Lego Trophies Won by Braemar House School

Braemar House School sent two teams to the University of Waterloo on Dec. 4 to compete for trophies in the First Lego League regional competition. The competition was hosted by the University of Waterloo and sponsored by RIM Industries and Google.

There were 27 teams from this region participating in various competitions. The teams had to build a robot out of Lego, program it using NX, and then have it complete challenging missions on a field table. The teams also competed in a teamwork challenge, wrote and presented a robot design strategy and researched a Food Safety issue, presenting their findings to the judges.

Both teams were successful. The Braemar Robeartics won the best teamwork trophy. And the Braemar Bearbots won the rising star trophy. There are over 55 countries competing for trophies in the First Lego League Robotics program.

Braemar thanks the Brant-Lyn Optimists Club and Frank Balazs for their support and mentor-ship.

Poole Cycle Speedway Club Celebrates Great Season

Trophies, dancing, refreshments and celebration were the vital ingredients for the Poole Cycle Speedway Club end of season presentation night at the appropriately named Champs Bar where around 150 riders, families and friends gathered at the Poole Stadium venue.

With racing successes right across the full competitive age range topped off by the prestigious British Team and Club Championships, spirits were high as the presentations unfolded starting with trophies for the youth and junior squad for the successful defense of their Regional BYJL title. The progression of these riders from rookie Tuesday club night recruits to successful BYJL racers in recent seasons has been truly heartwarming.

There were eight trophies for the coveted club awards and once again the selection panel had a hard job with so many contenders to choose from. Most promising newcomer was Callum Albin who at just 13 looks set to follow in the wheel tracks of Matt Mildon and Arron Morgan. Wil Bristowe was busy helping the Poole under 19 team retain their British Indoor title at Manchester so couldn't be on hand to receive his trophy for most improved rider of the year. Kristina Mines was a popular winner of the lady rider award as she continues to set the pace in the rapidly improving Poole girls squad.

The three age category awards were won by Jasmine Oddie (under 8's), Callum Smith (under 12's) and British champion Arron Morgan (under 16's). There were a number of serious contenders for the senior rider award and the verdict favored Luke Armes who had his best ever season in the sport. Finally there probably could not be a more deserved winner of the clubman award than ‘Mr Dependable’ Pete Ross who epitomizes everything that is good about the club.

Amongst the evening's guests were a number of former riders who gathered to help celebrate the latest British Team Championship success - a record breaking 13th win which a number of them including former world champion Martin Hepworth had contributed significantly to back in the 1980's and 90's.

The top priority at the first winter work session at Harbourside Park was to lift out the starting gates for the very last time. Dating back to 1974 when the previous Poole track was built at Fleetsbridge, they have operated faultlessly over 36 seasons and updated only with the addition of electric solenoids in the late 1980's. A brand new set to a similar design is being supplied courtesy of T & G Fabrications.

Plans are also at an advanced stage with T & G for a new structure to cover the entire pits area which could be in place for the start of the 2012 season. Also in the close-season plans will be upgraded changing rooms and refurbishment to the pits building exterior. Club treasurer Adrian Hearn reported a healthy balance sheet to the recent Poole AGM enabling all current projects to be self funded.

MMI Mock Trial Scores Tournament Wins

Four students from the MMI Preparatory School mock trial team won individual awards and trophies and the school’s two teams tied for third place in the recent Monroe County Invitational Mock Trial Tournament held at Pleasant Valley High School in Broadheadsville.

Freshman Claire Sheen and sophomore Stephanie Pudish played attorneys and sophomore Robert Rosamelia and junior Brianna Nocchi played witnesses and received individual trophies for their achievements. MMI’s teams ended the competition with a record of three wins and one loss, losing only to the first-place winner.

The team is advised by Dennis Clarke, teacher and coach; attorney Emeline Diener; and the Honorable Correale Stevens, president judge of the Superior Court of Pennsylvania.

Members of the red team are: Paige Darrow, Marianne Virnelson, Lora Schell, Brianna Nocchi, Gabriella Lobitz, Chiarra Overpeck, Alexis Haupt, Nicholas O’Clair, Beau Samonte, Joseph Yamulla, Noah Beltrami and Dennis Clarke. Coach and adviser. Farrah Qadri is also a member of the red team.

Members of the white team: are Claire Sheen, Megan Klein, Emily Seratch, Stephanie Pudish, Robert Rosamelia, Kristen Purcell, Sara Lucas, Jesse Plaska, Robert James Kupsho, Kevin Hysenbegasi, Syed Yusuf Qadri and Clarke and Devan McCarrie.

Great Year for Historic Formula Junior Racer Wilson

Sam Wilson created his own piece of history during a successful 2011 campaign.
The 27-year-old from Cosby drives a Cooper T59 in the Historic Formula Junior Championship – and produced a number of memorable performances to land a host of prestigious trophies. Wilson, who started in kart racing at the age of 13, began historic car racing in 2008 and this was, by far, his best year yet.

"It's been incredible," he said. "We only did six of the 14 rounds, mainly because of funding, but we still finished second overall in class. "We're hopefully going to give it another go next year and try to do all the rounds. It's a shame we couldn't have done it this year."

Wilson appeared at some top British circuits and achieved first and second-place finishes at county venues Donington Park and Mallory Park. There were a couple of very special meetings for him, though.

"To get two first places at the Silverstone Classic was great," said Wilson. "It's the biggest meeting of its type in terms of competitors, about 1,100 of them, and 800 cars, all crammed into the circuits' two paddocks. "I won the first race in a 54-car grid, the largest ever assembled, and in the second managed to break the lap record on the grand prix circuit. "To cap it all, I received the driver of the meeting award."

That earned Wilson an invitation to the Goodwood Revival meeting, the world's most popular annual historic event. "It was a dream to race there," he said. "I've been going for the last 12 years but to actually race there was special. "I also got two first places – in two different cars – and achieved the first 100mph lap there since Peter Arundell, Jim Clark's former Lotus team-mate, managed it in 1963."

Among the trophies Wilson picked up were the President's Cup as best young driver in the championship, the John Cooper Memorial Cup for being the top Cooper driver, and a special achievement award from the Historic Sports Car club for his doubles at Silverstone and Goodwood. Wilson's trophy cabinet indeed looks impressive.

Wilson's plans are already in place for next season – and the chance to create even more history.

Cumberland and Westmorland Wrestlers Claim Annual Awards

Cumberland and Westmorland wrestlers gathered at Low Hesket village hall for the end of season dinner and presentations. Victor Ludorum trophies are awarded for different age and weight categories and Connie Hodgson from Dent was again the winner of the ladies section. She won every competition she entered except one, where she came second.

The winner of the boys under 12 years was George Wilson of Selside, while the under 15 and under 18 years trophies were both won by James Hayhurst of Natland.
Hayhurst also won Wrestlers’ Wrestler of the season. He not only dominated his own age group but he wrestled to a very high standard in the under 18 years and in senior competitions over the whole season. Other senior winners were John Harrington from near Cockermouth and Richard Fox from Hethersgill.

Southwick Football Club's Trophy Cabinet Smashed in Break-in

Heartless thugs smashed their way into the clubhouse of a junior football team and trashed their trophy cabinet. Members of Southwick Rangers Junior Football Club arrived at their clubhouse at 9.30am yesterday (November 27) to find their trophy cabinet smashed and trophies strewn on the floor.

Thieves kicked in the back door and protective screen of the clubhouse in Southwick Recreation Ground, Old Barn Way, Southwick, before helping themselves to £60 worth of chocolate that had been bought for the children to eat after their game on Sunday.
The vandals also stole footballs which cost the club £100 for 40, and training equipment including running ladders and cones.

The mindless yobs also smashed the bulbs out of portable floodlights worth £250 each.
Club secretary Sara Tuffin said she did not believe any trophies had been stolen from the two-room brick clubhouse which is used as a storage room, kitchen and trophy room but said that at least half a dozen had been badly damaged. She added: “We usually open up the clubhouse during a game and so all the kids were asking why is it closed today and were upset when we told them why.

“We’re a charity that helps 100 children and everybody in this area knows what we do, so why anybody would want to do this I don’t know. “They have broken trophies that the kids have worked hard for.”

Sussex Police are investigating the incident in Southwick and anyone with information should contact them on 101.

'Super Dave' Remembered at UNC

Before North Carolina’s 101-75 victory over Mississippi Valley State on Sunday, the Tar Heels asked for a moment of silence to remember “Super” Dave Harder, who drove UNC’s bus for more than two decades.

And the coaches took it one step farther, wearing custom lapel pins with the initials “DH” to remember a man they considered part of their team.

“They put one on my desk, and I was very pleased to wear it,’’ coach Roy Williams said of the custom pin. “I knew we were going to do the moment of silence for Dave … it was a touching moment, but a tough one, too.”

Harder -- nicknamed “Super Dave” for his incredible feats of driving, such as maneuvering the team through ice and snow on road trips, and backing the bus into tight garages, when necessary -- passed away suddenly in October. He was 64.

Taylor Swift Wins 3 Trophies at AMAs

Taylor Swift was crowned artist of the year at the American Music Awards for a second time.

"This is so crazy!" the country superstar said after beat such contenders as Adele, Lady Gaga and Katy Perry to capture all three trophies that she was nominated for at Sunday's ceremony, including artist of the year, the show's highest accolade that she previously claimed in 2009.

