US Presswire/Chris Williams, Icon SMI
As the school year comes to a close, ESPN RISE has gathered our top teams and athletes as well as the top stories and moments of the year to make the ESPN RISE Yearbook. And what would a yearbook be without your photos?
// Senior Superlatives
// Stories of the year
// Top moments
// Record-breaking performances
// Entertainment headlines
// Award winners
// Running with Jordan Hasay
// Your Photos of the Year
t's time to say goodbye to our favorite seniors, but before they go, they have something to give to next year's stars. Whether it's a piece of equipment, their dashing good looks or their status as their school's kings and queens, ESPN RISE thinks these athletes will pass -- or in yearbook slang, "will" -- down the things that made them high school legends.
If you were making a movie and needed to know what the quintessential California golden boy quarterback looked like, former Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) quarterback Matt Barkley would be your man.
Standing 6-foot-3 with blond hair and a big arm, Barkley is all Hollywood. He's taken his game to USC, but is willing down his golden boy image to ESPNU 150 Watch List and Oaks Christian QB Nick Montana. Montana knows a thing or two about being a golden boy signal-caller; he's the son of Hall of Famer Joe Montana.
The 2008-09 hoops season had one unquestioned leader when it came to show-stopping dunks -- Brittney Griner. The Nimitz High School (Houston) center has long been a YouTube legend, dazzling fans and opponents alike with her ability to play above the rim.
As she takes her game to Baylor, Griner is willing down her ability to throw down amazing dunks to Ames (Iowa) High School's Harrison Barnes. Barnes is the top 2010 prospect in the ESPNU 100.
AP Photo/Steve Pope
Will Harrison Barnes be able to throw down like Brittney Griner? We'll find out next year.
"Gunslinging" Texas quarterbacks are all the rage in football. Colt McCoy was a Heisman Trophy finalist; Matthew Stafford, who played high school football in Texas, was the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft; and two Texans -- Russell Shepard and Garrett Gilbert -- were among the top 11 prospects of the 2009 recruiting class.
Gilbert is a Texas high school legend after winning two state titles and setting records for passing yards in a season and a career. He certainly qualifies as a "gunslinger" and is willing down his status to Cuero High School's Tyler Arndt.
Arndt is an ESPNU 150 prospect and is considering Oklahoma, Texas Tech, Notre Dame and LSU.
Mission College Prep (San Luis Obispo, Calif.) senior Jordan Hasay has made her name known in the distance running world. The senior cross country and track and field runner holds the high school record in the 1,500 with a time of 4:14.50.
Before she graduates and heads to college, she passes on some of her pre-race traditions. Check out what Jordan wrote for the ESPN RISE Yearbook here.
As the nation's No. 2 prospect, Derrick Favors cemented a seat in the royal court of high school hoops. This rim-rattling big man is willing down his royal throne to Jared Sullinger.
Sullinger, the No. 1 prospect in the Class of 2010, is poised to become the nation's next top low post player.
Skylar Diggins was the ESPN RISE girls' basketball player of the year, but it's her senior-season magic that she's willing down. Diggins scored 29 points to lead Washington High School (South Bend, Ind.) to a state title upset of ESPN RISE FAB 50 No. 1 Ben Davis (Indianapolis) sealing Washington's place as national champions.
Glenn Nelson
Kaneisha Horn looks to take Skylar Diggins' magic and make a run at a state title.
We'll see if Diggins can give that magic to Horn and the Rams as they go for a state title in 2010.
Barack Obama wasn't the only Hawaiian making headlines this year. Punahou High School (Honolulu) linebacker Manti Te'o was the nation's top outside linebacker and made Notre Dame fans happy when he chose the Irish over USC on national signing day.
The big man from the Big Island is willing down his ability to represent the Aloha state -- and his Haka dance moves -- to V.J. Fehoko a linebacker from Farrington High School (Honolulu), who's also considering Notre Dame.
There aren't many Roscoes around anymore. That's why Seton-La Salle (Pittsburgh) soccer star David DelGreco is willing down his great sports name to Roscoe Smith, a small forward from Walbrook High School (Baltimore).
Russell Shepard has that "it" factor. He's a charismatic quarterback who got a lot of face time this season and became a bigger star on national signing day when ESPNU followed him around his first semester at LSU. Shepard is willing down his star power to Skyline High School (Dallas) wide receiver Mike Davis, who's set to catch passes from Shepard at LSU.
Lance Stephenson has been a high school hoops sensation since he stepped on the court at Lincoln High School (Brooklyn, N.Y.). His games became must-see events in New York and he bolstered his legacy by becoming the Empire State's all-time leading scorer.
Kelly Kline/Nike
Is Reggie Bullock ready for the big time? We'll find out soon.
Bullock has had similar scrutiny in the basketball-crazed state of North Carolina and has drawn comparisons to Jerry Stackhouse.
Wellington (Fla.) High's Ashley Brasovan, a four-time Florida cross country champion and Duke commit, never lost a race in her home state. But instead of ESPN RISE guessing what Ashley would want to leave behind -- besides a perfect prep career -- she told us herself.
Ashley wills down her pre-race dinner. For dinner the night before a big race, she eats salmon. She got the tradition from an older runner on her team when she was a freshman, and she started because most runners seemed to have a traditional meal the night before a race. Eating that meal helped the older runner friend be confident during the race, so Ashley started doing it.
