classic
Led by junior guard Rodney Elliott, the John Carroll boys basketball team captured the second game on the final day of the Gonzaga D.C. Classic, defeating Bishop McNamara of Forestville, 63-38, to earn fifth place in the tournament. The Patriots (9-1) led all the way, jumping out to a 8-0 advantage to start the game and holding an 11-3 lead at the end of the first quarter. They built their lead to 24-13 by halftime. Joining Elliot as leading scorers for the Patriots were seniors Mihael Maric (13) and Jarred Jones (11). Freshman Justin Jenifer had nine points. For McNamara, junior guard Stephan Jiggets got in early foul trouble and scored all of his team-leading 10 points in the second half. Senior Kelsey Jenkins and junior Justin Ramey each had eight points in the losing effort.
Et cetera
7-foot center Ndiaye signs to stay with Wizards
The Washington Wizards announced Sunday that they have re-signed center Hamady Ndiaye. "Hamady gained valuable experience when he received more playing time at the end of last season and worked hard this summer to continue to improve," Wizards president Ernie Grunfeld said. "His tremendous attitude and work ethic make him a valuable piece of the team's chemistry." Ndiaye appeared in 16 games for the team last season. The 7-0 native of Senegal, the Big East Defensive Player of the Year at Rutgers in 2010, was originally selected by Minnesota with the 56th overall pick in the 2010 NBA draft before his rights were traded along with the rights to Trevor Booker in exchange for the rights to Lazar Hayward and Nemanja Bjelica on draft day. The Wizards' training camp roster now stands at 17.
More Wizards: The team will host the 2012 Fan Fest featuring D.C. native Wale, an R&B and hip-hop artist, Saturday at Verizon Center. Doors open at 6 p.m., and the event is free. … Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic will televise all 66 regular-season games this season in addition to Wizards' two preseason games. Play-by-play announcer Steve Buckhantz and analyst Phil Chenier are entering their 15th season together; Chris Miller returns as the courtside reporter for home games.
College football: Quarterback Robert Griffin III became the first player from Baylor to win the Heisman Trophy, beating out Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck, running backs Trent Richardson of Alabama and Montee Ball of Wisconsin, and versatile LSU cornerback Tyrann Mathieu on Saturday night. Griffin, a junior, has had the type of electric season that won Cam Newton the award last year, throwing for 3,998 yards and 36 touchdowns while running for 644 yards and nine more scores for the 15th-ranked Bears (9-3). He is one of only four players in major college football history with at least 9,000 yards passing and 2,000 yards rushing in his career.
College baseball: Maryland signed 12 students this fall. Four are ranked among the nation's top 200 according to Perfect Game USA: No. 135 Jake Drossner, left-handed pitcher; No. 138 Jared Price, right-handed pitcher; No. 142 Kyle Moore, outfielder; and No. 171 Alex Robinson, left-handed pitcher. The others are Brandon Casas, a right-handed pitcher from Pasadena; shortstop Jose Cuas; infielder Brandon Lowe; catcher Kevin Martir; right-handed pitcher Kevin Mooney; utility player Connor Oliver of Churchton; outfielder LaMonte Wade Jr. (St.Paul's); and shortstop Blake Schmit, the Division II JUCO Defensive Player of the Year last season. … CCBC-Catonsville is accepting applications for its 2012 winter camps, which are designed for players ages 8-18. For information, call 443-840-4197 or go to ccbcmd.edu/athletics/cat/basebcamp.html.
—From Sun staff and news services