"I ended up writing the record by myself, so the fact that you would honor it this way, you have no idea what this means to me," said Swift after winning the trophy for favorite country album for "Speak Now." She was also awarded the prize for favorite country female artist.

Nicki Minaj, the pink-loving hip-hop diva, won two trophies Sunday. She kicked off the 39th annual fan-favorite ceremony by sporting a pair of speakers on her much-talked about posterior and was later honored as favorite rap/hip-hop artist, besting a group that included mentor Lil Wayne, and won favorite rap/hip-hop album for "Pink Friday."

Several artists delivered stripped-down performances: The Band Perry crooned an emotional "If I Die Young," a pink-haired Perry accompanied herself on guitar for "The One That Got Away" and a platinum-blonde Chris Brown simply sang "All Back" before being joined by a troop of helmet-clad back-up dancers for a flashy interpretation of "Say It With Me."

There were collaborations, too. Lopez joined a glowing-in-the-dark will.i.am for his new single "Hard." Christina Aguilera dueted with Maroon 5 on their "Moves Like Jagger," and then Maroon 5 lead singer Adam Levine teamed with Gym Class Heroes for their hit "Stereo Hearts." Bieber joined LMFAO in animal-print pants for the show's finale, which ended with everyone on stage — including David Hasselhoff — stripping down to smiley-face underwear.

Ambitious Ploughman Going for Four Trophies

Ploughman have set their sights on becoming a footballing success story for years to come. The new kids on the Peterborough Sunday Morning League block have already signaled their trophies intent by winning their first eight competitive matches. They have shot to the top of the Division Three table and are busy making smart progress in knockout competitions as well.

And they are not afraid to talk up their chances of glory in their debut season either.
Manager and co-founder Liam Robertson, a former top rugby player around here with Oundle, Deeping and Borough, said: “We have a chance to win four trophies this season and we’re going for the lot. “We want the whole shebang and we want to get ourselves up the leagues as quickly as we can. “You need to be up in the Premier Division and Division One to really get recognised and that’s what we are after.”

Ploughman continued their rip-roaring start by booking their place in the third round of the Northants Sunday Shield at the weekend. They overcame fellow locals AFC Bretton (a team they had already dumped out of the PFA Sunday Morning Junior Cup earlier in the season) 4-0. Two of the club’s other founders - Ondre Odain (2) and Gerard Evans - hit the net along with Jake Slater. They are also safely into the last eight of the PFA competition and have the McCain Cup to look forward to later in the season.

Robertson added: “All the lads are from the same circle of friends in the Werrington area and everyone gets on really well. “Myself, Ondre and Gerard knew we had put a decent side together and thought we stood a good chance of doing well, but we never dreamed of starting like this. “Now it’s just a case of keeping our standards high and continuing to pick up the results.

Ferrari’s Alonso Still After the Big Trophy

Ferrari Formula One driver Fernando Alonso will not be short of motivation for Sunday's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. With Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel already claiming the 2011 Drivers' Championship, you might expect Alonso to take his foot off the pedal a bit as another draining Formula One season begins to wind down, but that is just not the case.

The 30-year-old Spaniard has seen it all in his career, winning two title trophies along the way as well as locking down 72 podium finishes, but the Yas Marina circuit remains a track Alonso has yet to get the better of.

"Once again I will be targeting the podium," he told journalists at the Scuderia Ferrari hospitality unit in Abu Dhabi on Thursday. "I have 72 podiums so far, which means 72 trophies at home, which is not bad. They come from all the circuits on the calendar apart from Abu Dhabi. So there is only one trophy missing at home and I hope that this year I can add the one from Abu Dhabi."

He added that Ferrari will continue to use the Friday practice as a test session aimed at improving the car for next year. "More important than evaluating new components is the work of checking the correlation between what we see on the race track with what we see from the wind tunnel," he said. "This means we can work with confidence through December and January, knowing that all the data we have in the tunnel is real. We need to get the most out of ourselves this winter and arrive in March with the best Ferrari possible.

"It is much more important to learn for the new car: better to get half a tenth of a second for next year than to be second in this Drivers' championship. But I can see how hard the engineers and mechanics are working to get me to second place, with the whole team being really motivated, so for them I will be trying my best this weekend."

The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is currently the 18th and penultimate round of the Formula One World Championship.

Trophies Available in New Hyde Park

Crown Trophy on Jericho Turnpike is nationally-known and locally-owned by Ron and Claudia Shapiro, who essentially fell into this business and started from scratch. Before officially opening in May 2005, Shapiro said she and her husband started selling products out of their garage in 2004 until all the permits were cleared for the store.

“My husband had been in sales for 25-years of medical equipment for hospitals and the job was getting more and more strenuous on him…and he wasn’t happy where he was,” Claudia Shapiro said. “I was basically out of a job and I had started my own translation business from home but it didn’t really generate much income.”

When a good friend of the Shapiro’s, who knew the owners of the Crown Company, came to them with the job offer, they didn’t hesitate to take it. The location was already set in New Hyde Park, and the Shapiro’s thought it was perfect, only being 20-minutes away from their home in Port Washington.

“We talked to the owners; we had no idea about the business," Shapiro said. "I thought when I heard engraving that we would be sitting there with an etching needle, but the first time I saw the laser machine going, it was much easier."

“We talked to the owners; we had no idea about the business," Shapiro said. "I thought when I heard engraving that we would be sitting there with an etching needle, but the first time I saw the laser machine going, it was much easier."

Now, six years in, business had been good to the couple, who sell everything from sculptures, glass, plaques, acrylics, pins medals and trophies. “Our top product to sell is [probably] the Rosewood plaque,” Shapiro said. “It is $50 dollars and with engraving it is $65 or $70 dollars depending on how much engraving you have, but there’s crystal and so many different styles of trophies, so it’s hard to say.”

Crown Trophy does engraving for different sports, churches, leagues, Long Island Jewish Medical Center, committees, businesses and universities such as Adelphi and St. John’s.

also see: trophies, custom pins and corporate awards

UIL Academics Brings Home Five Trophies

Nineteen Llano High School students and four teachers left before sunrise on Saturday, November 5, to experience their first full UIL Academic Meet of the school year at Pflugerville High School. Greeted by 23 other mostly larger high schools, the day provided much competition of an outstanding caliber, yet the young team brought home five trophies. December 3 will be the next UIL Academic tournament at Lago Vista High School, with registration starting this week and closing on Monday, November 21.

A freshman at LHS, Cole Polley, should be proud of the first place trophy earned in Ready Writing, a two hour expository essay contest. His coach noted that Cole only had one point deducted, which is rare. Two more trophies were won by the CX Varsity Debate Team of junior Drew Buttery and senior Tim Hansen placing third. Placing fifth and receiving a trophy in Spelling and Vocabulary was sophomore Necille Nunez. The Spelling Team placed third. It included Necille and freshmen Sterling Owen and Kasey Hairston, sophomore Yamilex Espinoza, and junior Alex Elliot. Other students competing at this first tournament were: Current Issues: Kasey Hairston; CX Debate: Jacob Thomsen and Tori Vestal; Calculator: Lance Cox; Feature Writing: Shelby Harris; Literary Criticism: Laura Ortiz; Math: Lance Cox and Shelby Martin; Number Sense: Lance Cox and Shelby Martin; Science: Levi Bailey, Shelby Martin, Noah Patton ; LD Debate: Savannah Arteaga (who missed advancing by ONE point), and Social Studies: Laura Ortiz and Jacob Beasley.

Wine Win for Symphony Hill

Symphony Hill Wines has firmly placed itself amongst the ranks of Australia's wine elite by being nominated for two trophies at the 2011 Royal Melbourne Wine Show.
They achieved top gold in its class for their 2008 Reserve Shiraz scoring the highest possible points. Only the top scoring gold medal wines are eligible for being awarded the show's trophies and Symphony Hill Wines Reserve Shiraz was a finalist for the Best Rhone Style or Shiraz Trophy and the prestigious Douglas Seabrook Single Vineyard Trophy.

Owner Ewen Macpherson said Shiraz was by far the variety with the highest number of entries from around Australia. "To be to be one of the four finalists for the Best Shiraz trophy is a tremendous achievement for our young winery," he said. "The wine that pipped us for the Best Shiraz trophy was also awarded the Jimmy Watson trophy. I would love to see the Jimmy Watson trophy to head to Queensland one day. I firmly believe you should aim for the stars to get to the moon. It has headed to Tasmania for the first time this year and hopefully to Queensland in the very near future."

He said his winery's name up on the screen at the Trophy Presentation dinner was a thrill which was hard to describe. "And to see it twice for two trophies was sublime. Top gold for a Shiraz at Royal Melbourne for a winery with one small block of Shiraz competing against fabulous large wineries selecting their fruit from a multitude of vineyards from across Australia is a monumental achievement."

Winemaker Mike Hayes said it was the highlight of his career to be invited down to the trophy presentation dinner.

Symphony Hill Wines is owned by Ewen and Elissa Macpherson and Ewen's parents Bob and Jill Macpherson. When the vines were planted in 1999 there were four generations of the Macpherson family living on the property.

