Faces In The Crowd

LA PUENTE, CALIF. > WATER POLO

Nick, a senior utility player and team captain at Nogales High, was named the Valle Vista League MVP after he helped the Nobles go undefeated in league play and defend their league title. He set school records for goals in a game (18) and in a career (583 through Sunday) and broke his own mark for goals in a season (224 through Sunday). In 2010, Nick led the program to its first CIF--Southern Section Division 7 title and was named all-area player of the year and first team all-division.

ALI CROCKER

AMHERST, MASS. > ORIENTEERING

Crocker, a 27-year-old astrophysicist at UMass-Amherst, competing with the Cambridge Sports Union, swept three women's open events at the U.S. individual orienteering championships (on foot), outside Boston. She won the sprint (19:32), middle-distance (40:26) and long-distance (1:17:16) events. At worlds in August, Crocker was one of four athletes to qualify for the finals in all three events, and in March she was eighth in the world ski-orienteering championships, the best American finish ever.

ALEX MANWARING

EAST LYME, CONN. > FOOTBALL

Alex, a 5'8", 175-pound senior running back and linebacker at Ledyard High, rushed for a school-record 317 yards on 31 carries, to reach the 1,000-yard mark, and scored three touchdowns in a 38--7 win over Bacon Academy. Two weeks later he had a season-high 46 carries for 223 yards and two touchdowns in a 15--7 win over Waterford for the Eastern Connecticut Conference medium division title. Alex is the conference rushing leader, with 1,695 total yards through Sunday.

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