Faces In The Crowd

Rocky Carson, Santa Maria, Calif.
Racquetball
Carson, 19, won a record third straight world singles crown in the 18-and-under bracket, winning his five tournament matches by an average score of 15-5.7. In the process he led the U.S. junior team to its eighth consecutive team title.

Katie Payson, Falmouth, Maine
Duathlon
Payson, 33, a social worker, was named 1998 overall female duathlete of the year by USA Triathlon. She finished first among all age groups in the amateur division of the world championships, beating second place Elisabeth Moser of Italy by two minutes and 15 seconds.

Ajamu Gaines, Springfield, Ohio
Basketball
Gaines, a junior shooting guard at the University of Charleston (W.Va.), led Division II in scoring with a 28.9-point average through Sunday. He had career highs in consecutive games with 41 points against Concord College and 43 against West Virginia Tech.

Vanessa Webb, Toronto
Tennis
Webb, a senior at Duke and the defending women's NCAA singles champion, won the ACC indoor singles title with a 6-4, 6-3 defeat of Mariel Verban of Wake Forest. Webb has led the No. 2-ranked Blue Devils to a 103-match winning streak in the conference.

Glen Jenkins, Taylor, Mich.
Track and Field
Jenkins, a senior at Central Michigan, was named the Mid-American Conference co-athlete of the week after winning the 35-pound-weight throw, with a school-record heave of 63'7�", and the shot put (52'5�") at the Bowling Green Tri-Meet.

Tim Champney, Seminole, Fla.
Swimming
Champney, a junior at George Washington, had the Atlantic 10's best times this season through Sunday in the 50-yard freestyle (21.07), 200 free (1:41.17), 100 backstroke (49.73) and 200 backstroke (1:49.19). In a meet against Maryland and Villanova he won both backstrokes and the 50 free.