Trophies For The 2011 F1TM Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Arrive

James Hogan, Etihad Airways’ Chief Executive Officer, and Richard Cregan, Chief Executive Officer of Yas Marina Circuit, unveiled the trophies for the forthcoming 2011 Formula 1TM Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The trophies, handcrafted in solid silver, represent the sails of a Dhow on the Arabian Sea. They are made by leading silversmith and trophy maker, Richard Fox.

“As the title sponsor of the 2011 F1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi GP, we have the honor of supplying the winners’ trophies," commented Mr. Hogan. "These priceless items reflect the brand values of Etihad and our homebase, Abu Dhabi. We look forward to welcoming the tens of thousands of F1 fans that will be using our extensive network over the next few weeks.”

"Formula 1 drivers are ultra-competitive," said Yas Marina Circuit’s Richard Cregan, "come race day on November 13th, every one of them will want to celebrate an outstanding victory by holding this beautiful winner’s trophy."

In total, there will be four trophies. One awarded to the race’s Winner Driver, Second Place Driver, Third Place Driver, and the Winning Constructor, respectively.

Town’s Martial Arts Kids Sweep Trophies

Swindon youngsters were punching the air in celebration after claiming a host of trophies in a national martial arts championship. The Matt Fiddes Martial Arts Schools British Championship was held at the Oasis on Saturday and the Swindon dojo came out on top in the trophies count after boasting a host of wins in the adult and junior categories.

And Swindon-born Matt, who was once pop star Michael Jackson’s bodyguard, was on hand to perform his first demonstration in eight years, as well as being presented with his seventh dan black belt. About 500 people turned out for the event, including spectators, and Matt said it had surpassed his expectations.

He said: “It’s the biggest one we’ve ever had and the roar of the crowd gave me a buzz.
“This is the first time I’ve been able to focus on the business again and I performed for the first time in eight years, which was good. Swindon has the biggest school in the country. “It’s nice because it’s my home town and I wanted to make the championship something special.”

Trophy Appeal a Winner – Thanks to the Journal

More than 250 trophies have been handed over to a schools sports partnership thanks to a campaign backed by the Journal. Floods of trophies have been given to the Forest Heath Schools Sports Partnership following the appeal held between September 15 and Friday. The trophies will be used in inter-school competitions over the coming months.

“We have been overwhelmed by the response of the campaign,” said Ian Jackson, sports development manager for the Forest Heath Schools Sports Partnership. “There are some superb trophies that have been handed over. They show just how much people have excelled in sport over the years. “By 9.30am on the first day of the scheme I had two trophies. It just snowballed from there and in the end we had between 12 and 15 boxes full of trophies of varying sizes. “A big thanks has to go out to all those from across the Newmarket and Mildenhall areas that have donated trophies along with the Journal for assisting the campaign, and both Newmarket and Mildenhall Leisure Centre for acting as drop-off points,” said Mr Jackson.

Demand for additional trophies has arisen following the Government’s launch of the School Games. The games, which coincide with both the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, are set to provide school pupils across all ages with the chance to take part in a host of new inter-school tournaments.

“We can assure that these trophies will now go to good use and help the future of inter-school sport for a long time,” said Mr Jackson. “Those that we can’t use will not go to waste as we will hand them over to local sport clubs to be put to good use.”

Inter Have the Qualities Needed to Win Trophies

Coach Claudio Ranieri and his men have been praised by the club president, who believes they can still achieve success despite the team's poor start to the season. Inter president Massimo Moratti insists that his club have all the qualities needed to challenge for trophies this term. The 2010 Champions League winners failed to win any of their opening five games of the season, prompting Moratti to relieve Gian Piero Gasperini of his duties.

But he is now convinced that, with Claudio Ranieri in charge, they can achieve trophies success in both the short- and long-term. "I think it's possible for us to win a trophy this season if the team can maintain the character it has shown over the years," Moratti told Il Corriere dello Sport. "I have faith in the team and the coach and we have all the qualities to carry on winning. "I am convinced we can continue doing well for the long term. We have the right mix of young and experienced players and Ranieri is a great coach. "Ranieri knows how to keep together the group even in times of difficulty."

Inter return to action after the international break when they take on Catania in Sicily on October 15.

6 Year Old Girl Competes in Bikes, Blues & BBQ Motocross

Six-year-old Abby Seidel puts on her gear and revs up her engine for Bikes, Blues & BBQ Motocross race at Parson's Stadium in Springdale.

“I'm going to do jumps and those whoop de doo's there, like this,” says Abby as she explains the race track. This is Abby's first Arena Cross race. But she's been practicing at River Valley Raceway in Watts Oklahoma. “Last night and yesterday I went to practice here and I didn't fall over any times on my new bike,” says Abby.

Abby says she loves everything about motorcycles and racing, even her macaroni and cheese. “You know what my favorite kind of macaroni and cheese is? Wheels. They are shaped like wheels, they are, and that's why I started riding dirt bikes."

At just a year old she loved motorcycles. “If he left on a motorcycle and she didn't get to go, there was a temper tantrum,” says Susie Morgan, Abby’s Mother. So every birthday her wish was to get a bike and her parents finally gave in. “We went out and got her a little used motorcycle about a month before her birthday and she maybe rode it ten minutes, fifteen minutes but, every weekend she kept telling us she's going to race, she's going to race," says David Seidel.

She’s already making a name for herself. She has 18 trophies and says she's running out of room in her bedroom. “I have a little thing for them and I'm kind of running out of space, I only have room for two more trophies," says Abby. At the pace she's winning awards, Abby's parents may soon have to add a room to display them all. But it’s not just about winning for Abby, it’s also about having fun on the track. “I just have fun on the track because I have a little friend out there that I try to beat all the time."

Being the only girl biker in her first grade class at Leverett Elementary in Fayetteville makes her one of a kind. “They thought it was cool. At first when I showed them the trophies they really didn't believe me but, when I showed them the pictures, they believed me," says Abby.

Crown Trophy of New Tampa

Crown Trophy is a nationally known and locally owned manufacturer and distributor of trophies, medals and plaques. Founded in Brooklyn in 1978, it now has 150 stores nationwide. The company custom designs trophies, awards, plaques and more for various occasions, from Little League baseball to employee recognition.

Kurt Callarman opened Crown Trophy in New Tampa in 2007. Originally from Key West, Callarman used to own a jewelry store in the southernmost point of the United States. “Crown Trophy is the largest company in the country that creates exclusive products collectively,” he said.

Callarman decided to open the franchise after moving to New Tampa and realizing that there weren’t any businesses offering customized trophies and promotional items in the area. The store caters to corporations, schools, organizations and sport teams as well as individuals.

Sometimes parents order academic plaques or scholastic awards after their kids get good grades in school. Other times, folks purchase customized items for birthday parties and other events. Callarman said that one of the weirdest articles he has created was a trophy with a mounted King Kong gorilla statue for a Fantasy football league.

Located at 18051 Highwoods Preserve Pkwy # A , Crown Trophy is open from 9.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays.

also see: trophies, custom pins and corporate awards

G.B.Darts Throwers Win 19 Trophies in Nassau

A 16 member contingent of the Grand Bahama Darts Association was in New Providence last weekend where they competed in the 1987 Becks Doubles Darts Championships at the Poinciana Sporting Arena on Saturday, February 7, 1987. At the end of the tournament the group was able to bring back a total of 19 trophies, winning two events, coming in second in one, making it to the finals five times and had two quarter-final finishes.

Winning trophies over the weekend were the team of Cornelius "Cornbread" Martinborough and Dawn Sweeting, who defeated New Providence's Mike and Sue Russell 3-2 to win the mixed doubles. Sweeting enjoyed a good weekend as she also teamed with Cindy Albury to win the women's double. Albury was name the most outstanding player as she hit double tops to give them the title 2-0.

In the ladies doubles on Friday night the team of Annie Pelecanos and Mia Yates had a semifinal finish. Halina Wilson teamed up with Raynell Minus of New Providence and made it to New Providence and made it to the semi-finals.

In the men's' doubles also on Friday night Martinborough and Byron Johnson as well as Osborne Cooper and Woody Sweeting had quarter final finishes.

This event was almost won by Grand Bahamians' Arthur Nesbitt and Edison Butler, who lost to Kenrick Braithwaite and Mike Russell of New Providence 3-2. In the best of five finals Nesbitt and Butler stormed out to a 2-0 lead and needing one bull for the match fell one dart short finishing in second. In mixed doubles on Saturday afternoon the team of Nesbitt and Colleen Cooper also made it through to the semi finals.

Martinborough and Calvin Miler made a great showing advancing to the semi finals.
However the event was won by Russell and Jonathon Williams of New Providence.
Pelecanos and Yates had their second semi final finish in the ladies double with 501.

Peter Lehmann Riesling Trumps at 2011 Barossa Wine Show

Peter Lehmann Wines (PLW) is celebrating after winning four trophies at the Barossa Wine Show presentation on Thursday September 15. The star performer was the 2005 Wigan Riesling from Eden Valley, named Most Outstanding Barossa Table Wine in the Premium Classes, surpassing a strong field of Barossa Shiraz. The wine also took out trophies for Best Dry White Riesling, (one year and older) and Most Outstanding Barossa White Table Wine.

