Westlake High School's Steve Aylsworth is known for his style -whether making acrobatic catches on the football field or fancypasses on the basketball court, he gets things done with a flair.
Aylsworth knows how to go out in style, as well. The graduatingsenior was honored as the Ventura County High School Male Athlete ofthe Year on Saturday at the County Sports Hall of Fame ceremony atthe Doubletree Hotel in Ventura.
The Female High School Athlete of the Year was Thousand OaksHigh School's Kim Mortensen, whose distance running accomplishmentsthis year were the best in the country. Mortensen is headed to UCLAnext fall.
In college athletics, California Lutheran University's MarkEllis was selected the Male Athlete of the Year. The junior fromCamarillo won the NCAA Division III singles title this year andcompleted his season with a 33-0 record. The Female Athlete of theYear went to Ventura College basketball standout Marina Torres.
For Aylsworth, the award caps a brilliant four-year run atWestlake High School.
'It was really a nice surprise,' said Aylsworth, who will attendLehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa., next year. 'It's like theending mark for me, and it's a great way to end my high schoolcareer.
'It's probably the last award I'll get for what I've done inhigh school, but it's definitely the best one. Now I just hope to goon from here and do my best in college.'
Aylsworth, whom many consider one of the best athletes to comefrom the area in quite some time, was a two-sport star for theWarriors during a stellar four years.
In football, he was selected to the All-Southern Section teamtwo years, and in basketball he made the All-Southern Section team aschool-record three straight years.
His best sport? That's hard to say since he dominated equallyin both.
Last season in football he started the year at quarterback, thenmoved to wide receiver after four games. At that position, he wasbetter able to use his outstanding athletic ability. The Warriors,who finished in third place in the Marmonte League, turned it up anotch in the playoffs and advanced all the way to the SouthernSection Division III semifinals, where they were beaten by cross-townrival Newbury Park.
Just a few days after that loss, Aylsworth was starring forWestlake's basketball team, which eventually won the Marmonte Leaguechampionship for the second straight year. Incidentally, the twoleague titles were the first in school history. Aylsworth was a bigfactor in both championships.
He figures to step right in at Lehigh University, where he hopesto contribute right away on the football team as a slot back and puntreturner. He should also get plenty of time at point guard as afreshman.
'I'll get an opportunity to play early, and that's a big reasonI decided to go there,' said Aylsworth, whose older brother Bob andfather both attended Lehigh.
His brother was Lehigh's starting quarterback last year but hassince graduated. That shouldn't affect Aylsworth's chances oftouching the ball often, though. Lehigh threw the ball about 40times a game last year.
'They've got a pro prospect coming back at running back,'Aylsworth said. 'So they might run the ball a little more. But theystill like to throw the ball and I'm looking forward to that.'
Aylsworth will leave for Lehigh sometime in early August.Between now and then he'd like to add more weight and get stronger.He's been working out in the weight room five days a week recentlyand added 10 pounds already.
'That's the main thing I want to do,' he said. 'In college,everybody is a little bigger and stronger.'
Комментариев нет:
Отправить комментарий