As the social and athletic scene at the high school level is draped in pigskin, the most-highly regarded athletes at Skyline seem to come from the gridiron.
If you ask the average student who they believe the best athlete at Skyline is, they will likely say one of the three people: Gino Simone, Jake Heaps, Kasen Williams. Yet, Skyline also houses many less-thought of athletes, and the following is a list of the soon-to-be juniors and seniors with the best chance of success at the next level.
Nick Kamisar, Class of ‘10, Men’s Tennis
Nick is a special athlete, he is very quick and is widely considered the second-best tennis prospect in the state. He often participates in national tournaments, including New Jersey’s recent United States Tennis Association National Tournament where he reached the quarterfinals. Kamisar is considered a four-star recruit, has played two consecutive high school state tournaments, and is continually improving his game. Provided he can increase his strength, he will be a contender at the next level - which he has already been contacted to play at.
Adrian Sampson, Class of ‘10, Baseball
Adrian, the younger brother of Julian, Sampson pitches for the Skyline High School baseball team as well has the Lakeside Recovery Baseball club, a local group containing the best players of local high schools. Sampson is the team’s starting pitcher, and has shoes to fill since his brother was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in 2007. Sampson, a sophomore, hopes to receive the same recognition and offers that his older brother received, but is taking things one step at a time. Many people who have watched both siblings, though, see Adrian as the one with the greater potential. Sampson has been named the WIAA Player of the Week, was on the 2008 All-KingCo First Team, and boasted several fantastic (close to perfect) outings as a sophomore for the Skyline baseball team. With the Samp-man on the mound, the team need not worry.
Ryan Somers, Class of ‘09, Baseball
A two-time athlete, Ryan Somers truly sows his athletic oats on the diamond, not on the gridiron. In his junior campaign with the Skyline baseball team, Somers hit .421 playing all of the team’s 23 games. He is the leadoff hitter, and has a golden glove at third base, despite leading the team in errors. On the Lakeside Recovery baseball team (the same one several other Skyline players play on) Somers is hitting .511 against some of the region’s best pitchers. The Golden Boy has proved that he can hit a baseball at the lower levels, and has already hit for contact at the collegiate level, though no commitments or words have been announced. There is a very strong likelihood that Somers will be batting the ball past his high school years.
Simon Sorenson, Class of ‘09, Cross Country and Track
Sorenson is one of the fastest runners in the state, and his track record backs it up. Sorenson won the KingCo track competitions for the 1,600, 800, and 3,200 meter dashes, and was runner up in the regional competition for the 1,600. He has also placed as high as 26th in the National Junior Olympics qualifiers. Sure he is not as touted as some of the other athletes at Skyline, but given a shot Sorenson could soar at the next level.
Andie Taylor, Class of ‘10, Women’s Swimming
Andie is a special athlete who, like Kamisar, has participated in several national tournaments for the USA Swimming organization and, more recently, competed in the Olympic Qualifiers at 16-years old. Taylor, who didn’t make the cut for the United States Olympic team (which is often seen as the hardest team to make in the world), looks toward the future and hopes to swim in London in 2012. On July 29, 2008, she will be swimming in the U.S. Open, a national meet housed in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Not only is Taylor a lock for future swimming action, with a good academic background her swimming can help open the doors to many quality universities looking for an outstanding swimmer. Can you say Stanford underwater?
Comments
I’m almost positive Simon will be receiving several offers to run in college, and I would be very, very surprised if he does not run in college. He is by far the best distance runner in Kingco, and one of the best in the state.
Bill, you are truly a Peruvian man God.
Bill this is sexy
there are other big athletes at skyline that people dont notice
I didn’t list them all off (I did those that I thought were fairly obscure but are major contenders for D-1 schools), but you can in your comment!
One of the biggest surprises of the year was AJ Francis, Javelin thrower on the Skyline track team. A captain, and 4-year thrower, AJ has jumped on average 20ft each year. In the state finals at PASCO, Francis broke his personal best by 11ft, broke the school record and finish 3rd in state and 20th in the nation with a throw of 188ft! His coach, Todd Lovell deserves much of the credit for his hard work and teaching, but Francis brought it when it was necessary. Watch for him in the years to come as he throws for WSU. Go Cougs and Go AJ!
Just and FYI - I know for a fact that at least three (maybe more that I just do not know of…) of these individuals were recognized individually by the school either at assemblies, on readerboards, or with quite large posters in the commons. Not everyone at Skyline is forgetting about some of these examples in the article.