The local win follows The Wigan’s success in London last week, receiving the trophy for Best Australian Riesling over £ 10 in the Decanter World Wine Awards. The 2005 release of The Wigan – the current release – has now garnered six trophies at national and international wine shows. “Winning a trophy in front of our friends and colleagues in Barossa is just as sweet as downtown London,” Wigan says of the wine named in his honour.

Reinforcing PLW’s mastery with Eden Valley Riesling, the 2002 Peter Lehmann Reserve Riesling also took home a trophy for best Museum White. “These wines are a tribute to our growers in Eden Valley. Their passion in producing fruit that is good enough to go into wines like these – the best of what we make – is why we are here today.

“The Wigan is our declaration that Eden Valley creates some of Australia’s greatest Riesling.” Wigan says PLW’s Riesling program stepped up a gear in 2001 when all wines were sealed under screwcap. “These two wines will live happily for another 40 to 50 years.”

Only 1000 dozen of The Wigan is made each year, representing the very best fruit of the vintage. It is aged for five years before release. The 2005 Peter Lehman Wines The Wigan Riesling is priced at $28, and is available at Peter Lehmann Wine cellar door, and online at peterlehmannwines.com.

Thomas and Jackson's Hill Grab Honors

The Andrew Thomas wine trophies juggernaut rolls on with his award for best red wine of show at the Hunter Valley Boutique Winemakers Show.

Last month Mr. Thomas collected six trophies at the bigger Hunter Valley Wine Industry Association Awards, including best red wine of show. But this time, just to show the strength of his portfolio, he won it with a different wine.

While his 2009 Thomas Sweetwater Shiraz was the dominant force in the Hunter Valley Wine Industry Association Awards, this time he won with his 2009 Motel Block shiraz ($50). “The Sweetwater had done really well for me and I don’t have much of it left, so I thought I’d enter the Motel Block instead,” he said.

The top white at the Boutique Winemakers Show went to Jackson’s Hill for their 2005 semillon.

BHS Marching Band Crowned Grand Champion

The Marching Bulldogs took home multiple trophies for their performance in Watseka, IL, near Kankakee on Saturday. Batavia High School has never before won the grand champion honor.

Armed with new uniforms and a nervous but fighting spirit, the Marching Bulldogs made history on Saturday at the Watseka (IL) Marching Band Invitational on Saturday. The Batavia band was crowned Grand Champion at the competition—it was the first time a Batavia High School band has won that honor. The Watseka performance was the band's first competition of the season.

The band won the following trophies:

• Grand Champion
• First place in Class 2A
• Best Colorguard
• Best Winds

The win was especially meaningful for Batavia Band Director Ben Collins, who is a 2001 BHS grad. He took to the Batavia High School Music Twitter account to share the news with the Batavia community. "Batavia wins!" he wrote, followed by multiple exclamation marks. "First time in school history. High guard, high winds!!!!"

The band this year received new uniforms with funds raised by the Batavia Music Buffs. The band showed them off in style during a run-through of their 2011 show Arabesque at Bulldog Stadium on Thursday.

Golden Boys Pick Up Lion’s Share of Pool Trophies

Five-star Golden Lion roared to a fantastic four more trophies on the finals night of Hart-Marler Spalding and District Thursday Pool League. The Division A champions added the KO Cup, Captain’s Cup, Mixed Doubles and Men’s Singles titles to their ranks at Spalding Services Club last Thursday night as they concluded a stunning season in style.

It was champion versus champion in the big cup final clash, with the top tier kings going head-to-head with Division B top dogs Crown B (Crowland). In what proved a titanic tussle, Lion took the spoils 5-3 to complete a league and cup double. Jason Burdall then picked up the Captain’s gong for the Moulton Seas End side, as he knocked off Drayman’s Arms skipper Tony Branch 3-1.

There was always going to be a Lion winner in the Men’s Singles, but the result of Charlie Baker versus Vernon Harris tie was not known as we went to press. Completing the quintuple for Golden Lion was the formidable pairing of Charlie Baker and Tracy Carter in the mixed pairs. They edged a cracking contest with Station Gates duo Jason Gordon and Lisa Owen 3-2. But Lion were beaten in the Doubles final, however.

The combination of Vernon Harris and Carl Appleyard were handed a 3-0 reverse by the ever-impressive Fisherman’s Arms pairing of Matt Goodale and Tony Evans. There was more silverware for the Fisherman’s Arms too, as Leanne Wakefield won an incredibly close Ladies’ Singles final. She shaded a super game with Donna Orme (Drayman’s) 3-2.

Also collection trophies were Division B winners Crown B and Division C champions Royal Mail Cart A.

Villa Maria Chardonnay Scoops Three Trophies

A Villa Maria Chardonnay has stolen the show at the Romeo Bragato Wine Awards 2011 trophy announcements made at the weekend. The Villa Maria Single Vineyard Keltern Chardonnay 2010 picked up three trophies including Champion Wine of Show, Champion Chardonnay and the Sustainability Trophy.

The prized Keltern Vineyard in the South-Western Maraekakaho sub-region of the Heretaunga Plains in Hawkes Bay, is an exceptional vineyard site that regularly produces premium quality wines that have gone forth to win several national and international awards over the years.

Keltern Vineyard Manager Mark Dixon commented on the trophy wins: "The beauty of the Bragato Awards is that they specifically recognize the effort that goes in at the vineyard end of the wine-making chain. As single vineyard awards they reflect the specific terroir of the site and while acknowledging the manager of the site, they really reflect everyone involved in making the wine. To be awarded the Sustainability Trophy together with the Champion Wine Trophy really endorses the effort put in at the vineyard to gain that accreditation and the fantastic site that Keltern is. Here at Keltern everyone has had a part to play in this success, from the grazing sheep and the dedicated staff in the vineyard, to the vintage crew and wine-making team. We work hard on sustainable practices in the vineyard so it's fitting that these trophies recognize the whole team involved in making these wines. The 2010 season was a little peculiar in that it was marked with a major rain event in late summer that could have been disastrous. However, Mother Nature turned the taps off giving a very dry lead-up to harvest and fantastic conditions for picking decisions to be made when the fruit was in optimal condition and full of flavor," he said.

Other trophies for Villa Maria wines were Champion Other Red Wine for the Villa Maria Reserve Grenache 2007 and Champion Other White Wine for the Villa Maria Single Vineyard Omahu Gravels Viognier 2010.

DiPietro Dances Away With Mirror Ball Trophy

Boca West's Jay DiPietro had a 14-table cheering section, so when he won two trophies at Boca's Ballroom Battle, the place erupted.

Supporters spilled out onto the dance floor at the Boca Raton Resort & Club Aug. 19 to congratulate DiPietro, 74, for his dancing, trophies and raising $36,000, the most money among the four male contestants. Breathless, all he could say was "I'm thrilled."

Longtime community volunteer Patricia "Pat" Thomas told the crowd she was "in it to win it." She took the fundraising title for the women at $49,000. Jackie Reeves, managing director of Bell Rock Capital and president-elect of the Junior League of Boca Raton, won the female dance title for her rumba.

Ndlovu Determined to Bring Trophies Home

Former Zimbabwean and Highlanders Rugby player Likang Ndlovu is determined to bring trophies back home from his inner-city Rugby Development team, and has challenged the Zim government to fully commit to the development of rugby. Ndlovu has been working on young talent for a year now and has been applauded by community for spearheading a successful initiative.

“One day I will take my medals home to showcase my success as a way of inspiring youngsters to fully engage in sports. I have coached rugby in different countries and Zimbabwe remains the best. It just lacks sponsorship and adequate facilities. But if our government commits to rugby I don’t doubt we will be the world champions soon,” he said.

Ndlovu urged young players aged from 6 years to 18 years to participate in the career developments programs he is offering to youngsters in Johannesburg. “I want youngsters from all walks of life to come out in numbers; this is an opportunity for them if they dream to be tomorrow stars in the rugby fraternity in the future. Rugby is a sport for everyone. We need to catch these youngsters while young as we want them to understand the mentality of Rugby,” he said.

Trophies Up for Grabs for Charity Chariots Racers

Runners in Cambridge’s biggest charity race will be battling it out for trophies, organizers say. Chariots of Fire will take place on Sunday, September 18, and as well as raising money for a good cause – The Rosie Hospital Campaign – participants will compete for 10 trophies.

About 2,500 people are expected to take part in the event, running in relay teams of six.
The winning team categories include prizes for the first, second and third fastest teams, all-male, all-female and mixed teams, veteran male, veteran female and veteran mixed teams, and the college team category.

Race organizers award the People’s Cup to the team that provides the most laughter and entertainment for the crowds on the day. A spokesman for the event, run by law firm Hewitsons and backed by the News, said: “This can be achieved by running the race in fancy dress or maybe a novel idea involving props or gimmicks. “The team awarded the cup last year were John Lewis, who dressed as chefs and ran the route with a tray in one hand and the relay-baton in the other.” The Rosie campaign aims to extend the current maternity hospital.

Football's Numerous Traveling Trophies

The Cy-Hawk Trophy is being replaced.

That’s getting something half-right. Getting rid of the trophy altogether would be the best solution.  That won’t happen, of course. A corporate sponsor will commission a new trophy. The Iowa Corn Growers Association apparently will be involved. More dollars will change hands in amateur sports.

