Odds n' Ends

USA Today released their high school All-Americans today. Locally, the Ohio selections were Jessica Beard of Euclid (400 meters) and Emily Pendleton of Woodmore (discus throw). Both were no-brainers, as they had the nation's best mark along with undefeated seasons culminating with victories at the Nike Outdoor Nationals and USATF Junior Championships. Pendleton lives less than 20 miles from Superfan Headquarters.

Tragic news receiving national attention in local sports: a junior high student collapsed and died at football practice in Clyde, Ohio. Reports are he had a heart condition missed by the required physical. These kinds of news stories show why American thoughts on risk and danger are often vastly out of touch with reality--a high school athlete dies at practice at least once a year (and with more than 7 million kids in HS sports that number is amazingly small), but I'd bet the number of kids who die while driving to or from practice is much higher.