Believed to be the first Cincinnati athlete to be regarded as the No. 1 Player in Ohio in two different sports (basketball and baseball) in the same season, Andrew Brackman clearly is one of Greater Cincinnati's finest male high school athletes in the early part of the 21st century. He is one of only 15 athletes in the last 30 years to be a first ballot inductee into the LaRosa's Hall of Fame.

Brackman was an integral part in two state titles in two different sports for Moeller - the 2003 Ohio Division I basketball title and the 2004 state baseball title. He was named The Cincinnati Enquirer's Player of the Year in both sports in 2004.

The No. 1 prep prospect in Ohio (Baseball America 2004), Brackman posted a 19-1 career pitching record. His 1.04 career ERA ranks No. 2 in Moeller history and is No. 14 in Ohio history.

As a senior (7-0 with a 0.58 ERA), Brackman was overpowering in the 2004 state tournament as he dominated Cleveland St. Ignatius with 11 strikeouts in posting a 6-1 semifinal victory. He came back two days later and nailed down the state title with a save in a 6-2 victory over Mentor.

In basketball, Brackman was named runner-up for Ohio Mr. Basketball (2004) and was the Associated Press Div.I Co-Player of the Year. A two-year starter at Moeller, he scored 942 points and had 320 rebounds.

Though baseball was, arguably, his best sport, the 6-foot-9 Brackman played both sports at North Carolina State. He signed a basketball scholarship, playing two seasons as center-forward. He averaged 7.4 points, 3.5 rebounds. In three seasons as a starting pitcher, he compiled an 11-8 record with 74 strikeouts in 78 IP. His career was cut short by Tommy John surgery.

Brackman was the 1st round pick of the New York Yankees in 2007 (30th overall) in the Major League baseball draft. Tommy John surgery followed him throughout his career. He pitched 2.1 innings in the majors with the Yankees. He played in the Yankees, Reds and White Sox organizations.

Brackman lives in Raleigh, N.C. and is finishing up his degree at North Carolina State.

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Over the last 25 years, Whitney Myers Burnett and former prep teammate Erin Phenix, are arguably the two finest female swimmers to come out of Greater Cincinnati.

Myers won 11 Ohio state championships, including a state-record eight individual gold medals. As a senior, she captured the 200-yard freestyle title for the fourth straight year and set a state record in the 100-yard butterfly (53.89), which she set the year before. She finished her prep career holding three Ohio state records in the 100 butterfly, the 200-yard freestyle (1:47.19 in 2002) and the 200-yard freestyle relay (1:35.38 in 2002). The 200-yard freestyle record stood until 2014. She was the LaRosa's Female Athlete of the Year as a junior.

The Lions won three state championships and one runner-up finish during Myers' career. She was twice named Ohio Swimmer of the Year (2000 and 2002), was 1st team All-American four straight years, and was 1st team all-city three times. Additionally, twice she was named Swimmer or Co-Swimmer of the Year by The Enquirer (2002 and 2003) and she was selected as the High School Sportswoman of the Year by the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Women's Sports Association.

Her collegiate career at the University of Arizona was equally impressive. As team captain for three consecutive years, Whitney was the 2006 NCAA champion in the 200 IM, 400 IM and 400 medley relay. She also was the 2007 NCAA champion in the 200 IM. She was named the 2006 Pac-10 Swimmer of the Year and was the NCAA's Woman of the Year. She finished her collegiate career holding 14 UA school records and was inducted in to the UA Athletic Hall of Fame in 2013.

In international competition, Whitney finished third in the 200 butterfly in the 2004 Olympic Trials, finished fourth in the 200 IM in the 2005 and 2007 World Championships. She was a World Champion as a member of the 800 freestyle relay in 2005 and Pan Pacific champion in the 200 IM in 2006. For these swims, she was awarded USA Swimming's Golden Goggles for Relay Performance of the Year and Breakout Performance of the Year. Whitney was team captain at the 2011 Pan American Games.

Currently, Whitney Myers Burnett is living with her husband, three-time Olympian Simon Burnett, in Pasadena, California, where she is a practicing Physician Assistant.

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When Elder High School selected its greatest athletes' team in 1973, Dan James was regarded as the best of the best. More than 40 years later, there would be little argument that that accolade still stands today.

His high school, college and pro careers only reaffirm the late Dan James' athletic prowess. A two-way starter as center on offense and linebacker on defense, James always was proud of being able to play on the varsity team as a freshman - a very rare accomplishment back then - with his older brother, Jim.