The number of traveling trophies in college football should be decreased, not increased. The more there are, the less value each carries. Rivalry trophies should evolve naturally and have a slice of history behind them.

Floyd of Rosedale is, to me, the perfect rivalry trophy. For one thing, it couldn’t be more distinctive. A big bronzed pig? Fantastic!

also see: trophies, custom pins and corporate awards

Community Rallies to Make Seiling Memorial Bench Possible

There will be a bench at Traub’s Doggies in memory of Officer Ray, thanks to the generosity of the Emmaus community who collectively donated more than $1500 to the Ray Seiling Memorial Fund. Ray Seiling, the Emmaus auxiliary police officer and Hanover Township code enforcement officer who passed away unexpectedly in May was a fixture on the Triangle during his years of service in the borough and Traub’s was the officer’s favorite lunch spot.

Emmaus Borough Manager Craig Neely is pleased with the planned location. “Though we can say that Ray ‘lunched’ at Traub’s, I always felt that he was still performing his duties while relaxing there,” he said in a recent e-mail about the planned tribute. “From the public’s perspective, being able to rely on a public servant is very important, and Ray’s habitual patronizing of Traub’s was, in my opinion, an important part of his beat.”
Following his death, the Ray Seiling Memorial Fund was established to raise money for the $1,475 bench. With the fund’s balance at only  $1,250, five Emmaus businesses came forward to donate the additional $225 needed to purchase the bench, according to Kathleen Haney of Haney Associates, Inc., in Emmaus, who has been one of the local business owners shepherding this project.

The donors are Joseph and Linda Abraham of The Impact Project, Inc.; John and Pam Pavlacka of J&K Pressure Cleaning, Inc. and Pam's Golden Scissors; Bill Rohrer of NewsWorking; and one anonymous business owner. Haney said Crown Trophy will donate a plaque for the bench.

Since raising money for the bench, Haney says additional donations have come in. Now there is enough money to purchase a brick in the Remembrance Garden at the Knauss Homestead in Seiling’s memory. Any future money raised will be donated to the Han-Le-Co Volunteer Fire Company, where Officer Seiling volunteered for 25 years, Haney says. Donations can be dropped off at any local KNBT branch until August 6.

also see: trophies, custom pins and corporate awards

Winthrop Harbor Softball Benefit Receives Mutual Aid

Fire and law enforcement personnel gathered Saturday at 38-Acre Park for a softball tournament benefit to help collect funds for the upcoming Susan G. Komen 3-Day Walk For The Cure breast cancer awareness event. Jennifer Levin came up with the idea for the Mutual Aid 4 A Cure softball tournament along with friends Jennifer Kilpatrick and JoAnn Manders, who regularly walk in the Chicago breast cancer event. Another friend, Tricia Henoch, joined in to help with the benefit. The ladies team for the August cancer walk will be called Guns N’ Hoses 4 A Cure.

“This is the first time we’ve ever done this,” said Levin. The slow pitch, double-elimination tournament involved eight co-ed teams consisting of members and spouses from area fire and police departments, the Lake County Jail and Hazmat. About 88 participants and more than 100 spectators turned out for the event. At the end of the evening, Sacks N’ Racks won the tournament. The team consisted of Lake County Jail correctional officers. They won a trophy donated by Crown Trophy of Kenosha. Jackie Fagan was captain of the team.

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NASCAR’s Oddball Trophies

NASCAR trophies through the years have run the gamut from the tiniest little brass gizmos with no character and little room for the drivers name, to some of the wildest, weirdest trophies in professional sports. Here's a quick look.

For winning a race at Martinsville the driver takes home one of the most sought after trophies in the sport - a Grandfather Clock. Valued at over $11,000 the clock is the most coveted trophy in all of NASCAR. Everybody wants a clock and the checkered flag that comes with it.

After body-slamming their race-cars around the mile and a half track just a few miles north of the Las Vegas strip, it seems fitting the winner's trophy looks more like a wrestling belt from the WWE.


Dover International Raceway is a treacherous one-mile concrete raceway located on Dover Downs Hotel & Casino property just north of Dover, DE. Somewhere along the way this speedway picked up the nickname, The Monster Mile for the beating it hands out over 500 laps of racing. It was only a matter of time before a trophy came along to reflect its personality. Rumor has it, Thing, of Fantastic Four fame, was the model for this monstrosity.

If there's a rock and roll heaven, they should be lucky enough to have a mondo-trophy like the winner of the Chevy Rock & Roll 400 at Richmond receives. Now if only Alice Cooper would give up golf and take up racing.

Keeping with the guitar theme, winners of the Nationwide race at Nashville Superspeedway gets to take home this Sam Bass custom painted Gibson Guitar. (Nashville is Gibson's headquarters.)

It's been said that everything is bigger in Texas, even their boots. The winners trophy from the Samsung 500 at Texas Motor Speedway is this homage to Cowboy life. Handguns not included.

Win a race at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, CA, and a bottle of Napa Valley's finest blush awaits the driver in victory lane. Now that's the way to chug a glass of wine.

Seems like the trophies match some of the racing personalities, doesn’t it!

High-Flying Cadets Net Trophies

Beaming air cadets scooped four national award trophies at the annual meeting of the Girls Venture Corps. Phoebe Barrie, aged 15, won the Doreen Ballard Trophy for the highest score in an aviation theory exam for air ability.

The other trophies were awarded to the whole Rotherham Girls Venture Corps. The haul included the Cecillia Jenkins Trophy for the best all round unit, won for the second year running. The girls were also runners-up in the Lady Leverhulme Cup, for service to the community, and the Australia Cup for the unit with the most aviation awards.
Core director Brenda Layne said the team had an enthusiastic leader who involved the girls in more activities than any other group.

Rotherham group commandant Nicola Jones said: “I am always proud of what we achieve as a unit. This is the icing on the cake.”

Lalita Patipaksiri Bound for Golf Stardom

For Lalita Patipaksiri, convenience has paid off. It was one of the reasons why she was named Orange County Player of the Year in 2005 and 2007. It was responsible for a spot on the second-team All-Big West as a sophomore. And now, as a junior, convenience has led Patipaksiri to the NCAA All-Star Team.

Golf is an expensive sport – a set of irons can range up to $3,000. When Patipaksiri began to golf, she became the third member of her family to play the sport. Her father, not wanting his daughter’s gift to go to waste, decided he would quit because the cost for three people playing golf would eventually add up, and he wanted to give his daughter an opportunity to play.

Patipaksiri’s decision to stick with golf, combined with her father’s decision to give up the sport, has resulted in much success for the third-year sociology major. From her time in elementary school to junior high, Patipaksiri collected over 100 trophies and awards. Although the competition has stiffened as the years progressed, Patipaksiri garnered about 50 CIF plaques and awards during her time at Cypress High School.

Among all of her trophies and awards, golf’s grueling time commitment has made her question her willingness to stick with the sport. An 18-hole round of golf typically ranges between four and six hours to complete.

However, the enjoyment Patipaksiri has for the game overrides the 5 a.m. wake-up calls for 6 a.m. practice, the time commitment that she devotes to the sport and the little time she gets to herself.

Patipaksiri’s ability to find enjoyment in golf’s long grind has led her to even more success. She has become the first Anteater to be named to the NCAA All-Star Team and will travel to Asia this summer, making stops in Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and China to compete in 16 tournaments over the course of 28 days.

This tournament presents a whole new set of challenges for Patipaksiri. She admits that she chose UC Irvine because it is only a few minutes away from her home in Cypress where she goes every weekend for private golf lessons. The longest and farthest she has been away from home was three weeks when she traveled to Maryland, but traveling to Japan, South Korea and China – places she has never visited before – will provide a whole new experience.

Patipaksiri will also experience a different level of competition. Besides playing alongside top women’s golfers representing Stanford University, University of Arizona and Yale, she will also be competing with international golfers.

So far, the 5-foot-1 golfer has used her short game to excel at the collegiate level and make up for her lack of size and power. Although she may not be as tall as Michelle Wie or have Lorena Ochoa’s combination of power and finesse, Patipaksiri knows that she has a chance to compete with the top women’s golfers of the Ladies of the Professional Golf Association, because her idol and inspiration Ai Miyazato, a 5-foot-2 golfer, has had success at the professional level.

New Super Trophies Unveiled

While the Reds have already claimed the Australian conference top spot before the last round of Super Rugby this weekend, the race is still firmly on for New Zealand and South African front-runners. The Blues and Crusaders will be fighting it out to the final whistle to grab top honors along with an especially made conference trophy that was unveiled today. The Blues will first take on the eighth-placed Highlanders in Auckland on Friday night, while the Crusaders play technically a home game against the Hurricanes in Wellington on Saturday. 



This year's competition format change has led to the introduction of a 'family' of silverware which includes a brand new Super Rugby champions trophy for the overall winner along with the three Conference winners' trophies. The new Super Rugby champions' trophy will be unveiled in the next few weeks. 



SANZAR CEO Greg Peters said today the new trophies are necessary to acknowledge each conference winner. "With the introduction of a Conference system it was pertinent that the respective winners be presented with a trophy for their achievements," said Peters. He added that the new format allows for upsets near the end of the tournament rather than the predictability of past years. "The new finals format, with six teams involved, also means that a non-Conference winner could claim overall honours and the Super Rugby champions' trophy."



