Legendary Prep Basketball Coach Morgan Wootten Announces McDonald's All American(R) Players of the Year

/PRNewswire/ -- Derrick Favors, the 6'9", 235 lb. prep superstar from South Atlanta High School in Atlanta, Ga., was named the thirteenth-annual Morgan Wootten Award winner today. Previous winners include Greg Oden (2006), Dwight Howard (2004), LeBron James (2003), Jason Williams (1999) and the Award's first recipient Shane Battier (1997).

Joining Favors in the honor is McDonald's All American(R) Female Player of the Year, Kelsey Bone, from John Foster Dulles High School in Stafford, Texas. Bone is the eighth female to be added to the impressive list that includes Tina Charles (2006), Abby Waner (2005), Candace Parker (2004) and Ivory Latta (2003).

The Morgan Wootten Award is given to the McDonald's All American players who exemplify outstanding character, exhibit leadership and embody the values of being a student-athlete in both schoolwork and community service activities. McDonald's(R) established the Award in Wootten's name to pay tribute to his unprecedented achievements as a teacher and a coach. The official presentation will take place at the McDonald's All American Games awards banquet on March 31 in Miami, Fla.

Described as a pure athlete, Favors is also an honor roll student at South Atlanta High School. When he's not playing basketball, he spends his time reading and participating in the chess club and Kappa League Mentoring Program. On the court, Favors is the No. 1 ranked high school prospect in the class of 2009, according to Scout.com.

"It's a big honor and privilege to be named the McDonald's All American Game(R) Player of the Year," Favors said. "I'm really looking forward to the Game and plan to just go out there, play hard and try to live up to the hype."

Bone is considered one of the most well-rounded student athletes on the 2009 McDonald's All American Team. In addition to her basketball achievements, which include winning the gold medal in 2008 as a member of the under-18 USA Basketball Team, Bone is also committed to excellence off the court. Her school-related activities include theatre arts and serving as a fifth grade mentor at a nearby elementary school. Bone is fluent in American Sign Language and also writes a basketball blog for the Houston Chronicle.

"It's an honor to be recognized by Coach Wootten and the McDonald's All American Games for all of my hard work on the court," said Bone. "It means a lot to be named to the McDonald's All American Team and even more to be selected as the McDonald's All American Game Player of the Year."

Favors and Bone are two of only 48 high school seniors selected to play in the 32nd annual McDonald's All American High School Basketball Games, which takes place at the BankUnited Center in Miami, Fla. on Wednesday, April 1. The Boys Game begins at 8:00 p.m. (ET) and airs live on ESPN. The Girls Game precedes the Boys' at 5:30 p.m. (ET) and will air live on ESPNU.

Favors and Bone will head to top ranked universities after graduation. Favors has committed to Georgia Tech and Bone is deciding between Texas A&M, South Carolina, Texas and Illinois.

The McDonald's All American Games are about more than just basketball. Each year, proceeds raised from the Games benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities(R) (RMHC(R)) and their local Chapters across the country. Proceeds from the 2009 Games will go to RMHC of South Florida. To date, the McDonald's All American Games have raised millions of dollars for RMHC and its local Chapters.

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Kids Get Free Shoes & Learn From Kenyans at Reebok’s Mountain High Running Camp

Mountain High Running Camp (North Carolina) will once again offer high school cross country runners the chance to live and train with elite Kenyan distance runners. The camp, held July 13 -18, is open to runners of all abilities, from beginners to state champions, and is the only summer running camp that provides a brand new pair of Reebok running shoes, making it the best camp value in the US.Set up in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains just below 6,700-ft Mt. Mitchell, the highest peak in the East, the camp offers beautiful trails, expert instruction and lots of fun. The camp is limited to 150 campers and registration is now open for both teams and individuals. For more information and an application visit www.mountainhighrunning.com or contact camp director Scott Simmons coach@mountainhighrunning.com or 704-688-2814.
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Former NFL Player, Emory Alum to Lead Forum on Race and Athletics March 25

An in-depth look at the ways in which race and sports have been intertwined at Emory University will be held Wednesday, March 25, when the university's Transforming Community Project holds a forum on "Changing the Game: Race and Sports at Emory." The event begins at 4 p.m. in Cox Hall on the Emory campus and is free and open to the public.

