Faces In The Crowd

Stephen Martinez, SANTA FE
Cross-country
Stephen, a Pojoaque High senior, won the state Class 3A championship despite losing a shoe about 200 meters into the 5,000-meter race at Red Rock State Park. Running with a bare left foot, Stephen finished in 17:27, leading the Elks to a team championship.

Eileen Nicole Rodriguez, PONCE , PUERTO RICO
Volleyball
Rodriguez, a University at Albany freshman, has served 200 aces this season, breaking the NCAA single-season record of 171, set in 1991. She is averaging 1.85 aces per game (also a record), and she is already the Great Danes' career leader in aces.

Alex Tilson, BURLINGAME , CALIF.
Distance Running
Tilson, 32, won the Silicon Valley Speedster Ultra Classic in Stanford in 2:51:48, which, pending ratification, would set a world record for a 50-km road race. His time was also better than the American track record for that distance.

Alexandra Shube, MARBLEHEAD , MASS.
Soccer
Alexandra, a senior goaltender and team captain at Marblehead High, tied a national high school record for consecutive shutouts with 21. The league MVP, she led the Magicians to a 23-1 record and an appearance in the state Division 3 finals.

Marcus Mason, POTOMAC, MD .
Football
Marcus, a senior running back at Georgetown Prep, set state career records in rushing yards (5,790), touchdowns (86) and points (520) while leading the Little Hoyas to a 9-0 record and a 29-game unbeaten streak. He averaged nearly 10 yards per carry in his career.

Brooke Nord, CUYAHOGA FALLS , OHIO
Tennis
Brooke, a freshman at Walsh Jesuit High, defeated junior Kendall Swenson of Laurel School 6-0, 6-1 to win the state Division II title. Brooke led the Warriors to a team championship and completed her season undefeated in 31 matches.

Margaret Veazie, DEXTER, MAINE
Field Hockey
Veazie, 43, coached Dexter High to a 2-1 win over Hall-Dale High, giving the Tigers their third consecutive Class C title and their fourth in five years. Dexter came back after trailing at halftime for the first time all year; the victory was its 45th straight under Veazie.