The shape of the trophy is cantered around three curved legs, representing the three Conferences. The Conference trophies contain panels inside the legs that correspond to the respective country; gold for Australia, black for New Zealand, and green for South Africa. "The chosen trophy design reflects the core elements of Rugby - tradition, physical toughness, camaraderie, and skill," said Peters.

Orange 2011 Season Ends At Tewaaraton Banquet

Syracuse was well represented on college lacrosse’s biggest night. Seniors John Galloway, Joel White and Orange legends Roy Simmons Jr. and Jim Brown were all in attendance at the 2011 Tewaaraton Trophies Awards banquet held at the Warner Theatre on June 2. Galloway and White were two of the five finalists for this year’s Tewaaraton Trophy as the college lacrosse player of the year. Brown was there to receive the first Tewaaraton Legends Award, and Simmons, Brown’s teammate at SU in the 1950s, introduced him.

Even though Virginia attackman Steele Stanwick took home the top prize as the 2011 Tewaaraton Trophy winner, the night belonged to Brown. The NFL legend shook hands, posed for pictures and captivated an audience full of lacrosse giants.

“Because of his father I’m here tonight being honored by all of you,” said Brown referring to his former coach, Roy Simmons Sr. “It’s a wonderful honor. I usually don’t care about trophies and things like that, but those of us who play lacrosse know that we do it for the love of the game, and simply for the love of the game. We’re all in the same fraternity. And for you to remember me and to bring me back with these young lions here, it’s truly an honor.”

Created to recognize greats of the past, the Tewaaraton Legends Award will annually be presented to an individual whose college lacrosse achievements would have earned them a Tewaaraton Trophy had the award been around when they played.

There was no better choice than Brown to receive the inaugural award. A two-time All-American midfielder for the Orange, Brown scored 64 points, including 43 goals, to lead Syracuse to an undefeated (10-0) season as a senior in 1957. He then embarked on a record-setting football career with the Cleveland Browns and has since been recognized as perhaps the greatest athlete of the 20th century.

As intimidating on the lacrosse field as he was on the gridiron, Brown was inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 1984.

White and Galloway were two of the “young lions” Brown was referring to in the crowd. Thursday’s Tewaaraton Awards banquet marked the end of their brilliant college careers, and like Brown, they will go down as two of the best to ever play at Syracuse. They were also roommates for four years.

Packers Tailgate Tour to Feature All Four Super Bowl Trophies

The Packers Tailgate Tour will feature all four of the team's Super Bowl trophies at each of the evening tailgate parties this month.

Fans attending the evening parties will have the opportunity to take pictures with the trophies.

Channel 5's own Sports Director, Larry McCarren, will be live on the 5 and 6 p.m. news to kick off the tour in Marquette, Michigan, on May 10th.

The tour is set to also be in Ashland,May 11th; Eau Claire, May 12th; Wausau, May 13th and Green Bay,May 14th. Evening tailgate parties will begin with tour celebrities arriving at each location by 6 p.m. and will run until 8:30 p.m.

Both $30 Tailgate Tour tickets and $5 general admission tickets remain available for Green Bay and Wausau. Only $5 general admission tickets remain available for Eau Claire and Marquette, Mich. The Ashland evening tailgate party is sold out.

also see: trophies, custom pins and corporate awards

Rose Wins MVP Trophy

The United Center crowd’s ­M-V-P chant resonated like never before Wednesday night when NBA commissioner David Stern presented Bulls guard Derrick Rose with the Maurice Podoloff Trophy as the league’s most valuable player before Game 2.

‘‘This right here is for the city of Chicago more than anything,’’ Rose said at the center-court ceremony. ‘‘Thanks. I appreciate it. My family appreciates it. And the organization appreciates it. Thank you all, and we love you all.’’

Stern saluted Rose — at 22 the youngest of all MVP trophies winners in NBA ­history — in a pre-game news conference, saying he ‘‘couldn’t be better’’ as a role model for the NBA.
‘‘He’s the full package,’’ Stern said. ‘‘He had a family that watched out for him. He made through difficult times. He’s very valuable, not just to the league, but to his teammates and as a role model to all.’’

For what it’s worth, the Bulls were 4-0 in the playoffs when Michael Jordan received his MVP trophies from the commissioner — with Jordan averaging 36 points in Eastern Conference finals victories over the Pistons (1991), Cavaliers (1992), Magic (1996) and Pacers (1998).

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Man Discovered in Van With Stolen Trophies

A man who had stolen trophies which were to be given to charity in his van has appeared in court. Wayne Platt, aged 41, of Wilton Street, Astley Bridge, was spotted by police officers asleep in his van in Savick Avenue, Breightmet on April 29 last year.

They discovered paintings, pictures and trophies that had been stolen from the Victoria and Albert pub in Lee Lane, Horwich, the day before. Platt, an amphetamine addict, was out of work and claimed he bought the items as he was attempting to make ends meet by selling things at car boot sales. He pleaded guilty to handling stolen goods and was sentenced at Bolton Crown Court. He was placed under the supervision of the probation service for six months.

also see: trophies, custom pins and corporate awards

Grand Prix Trophies to be Designed by Valcourt

Valcourt's Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. said Tuesday its design and innovation team has been chosen to create the trophies for the 2011 Formula One Grand Prix du Canada in Montreal.

"Our staff is passionate about design, especially when it relates to power sports and when they saw this opportunity to showcase their talents and contribute to the Grand Prix du Canada, they were all over it." said Denys Lapointe, the design unit's executive vice-president.

A jury including François Dumontier, president of Octane Racing Group Inc., and other members of the group promoting the Formula One Grand Prix event and from BRP, have selected two of the six trophies concepts generated by the BRP design team and the finalist will be revealed in June.

also see: trophies, custom pins and corporate awards

Brewing Medals Awarded in Hickory

The Asheville-area breweries scored big at Saturday’s Hickory Hops brew festival in Hickory, taking home many custom medals at the Carolinas Championship of Beer contest. The highly prized medals are often found on display at the breweries. A large crowd turned out for Hickory Hops, held on Union Square in downtown Hickory.

Eight Asheville-Buncombe breweries went home with a combined 35 medals. Among the locals, Lexington Avenue Brewery led the way, collecting seven awards - three gold medals, three silver and one bronze.

Pisgah Brewing claimed six medals (five silver, one bronze). Highland Brewing earned five medals (three silver, two bronze).

Green Man Brewing also took five medals (two silver, three bronze). Craggie Brewing earned one silver medal and one bronze). French Broad earned three bronze medals.

Wedge took one gold and two sliver medals. Asheville Brewing took a gold medal. 
And from Bryson City, Nantahala Brewing took a gold, silver and bronze medal.
Best of Show went to Natty Green’s for its Woody and Barrel Aged Sour Ale. Second place was awarded to Olde hickory’s Irish Walker. Third was given to Duck Rabbit’s Barleywine and honorable mention was presented to Foothills Barrel Aged Sexual Chocolate Imperial.

Human Planet Up For Seven Bafta Craft Awards

BBC documentary series Human Planet is leading the way at this year's British Academy Television Craft Awards with seven nominations for corporate awards.  The Human Planet series, which has explored life in the Arctic, jungles and oceans is up for best factual director, factual editing, three awards in factual photography and two in factual sound. Dramas Any Human Heart, Downton Abbey and Eric and Ernie have five nods apiece, and the BBC's Springwatch will receive the special recognition award.

Four nominations for trophies in total go to the contemporary remake of Sherlock Holmes, This Is England '86 and to Wonders of the Solar System with Professor Brian Cox. The Special Award is presented to a series or show that has been outstandingly creative. Springwatch follows the changes that occur in British wildlife during that season of the year.

The annual ceremony recognizes the people who work behind the scenes in television. The awards will be held at The Brewery in London on 8 May.

also see: trophies, custom pins and corporate awards

Jr. ROTC Earns Eight Trophies

The Plainview High School Navy Junior ROTC added eight new trophies to its collection after competing in the Sabre Flight Drill Meet at Texas Tech University on April 2.
The cadets competed in physical fitness events, armed and unarmed drill competitions, and color guard.

Trophies were awarded to the PHS unit in the following categories:

First place: Male Physical Fitness and Drill Inspection Unarmed.
Second place: Drill Regulation Armed, Drill Exhibition Unarmed and Drill Sweepstakes Unarmed.
Third place: Mixed Color Guard, Drill Exhibition Armed and Drill Armed Sweepstakes
Teams competing consisted of the following cadets:
Male Physical Fitness Team: Edgar Moreno, Kevin Perez, Alex Flores and Payton Harrel.
Female Physical Team: Meagan Juanes, Jordan Matsu, Cheyenne Diaz and Kree Riddle.
Armed Drill Team: Alex Flores, Amador Flores, Caylan Vasquez, Luciano Martinez, Kylan Riley, Mario Baquera, Kevin Perez, Edgar Moreno, Jordan Matsu and Rose Contreras.
Unarmed Drill Team: Kree Riddle, Cheyenne Diaz, Meagan Juanes, Rose Contreras, Kylan Riley, Kevin Perez, Edgar Moreno, Jordan Matsu, Hope Avila and Jamie Gomez.
Color Guard 1: Amador Flores, Victor Lara, Fernando Gonzalez and David Bolding.
Color Guard 2: Luciano Martinez, Hope Avila, Kree Riddle and Jordan Matsu.

