From left, South River field hockey and lacrosse player Brooke… (Baltimore Sun photo by Kevin…)
June 02, 2010|By Glenn Graham, The Baltimore Sun
One set a standard in his respective sport so high, few players in the entire country could match it.
The other, a two-sport standout, equally excelled in both to enjoy a dominant senior year.
Lake Clifton senior basketball star Josh Selby, rated the country's No. 1 prospect by Rivals.com, and South River senior Brooke Griffin, who earned All-Metro Player of the Year honors in field hockey and recently led the Seahawks to their first state crown in lacrosse, were named The Baltimore Sun's Male and Female Athletes of the Year at the 44th annual luncheon at the newspaper's downtown headquarters Wednesday afternoon.
Western Tech freshman Tyler Smith, who plays golf and baseball, was honored with the third annual Hayley Milbourn Award for Integrity for his inspiring battle with cystic fibrosis.
Matt Stover was the keynote speaker at the banquet. The former Ravens kicker talked about playing for his teammates and not having any regrets -- on the field and off.
After transferring to Lake Clifton from DeMatha for his senior year, Selby, a dynamic 6-foot-3 point guard, averaged 32 points, seven assists and five rebounds to earn All-Metro Player of the Year honors.
The accolades didn't stop there.
He went on to shine at the McDonald's All-American Game — winning the slam dunk contest at the event — as well as the Jordan Brand Classic at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
"This means a lot — it's an honor. The blessing that God gave me … being named Athlete of the Year, it means a lot to me and my family," Selby said.
Receiving offers from a number of the top college programs in the country — Arizona, Connecticut, Kentucky and Tennessee among them — Selby decided to take his basketball skills to powerhouse Kansas, where he is expected to contribute immediately. He's looking forward to the next challenge.
"I'm very excited. I know college is an entirely different level. I can't wait to get there to see how I can compete with the best of the best," he added.
In closing out her four-year career in field hockey, Griffin finished her senior season with an Anne Arundel County-best 23 goals and 25 assists for 48 points.
Following the season, her No. 11 jersey was the first to be retired in the program's history.
Also a four-year standout in lacrosse, she saved her best for last with a dominating postseason that makes her a strong candidate for the upcoming All-Metro Player of the Year honors in that sport as well. In five playoff games, she totaled 29 goals and added 16 assists — including a six-goal, two-assist performance in the Seahawks' 12-10 win over C. Milton Wright for the Class 4A-3A crown.
Covering the past two seasons, Griffin recorded at least one assist in every game she played.
In the fall, Griffin is headed to the University of Maryland to play for the national champion women's lacrosse team.
"This was so unexpected — there's just so many great athletes here and it's just amazing to have. Our senior season was amazing this year and this was a great way to go out," she said. "I'm so excited for next year and hopefully more good things will come."
Smith is a student-athlete who is succeeding and inspiring others with cystic fibrosis, a lung disease that affects the respiratory and digestive system. He has to wake up everyday at 5 a.m. to take his medicine and has two hours of treatment at the end of each day. In between, he is a 'B' student who was named the school's Most Valuable Golfer and a team captain and starting catcher for the JV baseball team.
Smith is a junior committee member for the Cystic Fibrosis Great Strides Walk in Glen Burnie and is heavily invlolved in fundraising for the cause.
2010 High School Athletes of the Year Nominees Mike Antinozzi
Fallston, lacrosse, soccer
David Arnold
Mount St. Joseph, soccer, volleyball, golf
Liza Blue
Garrison Forest, field hockey, lacrosse
Kristen Brown
McDonogh, indoor track, outdoor track
Pat Carey
North County, football, wrestling
Billy Cosh
Arundel, football
Danielle DeLisle
Loch Raven, soccer, basketball, lacrosse, outdoor track
Josh Furman
Old Mill, football, track
Brooke Griffin
South River, field hockey, lacrosse
Justin Gross
McDonogh, indoor track, outdoor track
McKenzie Hannahs
Fallston, soccer, basketball, lacrosse
Briana Hutchen
St. Frances, basketball
Matt Jablonski
Loyola, soccer, cross country, indoor track, outdoor track
Maura Linde
Century, cross country, indoor track, outdoor track
Mark McNeill
St. Mary's, football, basketball, lacrosse
Maggie Morrison
Archbishop Spalding, soccer, basketball
Matt Robinson
Atholton, football, basketball
Kaitlyn Rohrback
Archbishop Spalding, golf
Kourtney Salvarola
Broadneck, softball, volleyball
Josh Selby
Lake Clifton, basketball
glenn.graham@baltsun.com
