Faces In The Crowd

Kim Mortensen
THOUSAND OAKS, CALIF.

Babatunde Ridley
CARLINVILLE, ILL.

Mortensen, a June graduate of Thousand Oaks High, was named Gatorade Circle of Champions national girls' track and field athlete of the year alter ranking No. 1 among U.S. girls in the 1,600-, 3,000-and 3,200-meter runs. Her 3,200 time of 9:48.59 outdoors set a national high school record. She will attend UCLA on a track and held scholarship. Ridley, a graduate of Carlinville High, joined 1992 Olympic triple jump champ Mike Conley as the only athletes to win tour Illinois Class A individual track and field titles. Ridley won the 100 and 200 meters and the triple and long jumps. He is going to Illinois on an athletic scholarship.

Jim Penders
VERNON, CONN.
Penders, 53, was named Baseball Coach of the Year by the National High School Athletic Coaches Association after leading Hast Catholic High in Manchester, Conn., to a 21-2 record and the Class M state title. In 28 years at Hast Catholic, Penders has a 375-210 record and has won three state titles.

Curt Eckroth
BATH, PA.
Eckroth, 23, broke three 275-pound-class drug-free world powerlifting records in the 20-23 age group at the WDFPF North American championships with a squat of 589� pounds, a deadlift of 633� and a total of 1,559�. His bench press of 341� set a North American age-group record.

Phillip Sasser
FREDERICKSBURG, VA.
Phillip, now 9, broke the Rappahannock Swim League eight-and-under age-group record in the 25-meter backstroke when he swam an 18.87, surpassing the mark of 19.60 set in 1978 by future Olympic gold medalist Jeff Rouse. Phillip also holds the age-group marks for the 25 free (15.79) and the 25 fly (17.09).

Trish Faulkner
PALM BEACH GARDENS, FLA.
Faulkner, 52, successfully defended both her singles and doubles titles in the 50-55 age group at the USTA national women's grass court championships. Faulkner, currently ranked No. 1 in her age group, also swept both events at the USTA's national clay court tournament last tall.