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Ernie Els Trains Trophy Winners

Ernie Els never won the Masters despite having one of the sweetest, most natural swings in golf.  But he's getting his revenge on Augusta, on Tiger Woods (who thwarted him so many times in his prime), on Phil Mickelson (who memorably crushed his green jacket visions in 2004) and the entire world of golf. For Els has helped unleash a slew of no-name South Africans on the game who keep grabbing the most important trophies in golf. 

Charl Schwartzel was just the latest, coming from nowhere to pull off one of the great finishes in Masters' history on Sunday: birdie, birdie, birdie, birdie ... Butler Cabin celebration.  Schwartzel stunned Adam Scott (who really should have won trophies, anything, long before now), Jason Day, Geoff Ogilvy and yes, Tiger too. And you can bet that no one is having a bigger laugh about the whole thing than Els.

The 41-year-old Els has said that the 26-year-old Schwartzel is "like a little brother" to him. Well, there little brother was Sunday winning the battle that big bro never could.

also see: trophies, custom pins and corporate awards

Four Inter Trophies on Display

Sunday, April 17 is set to be a red-letter day for Inter Club Malta as the local branch of the European and Serie A champions’ supporters will have on display four of the five trophies won by the Nerazzurri in 2010.

Inter FC have accepted a request by the Inter Club Malta to bring over the Champions League trophy, the World Club Cup, the Italian championship trophy and the Coppa Italia. Last year, Inter also won the Italian SuperCup.

Next week, the prestigious silverware will be on show at the Cavalieri Hotel, St Julian’s, and Inter fans, along with Maltese football enthusiasts in general, will be given the opportunity to have a photo in a special session between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.

“This is something we really wanted to happen,” John Zammit, Inter Club Malta president told a news conference. “This season, Inter FC have taken the initiative to tour the Champions League trophy around the country for their fans to see and, perhaps, also reminisce the final against Bayern Munich in Madrid.”

“We wanted to be part of this experience and asked Inter to add the Coppa Italia and Scudetto trophy to the Champions Cup for the Malta leg. It was no easy task for us to convince them, and we also held a meeting in Milan on this same issue earlier this year.
It was only after the intervention of club president, Massimo Moratti, that we were granted permission to have the three trophies here.”

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Robin Roberts Memorabilia to be Auctioned

Robin Roberts Jr. probably won't be at Citizens Bank Park Tuesday when the trophies and memorabilia his late father accumulated over a lifetime will be auctioned.
"I think there's a college baseball game that night. I'll just watch that," Roberts said. "I don't know if I can watch the auction. It's very difficult."

He'd rather not see someone bid on the trophy the Phillies Hall of Famer won for being Michigan's best college basketball player; or on his 1950 National League championship ring, the one inscribed with "Whiz Kids"; or on the ball Babe Ruth signed for the pitcher.

The trophies, rings, bats, balls, uniforms, and plaques collected by the elder Roberts, who died last May at 83, will go on display Saturday at the ballpark in advance of Tuesday's auction. Hunt Auctions, which is conducting the sale, also included much other Phillies-related memorabilia.  Roberts and his three younger brothers had hoped to hang on to the trophies and collection, but dividing it all up equitably would have been too difficult a process.

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Six Winners Scoop Crystal Cabin Trophies

Nearly 200 invited guests from the aviation industry witnessed six winners collect their snow-white trophies at last night's Crystal Cabin Awards at Hamburg's prestigious Atlantic hotel.

Trophies for innovative products and concepts in the field of aircraft cabins were awarded to Elektro-Metall Export, Lufthansa Technik, Recaro, Thales, The IMS Company and Munich University of Applied Sciences. A total of 52 entries from 10 countries were whittled down to 21 for the final round of judging and awarding of the coveted trophies.

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The Calder Trophy is a Real Dilemma

The calendar has flipped to April.  The marathon, 82-game hockey season slate has been whittled down to just three contests.  And the ballots for the various NHL trophies, to be presented at the NHL Awards in Las Vegas on June 21, have been distributed to members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association.  There was much written last week, around the NHL, with writers making cases for players for the Hart or Vezina trophies, awarded to the league's most valuable player and top goaltender, respectively.

For my money, the most interesting trophy that still needs deciding is the only major award that no Flyer has ever won: the Calder Trophy, the hardware handed out to the rookie of the year.  This year, there will be close to 160 writers casting ballots for the five major trophies (Hart, Norris, Selke, Lady Byng and Calder) - and almost unanimously, through polls conducted throughout the season, each writer has room for just one rookie goaltender.  It should be an interesting contest for the Calder!

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MTV's O Music Awards Nominees Annoounced

Lady Gaga and Tyler the Creator lead MTV's innovative O Music Awards with three nominations each for these industry trophies.  MTV announced Tuesday the categories and nominees for its new Web-based awards show, a celebration of digital music. Categories include best fan cover, most viral dance and best music hashtag meme.

Lady Gaga and rapper Tyler the Creator are among the nominees for most innovative artist and must-follow artist on Twitter. Lady Gaga is also nominated for favorite animated GIF, a kind of avatar. Tyler the Creator, of the much buzzed-about hip-hop group Odd Future, is also nominated for his remix of Lykke Li's "Follow Rivers."

Winners will be decided by fan voting in social media, with the results shown in real-time. The trophies and awards will be presented in a live hour-long webcast April 28 on MTV websites and mobile apps.

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An Odd Year In Collegiate Sports

An athletic director (Gene Smith) from a school (Ohio State) whose football coach (Jim Tressel) will be suspended five games next season for violating NCAA rules watched a team on probation (Connecticut) win the national championship, then handed one of the most coveted trophies a in college sports to a basketball coach (Jim Calhoun) who will be suspended three games next season for illegal recruiting.

And they were both covered in confetti.

So forget Kemba Walker's drives and Jeremy Lamb's dunk and all those shots that left the Butler players' fingertips and never had a chance. That scene on that stage on this court here at Reliant Stadium late Monday should be the lasting image from Connecticut's 53-41 victory. The Huskies aren't the best national champion ever, but they might be the most fitting.

At a time when criticism of the NCAA has reached an all-time high thanks to a quarterback at Auburn winning the Heisman and BCS trophies despite the fact his father shopped his services for cash, basketball's national champion is coached by a man whose program was punished by the NCAA six weeks ago. In a season when analysts and fans consistently claimed parity reigned, basketball's national champion is coached by a man whose team finished ninth in the Big East with a 9-9 record.

Connecticut won the title?

Of course Connecticut won the title.

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Bruins Thornton Nominated for Masterson Trophy

Come awards time, Shawn Thornton isn't the type of player who garners a lot of recognition. The Bruins' tough guy has set new career-highs with nine goals and 18 points this season, but that won't exactly get him in the Hart Trophy conversation. He's a rare enforcer who you want to play a regular shift in a tight game, but he won't be challenging for any Selke Trophies either. And the Lady Byng? Forget it!

But, putting all those trophies aside, Thornton is up for an award this year, one he very much deserves to be considered for. The Professional Hockey Writers' Association announced Monday that its Boston chapter has made Thornton its nominee for the Masterton Trophy this year. 

One of hockey’s coveted trophies, it’s awarded each year to the "player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey," with one player from each team nominated.

The award, which was first presented in 1968 to honor Bill Masterton who died that January from a head injury suffered in a game while playing for the Minnesota North Stars. This trophy has morphed into almost a comeback player award with players overcoming devastating injuries or illness winning most of the recent Mastertons. But the PHWA has tried to stress that the Masterton Trophy isn't just about overcoming injuries, but also about players conducting themselves with class on and off the ice and giving back to the community.
 

Thornton certainly fits that profile. Last year's winner of the club's Johnny Bucyk Award for his community work, Thornton has become a fixture in the local community while living year-round in the Boston neighborhood of Charlestown. Last summer he organized the first annual Putts and Punches for Parkinson's golf tournament to raise money for the American Parkinson Disease Association. He's also one of the driving forces behind the annual Cuts for A Cause charity event, in which fans can bid for the privilege of shaving the heads of participating Bruins with proceeds going to the Floating Hospital for Children at Tufts Medical Center.

Thornton's perseverance and dedication can't be questioned. He refused to give up on his NHL dream even after spending four seasons in the Toronto organization without ever getting a sniff of the NHL. Another five years with the Blackhawks yielded just 31 games in the NHL between the endless bus trips around the AHL. Thornton finally got his break with Anaheim, splitting the 2006-07 season between the Ducks and their AHL affiliate in Portland and playing 15 postseason contests to earn a Stanley Cup ring. He came to Boston the following year and has developed into a key leader on and off the ice.

The Bruins have won four Masterton trophies, with Charlie Simmer (1985-86), Gord Kluzak (1989-90), Cam Neely (1993-94) and Phil Kessel (2006-07). Thornton is a long shot to make it five this year, but he's been a long shot to do just about everything he's accomplished in the NHL, but is certainly a worthy candidate for this meaningful award.

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Miranda Lambert Wins at CMAs

Miranda Lambert walked away with awards in four categories at Sunday night’s Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas. Lambert was named top female vocalist at the 46th annual awards ceremony. Her song, “The House That Built Me” won video, single and song of the year. Lambert led the categories with seven nominations.