A three-year starter at both positions, James' prep career culminated in Elder's 1954 undefeated season - a team regarded by many local historians as one of Cincinnati's greatest football squads. The Cincinnati city champions and Greater Cincinnati League champs, allowed only 65 points the entire season.

Dan James was considered the driving force behind that team's success. He was named a prep All-Catholic All-American, a consensus 1st team all-state selection by UPI and the Ohio Sports Writers Association. A 1st team all-city pick by The Cincinnati Enquirer, the Times-Star and the Cincinnati Post, James played in the North-South All-Star game in Massillon.

Heavily recruited, James went on to Ohio State where he was a three-year starter as guard and center. He started on Woody Hayes' 1957 National Championship team. The Big Ten champs won the Rose Bowl against Oregon, 10-7, in 1958. James was named captain of the College All-Star team that played the Baltimore Colts in the 1959 North-South Shrine game.

Professionally, James was the first round pick of the San Francisco 49ers (eighth overall) in 1959 and went on to play almost eight seasons with San Francisco, Pittsburgh and the Chicago Bears. James started every game with Pittsburgh and Chicago until his retirement in 1967. He went on to be a professional scout for three seasons with the Oakland Raiders.

In 1999, James was named to The Enquirer's All-Century football team as a member of the offensive line.

Dan James is survived by his wife, Carole Rinear, and six children - Dan, Chris, David, Joni, Tim and Patrick.

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Bryn Kehoe could well be the finest volleyball player in Greater Cincinnati history. That's saying a lot given the nationally regarded strength of Cincinnati volleyball, but Bryn's credentials are second to none.

A four-year starter at St. Ursula, Kehoe led the Bulldogs to two Ohio Division I state championships (2001 and 2003) and a state runner-up finish in 2002. Twice named the Ohio Division I Player of the Year, Kehoe was a two-time PrepVolleyball.com All-American, which also named her the No. 1 volleyball player in the nation in 2003. She was the inaugural recipient of the Andi Collins Award (2003), emblematic of the Best Setter in the United States.

Kehoe was the Ohio Gatorade Player of the Year (2003), The Cincinnati Enquirer Player of the Year and the recipient of the 2003 Southwest Ohio Officials Association Lifetime Achievement Award. She was the LaRosa's Female Athlete of the Year in 2004, and is one of only 15 in the Hall of Fame to be inducted on the first ballot.

Kehoe continued her athletic excellence at Stanford University. A four-year starter, she was the only starting freshman to win an NCAA team championship (2004). She went on to play in two other national championship games. She was a three-time NCAA All-American. As a senior, she was a two-time 1st team All-American and was named the CVU.com Setter of the Year. She set numerous single-game and single-season records, and finished as Stanford's No. 1 all-time assists leader with 5,956, which was also third-best in Pac-10 history and one of the top 25 Best in NCAA history.

In addition to her college career, Kehoe played for Team USA - competing for the U.S. Women's National Team in 2005 at the Montreux Masters. She was the starting setter for the U.S. Women's Junior National Team that competed in 2005 at the FIVB World Championship in Turkey and was a member of the 2004 U.S. Women's Junior National Team that won the gold medal at the NORCECA Continental Championship. She also played on Team USA in China in 2010.

As a professional, Kehoe played three seasons for Sagres NUC in Switzerland, where she was team captain in 2013.

Kehoe came by her talents naturally as both her father, Steve, and mother, Amy - a two-time collegiate All-American -- played collegiate volleyball. Currently, Bryn Kehoe is the assistant volleyball coach at the University of Alabama.

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Unquestionably the finest player to graduate from one of Northern Kentucky's preeminent girls' basketball programs, Michelle Cottrell Marston finished as both her high school's and college's career scoring leader.

An outstanding all-around athlete, Michelle Cottrell earned 12 varsity letters in three sports - basketball, volleyball and track - at Boone County High School.

Michelle, named Track Athlete of the Year in 1997 by the Northern Kentucky Coaches Association, was also a three-time 1st team All-Northern Kentucky pick in volleyball by the Kentucky Enquirer and the Kentucky Post. She was twice named all-state in volleyball, was Region 6 MVP and led the Lady Rebels to two state tournament berths.

Basketball, however, was clearly her best sport. She finished her career atop the Boone County record books with 1,800 points and 1,365 rebounds. She was named the Kentucky Post Player of the Year in 1998. She was 1st team all-state by the Louisville Courier-Journal (1998) and was 2nd team all-state by the Associated Press (1998).

