Faces In The Crowd

Dwain Burkholder, WOODLAND PARK, COLO.
Wrestling
Burkholder, 51, the wrestling coach at Woodland Park High, suffered pulled rib cartilage midway through the tournament but still earned the gold medal at 127� pounds in Division D (age 51 to 55) of the veterans' world freestyle championships.

Erin Pendleton, CHESAPEAKE, VA.
Gymnastics
Pendleton, a recent graduate of Hickory High, was the girls' all-around titlist at the high school national championships, beating Crystal Beak of Jamesville-Dewitt High in Dewitt, N.Y., 37.425 to 37.025. She won the uneven bars with a 9.750 and tied for first in the floor exercise with a 9.725.

Kate Stevens, PORTLAND, MAINE
Swimming
Stevens, 18, won the 200-meter breaststroke at the junior nationals in 2:22.60, breaking his personal best by almost five seconds. He has won the 100- and 200-yard breast-strokes, the 200-yard butterfly and the 200- and 400-yard individual medleys at two state championships.

Kristen Schlukebir, KALAMAZOO, MICH.
Tennis
Kristen, 16, held off six match points to outlast San Diego's Candice Fuchs, 18, 5-7, 6-4, 7-6 (5) to win the USTA Super Nationals girls' 18-and-under hard-court singles title and earn a wild-card berth in the U.S. Open. She also teamed with Tanner Cochran, 16, of Dublin, Ga., to win the doubles.

Bruce Crowder, VALLEJO, CALIF.
Track and Field
Crowder, 30, a pharmaceutical technician and a two-time kidney transplant recipient, won the gold medal in the long jump (19'11�") and the 100-meter dash (11.74) at the U.S. Transplant Games. He was also first in both events at the 1998 games.

Tamara Poppe, KERRVILLE, TEXAS
Softball
Poppe, 18, a recent graduate of Tivy High who will play this year for Texas, batted .435 with 50 RBIs and 56 stolen bases in 65 games over the last two seasons as a catcher and shortstop for the Lady Antlers. She won first-team all-district honors in volleyball, basketball and softball as a senior.