The talented Taylor Swift took home the prestigious Entertainer of the Year award. The award is the only one determined by popular vote.” This is the first time that I've ever won this and I'm just losing my mind," said the 21-year-old, whose album "Speak Now" sold 1 million copies in its first week alone when it was released last fall. "The fact that this is from the fans makes it so special."

After a stellar year, Lady Antebellum won three trophies. The group, which consists of Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood, won album of the year as artists and producer as well as top vocal group for the second straight year. Lambert was not eligible for the album award, having won it last year for her current release.

For his part, Brad Paisley seemed genuinely surprised when he won best male vocalist over Jason Aldean, Blake Shelton, George Strait and Keith Urban. "I am honestly shocked," he said, "This is way too many of these for me," he said having won five trophies in the category. "I don’t want to know who got paid what," he quipped, quickly adding, "No, it’s all very fair."

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Maya Moore Garners Third Wade Trophy

UConn senior Maya Moore has been taking some heat from her mother, Kathryn for her basketball accomplishments.  Being too good on the court is causing Kathryn problems in her home.

Kathryn is running out of room to store Moore's trophies in the house.  But, she is going to need to clear some more space as Saturday Maya became the first player in history to win the Wade Trophy as the nation's top player three times.  Former LSU star Seimone Augustus (2005, 2006) and former Old Dominion star Nancy Lieberman (1979, 1980) each won the award twice. Moore is one of five UConn players to win the Wade Trophy. Rebecca Lobo (1995), Jennifer Rizzotti (1996), Sue Bird, 2002) and Diana Taurasi (2003) have also been honored with the Wade Trophy.

Moore, a four-time State Farm All-American, was also named the National Player of the Year by The Associated Press for the second time, and also earned the Lowe's Senior Class Award.   Moore collected 37 of a possible 39 votes in the AP trophies race. Baylor's Brittney Griner received the other two votes.  To commemorate her historical accomplishment. Moore was presented with a framed poster by Beth Bass, the executive director of the WBCA, during the Wade Trophy ceremony at the Westin hotel,

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Barcelona Catalans Want More Trophies

Barcelona attacker Pedro has let everyone know that the Catalans are ready to realize their potential.  He added that they want to win a lot more trophies in the upcoming years.  The Blaugrana are on course for a third successive Spanish crown and have reached the Copa del Rey final.  They are the favorites to win the Champions League, but the Spaniard believes there are still areas that need improvement.

"You can always improve with the team. There are tactical things, then your finishing in front of goal, speed as well. We are very ambitious as a team, we want to win soccer trophies and we want to continue our development," Pedro said on the official UEFA website.  The versatile attacker pointed out that many teams concentrate heavily on defense when playing against Barcelona, and that the Blaugrana have to learn from this to continue their development as a soccer powerhouse.

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Trophies Glitter at CMAs

Surprise performers at the 46th Academy of Country Music awards in Las Vegas on Sunday night included Steven Tyler and Rihanna, but the night belonged to artists  Taylor Swift and rising star Miranda Lambert. Taking the stage to collect the award for Entertainer of the Year, the 21-year old Swift said: "This is the first time that I've ever won this and I'm just losing my mind."

Aerosmith singer and American Idol judge Tyler sang with Carrie Underwood – award winner of the TV talent show in 2005 – on a high-energy version of Walk This Way. The influence of the CMAs in all sectors of the US music industry was demonstrated when Rihanna joined country singer Jennifer Nettles for a Nashville-influenced version of the R&B star's latest single California King Bed.

The 27-year-old Lambert was the biggest winner of the night, picking up trophies such as female vocalist of the year as well the song, video and single of the year awards for “The House That Built Me”.

The new artist award went to Mississippi group the Band Perry, who also picked up single of the year for “If I Die Young”. Nashville band Lady Antebellum won Album of the Year and Brad Paisley was named top male vocalist for the fifth year running. Previous trophies for the prestigious Entertainer of the Year award include Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton and Garth Brooks.

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First-Class Umpire Awards Trophies at Glitzy Cricket Awards Event

Umpire Jeff Evans congratulated the John Pettit Grimsby and District Cricket League and the Lincolnshire County Cricket League on a magnificent array of trophies at their joint dinner and presentation bash.  The guest speaker at the well-attended event at McMenemy's Suite, Blundell Park, was bowled over by the dozens of awards he was delighted to present to the top teams and most successful players of the 2010 season.

Evans, who umpired a memorable NatWest Trophy tie between Lincolnshire and Lancashire at Chichester Road, Cleethorpes, soon after being promoted to the panel, entertained local players, officials and supporters with many amusing stories of life on the "first class circuit".  Responding on behalf of the guests, Howard Swain, the Cleethorpes Cricket Club stalwart, recalled the Lincolnshire League had been formed in 1963 by leading clubs from the Grimsby competition, founded back in the 1920

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Debate Team Racks Up Trophies

On the second floor at Moffat County High School, midway down the southern corridor, sits a trophy case.  Behind the locked glass doors are trophies, medals and plaques for the school’s speech and debate team.  Skyler Leonard, a junior and member of the team, said the case is full.“It got to the point where we ran out of room,” Leonard said. “Now, new trophies sit in the closet.”  Leonard, along with five of his teammates, recently returned from a meet with more trophies.On March 17 and 18, the MCHS students competed against an estimated 50 Colorado high schools at the state championship in Fort Collins.  Leonard and his debate partner, MCHS junior John Kirk, took third place out of 57 teams in public forum debate. 

MCHS seniors Zeb Strickland and partner Ryan Neece placed in the top eight of 57 teams. Their exact place is unknown because officials don’t break ties.  MCHS juniors Matt Balderston and Ben East took fourth place out of 19 teams in cross-examination.   This showing added more trophies to the already packed closet.

The Bulldogs performed well against stacked odds, the students said. Other schools in Colorado have more time, money and resources dedicated to their speech and debate programs.  Moffat County students do their research on their own time, with their own hands, which is not the case elsewhere, the students contend.

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Derby Trophy Arrives at Churchill Downs

The Kentucky Derby is now just five-and-a-half weeks away, and on Tuesday a very important piece of the Derby arrived at Churchill Downs.  The Kentucky Derby winner’s trophy was displayed along with three smaller sterling silver trophies that go to the winning trainer, jockey, and breeder at a media briefing at Churchill Downs following their early afternoon arrival at the home of the Kentucky Derby.  The trophies were created by New England Sterling of Attleboro, Mass..  They were delivered to the historic track by Marc Forbes, the company’s president, and Richard Powers, the president and CEO of the Precious Metals Division of the Cookson Group, the parent company of New England Sterling.

The Derby trophy will be on display at many events leading up to Derby Day, so it's available for all to see.  New England Sterling also created the Kentucky Derby Trophy Collection, nine pieces of jewelry in the shape of the Derby trophy made from the same gold used in the trophy.

The design of the coveted Kentucky Derby winner’s trophy dates to 1924, when it was presented to Black Gold, the winner of the Golden Anniversary Derby.  New England Sterling manufactured the trophy for Louisville jeweler Lemon & Son from 1975-1999, and has supplied the trophy directly to Churchill Downs since 1999.

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USA Softball’s Candrea Recognized with U.S. Olympic Achievement Award

USA Softball’s Candrea Recognized with U.S. Olympic Achievement Award
Former USA Softball head coach Mike Candrea has helped earn the U.S. Olympic Achievement award for the University of Arizona, the Amateur Softball Association (ASA) of America announced today. The award, given by the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC), U.S. National Governing Bodies for Sport (NGBs) and the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), honors the colleges and universities whose student-athletes and coaches who have won Olympic medals.

Andrea’s resume with the USA Softball National team dates back to being an assistant coach with the 1994 Women’s World Championship team that captured the Gold Medal. Since that time, Candrea has been involved with over ten Women’s National Teams while taking over the head coach reigns for the 2002 World Championship. During his tenure, Team USA captured two World Championship Gold Medals, two Pan-American Gold Medals, two World Cup titles, one Olympic Gold Medal and one Olympic Silver Medal.

Austin Rivers Receives Naismith Basketball Award

Duke-bound Winter Park (Fla.) High School senior Austin Rivers has been named the 2011 Naismith National High School Basketball Player of the Year, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced today.  Rivers, the son of Boston Celtics head coach and former NBA point guard Doc Rivers, is ranked as the No. 1 rated boy’s high school recruit by ESPN.  Winners of these prized trophies were selected by the Atlanta Tipoff Club’s Board of Selectors, a collection of leading basketball journalists from around the country, based on their on-court performances over the course of the season.

The Naismith Prep Player of the Year award, named for Canadian basketball inventor James Naismith, is given annually by the Atlanta Tipoff Club to high school basketball's top male and female player. The inaugural trophies were given to Dennis Scott and Lynne Lorenzen in 1987.  Past recipients include such great names as Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Dwight Howard.

Rivers will be honored at the Atlanta Tipoff Club’s Naismith Awards banquet presented by AT&T on March 21 at the Georgia International Convention Center in Atlanta. Among those also being honored that evening are Cheryl Miller, Dick Enberg and Dominique Wilkins for their outstanding contributions to women’s and men’s basketball. The Naismith Trophy, presented annually to the top girl’s and boy’s high school players and coaches in the country, is the most prestigious national award in high school basketball.

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