Former Berkeley High track and field star Michael Rodgers has really made some serious waves on the international track scene with his consistent performances in the 100-meter dash.
Rodgers added to his growing resume of achievements last weekend by winning the 100 at the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon. By winning the 100, Rodgers qualifies for a spot at the IAAF World Championships in Berlin, Germany in August.
As soon as Rodgers crossed the finish line, my cell phone rang. On the other end was Rod Staggs, the former legendary coach at Berkeley, who coached Rodgers in high school. Staggs is now a coach in Colorado, but he still keeps up with his former Bulldogs. He wanted to make sure I was watching Mike. I was.
A former NAIA national champion at Lindenwood University, Rodgers has been performing at a high level during the outdoor Grand Prix season, where he is still undefeated. He won the 100 at the Nike Prefontaine Classic last month in Eugene. During the telecast of the meet on ESPN, track analyst Ato Bolden called Rodgers the most improved athlete in track and field this season. Rodgers is hoping to parlay that success into a spot on the medal stand at the upcoming world championships, where he will see Olympic gold medalist and world record holder Ussain Bolt.
“I’ve been running good all year,” Rodgers said. “I came here with a lot of confidence. And when I get to Berlin, I think I can win a medal. I just have to train hard and stay humble.”
It was not too long ago that I was watching this young man run for Berkeley, which was then a Class 2A school in Missouri, and for Lindenwood, a small NAIA school. Now, he has graduated to the world stage where he has continued to get better and excel in one of the most celebrated events in sports.
Fabulous Harper
East St. Louisan Dawn Harper, a former star with the Flyerettes, won the 100-meter high hurdles in a time of 12.36 seconds. Harper adds the USA national title to the Olympic gold medal she won last summer in Beijing, China. Harper looked fabulous in dominating the rest of the field as she gets ready for the world championships. As a bonus, Harper got an extra $25,000 after finishing with the Visa Championship Series women’s high-point total. Point totals are based on performances from the USA Outdoor Championships, Reebok Grand Prix, Prefontaine Classic, Penn Relays, Drake Relays and Adidas Track Classic.
Buzzer finish
The Demetrious Johnson Charitable Foundation High School All-Star Basketball Game turned out to be another exciting affair which came down to the final shot of the game.
The National All-Stars withstood a rally to defeat the St. Louis Metro All-Stars 126-123 last Saturday night. The game was not decided until the final buzzer when Chaminade’s Brandon Lockhart lofted a 3-pointer that bounced off the front of the rim. The National team led by as many as 25 points in the first half before the local All-Stars stormed back to make it an exciting game for the folks who turned out at Harris-Stowe State University.
Future University of Missouri player Michael Dixon of Lee’s Summit West earned Most Valuable Player honors after scoring a game-high 24 points. Dixon was selected Mr. Basketball in the state of Missouri after a standout prep career. Dixon’s future Mizzou teammates Jon Underwood and Tyler Stone, scored 11 and nine points, respectively. The 6’9” Underwood blocked at least a dozen shots as he was a defensive menace all night. Justin Jordan, a Saint Louis University recruit, scored 16 points and had several crowd-pleasing assists. Future SLU teammate Corey Remekun added 11 points.
The St. Louis All-Stars were led by future Missouri State teammates Jerome Jones and Michael Porter. The 6’5” Jones scored 23 points while Porter added 19 points. They are part of an excellent in-state recruiting haul from MSU coach Cuonzo Martin. Also part of that class was former Oakville standout Keith Pickens, who was a part of the St. Louis team, but played sparingly due to an injury. The local stars also got 19 points from former Hazelwood Central standout Connell Crossland and 18 points from 6’10” center Will Clark of Rockwood Summit, who is headed to Texas Southern. Also in double figures for the local stars included Lafayette’s Will Kirksey and Lockhart with 12 points and McCluer’s Jerryl Partlow with 10 points.
Congratulations to Demetrious Johnson and his staff for putting on another great all-star game for the local fans to enjoy. D.J. had very little time to rest because he was putting on his 32-team 7-on-7 passing tournament on Sunday in Forest Park.
Beal deal
Chaminade College Prep basketball standout Bradley Beal really did his thing last week at the FIBA 16-and-under Americas Tournament in Argentina. Beal put on a great performance in leading the USA to the gold medal of the event, thus qualifying the team for the 2010 17-and-under World Championships in Germany. The 6’3” Beal led the USA team in scoring, averaging 19 points a game. In the gold-medal game against the host team Argentina, Beal scored a game-high 26 points to lead the Americans to a 101-84 victory. Beal hit 7 of his 14 3-point attempts to spark the USA to the gold medal.
Jackson high-five
I have to add my two cents worth on the passing of Michael Jackson, the greatest entertainer of our lifetime. Nobody else comes close in talent, social impact and worldwide appeal than this transformational figure. There are two many songs to come up with one favorite, so I broke it down to different categories.
Favorite Jackson 5 song: “Got to be there”; Favorite Jacksons song: “Blame It on the Boogie”; Favorite Michael Jackson solo song (early): “Rock With You”; Favorite solo song (late): “Black or White”; Favorite Album: Off the Wall; Favorite Video: “Remember the Time.”
If I had to choose one song from the dozens as one for the time capsule, it would be “Rock With You.”
And who will ever forget his performance at halftime of the Super Bowl in 1993?