Opening remarks will be given by Emory alumnus Pellom McDaniels III, a seven-year member of the National Football League (1993-1999), as a member of the Kansas City Chiefs and Atlanta Falcons, and one of only a handful of former NFL players to earn a Ph.D. He also is a poet, artist and a teacher.

Now an assistant professor of history and American studies at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, McDaniels received both his master of arts degree (2006) and his doctoral degree (2007) in American studies from Emory's Graduate Institute of Liberal Arts with his dissertation “The Angle of Ascent: Race, Class, Sport, and the Representations of African American Masculinity." McDaniels’ publications also include “My Own Harlem’ (1998), “You Want to Be Pro” (2000) and “We’re American Too: The Negro Leagues and the Philosophy of Resistance” (2004).

The forum will be moderated by Emory alumnus Amri Johnson, a member of the Emory Alumni Board and its diversity and community board.

Other panelists include:

Tim Downes, director of athletics and recreation at Emory
Lloyd Winston, former head coach of the men’s basketball team (1987-1992) and first African-American head coach at the university
Christy Thomaskutty, head women’s basketball coach
Jason Campbell, a member of the track and field program, and
Amelia McCall of the volleyball team.

The panel discussion was made possible through the Transforming Community Project, a five-year initiative begun in 2005 to document the university’s past and confront current challenges around the issue of race, as well as the Caucus of Black Emory Alumni; the President’s Commission on Race and Ethnicity; Public Humanities Race and Difference Initiative; Emory Athletics and the Black Graduate Student Association.

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Atlanta Braves 2009 Promotional Schedule features Savings, Fireworks and All Stars

The Atlanta Braves 2009 promotional schedule features two-for-one ticket offers on Tuesdays and Wednesdays; post-game Fireworks every Friday; and All Star Sundays when fans can meet Braves alumni and children 14 and under can run the bases.

The Braves complete promotional schedule follows and is available at www.Braves.com/promotions. New items and promotional days will be added throughout the season and all promotions are subject to change.

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Empire Tickets Rolls Out the Most Affordable Corporate Masters Golf Tournament and Custom Hospitality Packages in Six Years

/PRNewswire/ -- Empire Tickets, Inc. (www.empiretickets.com), the leader in providing premium tickets to companies and individuals worldwide, today announced that it is rolling out its corporate packages for the spring golf season 2009, including the Masters Golf tournament at Augusta National with the most affordable pricing in over six years.

Empire Tickets will offer worldwide corporate groups hospitality, accommodations, transportation and especially premium tickets for all days. Each company will have their own hospitality manager, preferred pricing and 24-hour Web access through www.empiretickets.com for the best tickets to all events. Monday practice rounds are starting at around $175.00, making this one of the most affordable Masters in years.

Empire Tickets will offer hospitality all seven days of the event through Club Magnolia, the newest hospitality facility in Augusta. The club is just steps away from Augusta National and will offer a five star menu, three bars, a business center, a full time concierge, on-site masseuse, and a cigar patio.

"We pride ourselves on offering the most comprehensive corporate sports entertainment packages in the industry. We have earned the trust of many Fortune 100 and 500 companies, with personalized customer service, preferred pricing, and more than sixteen years as a leader in the ticket industry," says Robbi Raitt, President and Founder. "This year, with the recession, it will be one of the most affordable years to attend this historic event. We are seeing prices the lowest that they have been in many years."

Masters 2009 will be one for the ages, with the return of Tiger Woods and great prices on badges, hospitality, housing and more.

"This is the year for golf enthusiasts, who have never gone to the Masters because of price, to have a rare opportunity to attend one of golf's greatest tournaments," says Jugal Purohit, Purohit Holdings Hotel Group.