Cottrell was tabbed the winner of the J.B. Mansfield Award in 1998, emblematic of the best player in the 1998 Kentucky state tournament.

Cottrell went on to an outstanding career at Northern Kentucky University, where she still stands at the school's all-time scoring leader (2,241 points). She is No. 2 all-time in rebounds (1,103), No. 1 in field goal percentage (.603), field goals made (808) and free throws made (620) and is No. 8 in free throw percentage (.751). She was named Kodak Division II All-American three straight years (2000-2002).

Currently, Michelle Cottrell Marston and her husband, Scott, live in Union, KY and a son, Luke.

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Less than one point prevented then Mt. Notre Dame freshman Lori Rizzuto from winning the Ohio High School state diving championship in 1985. She more than made up for it the next three years, as she claimed the Ohio state title three straight times, setting a standard for Cincinnati divers ever since.

A four-time high school All-American, Rizzuto won the state title with a record-setting score of 463.50 as a senior in 1988, a mark that still ranks among the top ten best-ever in Ohio history.

The awards were plentiful for Rizzuto, who was a four-time National High School All-American. She received the Ohio Swim Coaches award for outstanding performance at the state meet in 1988. She was three-time Cincinnati Post Swimmer-Diver of the Year, and twice named Cincinnati Enquirer Swimmer-Diver of the Year. She was a 1st team all-city four times by both newspapers.

Rizzuto was among the first class of inductees in to the Mount Notre Dame Athletic Hall of Fame.

Rizzuto was a first time participant of the Senior National Championships at the age of 14, and a team member at the age of 16. Rizzuto was a participant in the 1988 Olympic Trials in Indianapolis for the platform event and in the 1992 Olympic Trials for the platform and 3-meter springboard events. As a scholarship athlete in diving, Rizzuto was named collegiate All-American at the University of Cincinnati.

Rizzuto has coached high school and summer clubs for 14 years and is currently coach for Mount Notre Dame in Cincinnati and Highlands High School in Ft. Thomas. She lives in Reading with her sons Gabe and Logan, and her daughter, Maddie.

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One of the finest track and cross-country coaches in Greater Cincinnati and regarded as the dean of Northern Kentucky running, Barry Binkley has turned a high school passion into a much-honored career.

Coach Binkley has guided teams to six Kentucky state championships and 15 state runner-up finishes. During his 25-year career at Dayton High School, he led an eight-year run where his girls' teams were either state champs (twice) or runners-up (six times). In his 49-year career, Binkley has coached at seven different schools, including Batavia and Elder in Ohio, and finished this past school year as an assistant coach at Simon Kenton.

Coach Binkley played a crucial role in establishing girls' cross-country as a sport in Kentucky. He formed the first girls' team in Northern Kentucky while at Holmes in 1974 - allowing girls to run races on their own (they previously ran with boys teams). He was instrumental in inaugurating the Kentucky Girls State Cross Country program in 1975.

In 1979, Coach Binkley moved to Dayton, Kentucky, where he enjoyed his greatest success, sparked in part by LaRosa's Hall of Famer Adrienne Hundemer (20 individual state titles) and Stephanie Edgar (14 individual state titles). The Greendevils' program won five state championships - girls state track (1992, 1995), boys cross country (1983, 1985) and boys track (state Indoor 1994) - and recorded 14 state runner-up finishes. As an assistant coach, he won state titles in 2005 (Lloyd girls track) and in 2011 (St. Henry boys cross country).

Coach Binkley has been named Coach of the Year 10 times during his career by various organizations, including the National Federation Interscholastic Coaches Association (1984) and Scholastic Coach Magazine (cross country 1988). He has been inducted in the Kentucky Track and Cross Country Coaches Association Hall of Fame, the Northern Kentucky Athletic Directors Hall of Fame and the Northern Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame.

As a high school athlete, Binkley was an exceptional runner in his own right. He placed seventh (1957) and fourth (1958) in the Ohio state cross country meets at Woodward. He set the school record in the mile run (4:36) and was district track champ in the 880 as a senior in 1959. He earned a full scholarship to Bowling Green State University, where he set three school records and finished No. 2 in the mile at the 1963 Mid-American Conference championships.

Coach Binkley, and his wife, Janice, currently live in Alexandria and have a daughter (Molly).

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