Archive for Athlete Profiles
Ashton Purvis – 2009-10 Gatorade National Girls Track & Field Athlete of the Year
Posted by: | CommentsThe Gatorade Player of the Year program is celebrating its 25th year in recognizing elite high school athletes throughout the nation. The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one award-winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school boys football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls soccer, boys and girls basketball, boys baseball, girls softball and boys and girls track & field.
This week Oakland native and Cleveland Cavaliers forward Leon Powe helped surprise Ashton Purvis of Oakland, CA with the 2009-10 Gatorade National Girls Track & Field Athlete of the Year award. Leon surprised Ashton with great news at the East Oakland Youth Development Center, where Ashton was guest-teaching the Pathway to College class. Leon earned Gatorade California Boys Basketball Player of the Year himself honors in 2002-03.
Ashton, a 5-foot-8 senior sprinter, won the 100-meter dash with a time of 11.17 seconds and the 200-meter dash in 22.90 at the California Interscholastic Federation state championship meet this spring, leading the Mustangs to a fifth-place finish as a team. Her 200-meter time ranks as the nation’s No. 1 clocking among prep competitors in 2010, while her 100-meter time ranked No. 2. Ashton’s season-best 100 ranks sixth in prep history and only eight prep girls have ever run a faster 200.
In celebration of the larger 25th anniversary, Gatorade is hosting an online poll, which will allow you to decide the greatest girls track & field athlete of all time. You can cast your vote for your favorite athlete of all-time once per day at http://playeroftheyear.gatorade.com/25th/vote/.
Video: Lindsey Vonn Works Out
Posted by: | CommentsEver wonder what Olympic athletes do for basic conditioning and strength training? Check out this exclusive Under Armour Workout video of U.S. Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn.
Personally, my favorite exercise in there is the medicine ball toss she is doing with her trainer while lying on her side. That exercise engages so many of the lesser used, but very important core muscles that Lindsey needs for making split second lateral adjustments as she is racing down the slopes. The other exercise that she has in her workout that looks so hard but perfect for her sport is the skier squats she is doing on the large balance ball towards the end.
It is always fun to get a behind the scenes look at our favorite athletes! Thanks to Lindsey and Under Armour for sharing this with all of us.
Golf Girls – The Birdie Sisters
Posted by: | Comments
Patricia from Golf Girl’s Diary sent me a note today about a pair of sisters who at ages 11 and 9 are clearly future stars in the golf world. Erica Jackson, age 11, and her sister Myah, age 9 – also know as the Birdie Sisters are two very busy girls from the Chicago area with some very bright futures.
Not only do these two excel at golf, they take dance lessons, have their black belts in tae kwon do, and play piano, too. By the looks of things, they do an amazing job of balancing it all and having fun while they are at it. Sounds like they have some pretty amazing parents supporting them at every turn!
CBS Chicago did a news piece on the sisters – showing them practicing and comparing the two to another famous sister act – Venus and Serena Williams of tennis fame.
Stay up to date with all the Birdie Sisters’ accomplishments at their website Birdiesisters.com. And remember their names – something tells me we will be hearing much more about Erica and Myah in the coming years.