The stage is set for one of the most memorable Masters ever in 2009. Don't miss a minute of it. For more information or to order tickets call 404.467.0227 or log on to www.empiretickets.com and for more information on Club Magnolia log on to www.clubmagnoliahospitality.com.

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Atlanta Braves' FREE Open House set for Saturday, March 28th

The Atlanta Braves will host a free Open House for fans Saturday, March 28 from 12 - 4 PM. The Turner Field gates will open at noon, and fans can watch the Braves take on the New York Yankees live from Spring Training on the World's largest high definition video board at 1:05 p.m., courtesy of SportSouth.

Open House Activities

Watch the Braves take on the New York Yankees live from Spring Training
Meet Braves alumni including Pete Smith, Greg McMichael, and Jim Nash
Register to win Braves prizes, including autographed items, in between every inning
Visit the Braves Museum and Hall of Fame, and tour the Braves Dugout and Clubhouse
Play Interactive games in Scout's Alley and Tooner Field
See the Braves Heavy Hitters Drumline perform and meet the Braves Tomahawk Team

"Select A Seat" for the 2009 Season

Fans can find the perfect seat for the 2009 season and give it a test run at the Braves "Select-a-Seat" event during the Braves Open House. Braves Season Ticket Representatives will show fans to their seats so they can sit, relax, and imagine a season of Braves games from that very spot. The Atlanta Braves popular Four-Game Ticket Packs, as well as full season, half season, weekend and flex ticket plans are available now at substantial savings. Popular ticket offers include the "Buy 2 Full Season Tickets, Get 2 Free" (Field Reserved, Golden Moon Casino Club Pavilion and Terrace Reserved Levels) and full season ticket packages for as low as $249. Individual game tickets starting as low as $6 are also on sale now at www.braves.com/tickets.

The Atlanta Braves is Major League Baseball's winningest franchise since 1991. During that time, Braves teams have earned 14 division championships, five National League pennants and a World Series title. Based in Atlanta since 1966, the Braves franchise is the longest continuously operating franchise in Major League Baseball. Atlanta Braves games are telecast on FS South, SportSouth, and Peachtree TV with radio broadcasts heard in Atlanta on 640 WGST, Project 9-6-1 (96.1 FM) and VIVA 105.7 and regionally on the Atlanta Braves Radio Network.

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Emory University Men's Track and Field Earn UAA Indoor Honors

Following its championship performance at the 2009 University Athletic Association (UAA) Indoor Track and Field Championship, three groups from the Emory University men’s team have been honored by the UAA. Junior Tyler Faits was named the Most Outstanding Performer for running events, freshman Ian Francis was named the Rookie of the Year, and the Emory coaching staff earned Coaching Staff of the Year honors.

Faits finished first in the 400-meter dash at the UAA Championship last Saturday, winning the event in a time of 49.25 seconds. He followed that with a first-place finish as part of the Eagles 4x400-meter relay, which led the Eagles to a victory at the championship. Faits also finished second in the 200-meter dash with a time of 22.38 seconds. Faits’ honor marks the 12th time, and the third-consecutive year, that an Eagle has been named the UAA’s Most Outstanding Indoor Performer. The honor comes after Faits was named the Rookie of the Year in 2007.

Francis competed in a number of field events for the Eagles at the championships, finishing second in the long jump with a distance of 6.66 meters, and second in the triple jump with a mark of 14.16 meters. He joins Faits (2007) and Rob Bullard (2003) as Eagles who have been named the UAA’s Rookie of the Year.

Emory’s coaching staff, consisting of head coach John Curtin, and assistant coaches Carl Leivers, Kevin Semanick, Jim Vahrenkamp, and Pedro Vasquez earned the honor of being the UAA’s Men’s Coaching Staff of the Year. The Eagles’ coaches led the team to their first UAA championship since the 2004 season, and their seventh overall.

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