Athletes Worth Watching | April 2009
By Andrew Keatts
Blake Whitten
North Dorchester High School
Basketball, Baseball
After hitting above .300 and leading his team in RBI during his junior season, Blake Whitten is confident going into his final year as an Eagle. A smooth-hitting first baseman, Whitten says his biggest improvement this season will come on defense. "I've always hit pretty well, so I mostly focused during the off-season on becoming more consistent on the defensive side," he says. Looking to contribute wherever possible in his last athletic season at NDHS, Whitten says he might even pitch this season. But at 6'3" tall and weighing 180 pounds, Whitten has the ideal size for a first baseman, and that's the position he's most comfortable playing. Blake's height also serves him well on the basketball team, where, as a forward/center this winter, he won the team's sportsmanship award and served as the team's captain. Vice president of the National Honor Society, Whitten carries a 3.75 grade point average, a 1620 score on his SAT, and is the senior representative to the Key Club and starred in the Senior Class Play. Come fall, he plans to attend either Salisbury University of the University of Maryland at College Park, where he intends to major in business. "My dad owns his own insurance company, so I've always wanted to go into business to make myself as successful as possible," he says. Whitten is the son of Greg and Margaret Whitten.
Kari Lee Harper
North Dorchester High School
Field Hockey, Softball
Leading by example and acting as a coach on the field are old tricks for Kari Lee Harper, who served as the NDHS field hockey team's captain this fall and holds the same title this spring on the softball diamond. In both sports, too, she finds herself at the center of activity, playing center field in the spring and center forward in the fall. Harper enjoys center field, because "everything's in front of you. You back up every other player, and you've got the best view of the game," she says. After winning the sportsmanship and senior honors awards in field hockey, Harper's goal for softball season is simply to show her competitors what NDHS has to offer, she says. She is the treasurer of NDHS band, historian of the NDHS branch of the National Honors Society, a member of the school's chorus and senior class play, and a participant in the foreign exchange program. Harper plans to take her 3.46 (3.76 weighted) grade point average to Chesapeake College in the fall, where she'll pursue an associates degree in nursing. Fittingly, Harper's urge to go into nursing is driven by her desire to help people. "I've wanted to be a nurse forever, basically," she says. She is the daughter of Tom and Kim Harper.
Cassie Greenhawk
Easton High School
Softball
Losing only five players from last year's 2A State Championship Team, this year's EHS softball team is poised to defend its title. Outfielder and second baseman Cassie Greenhawk says the team has the young players to fill the necessary positions. "Coach [Mark Anderson] has a way of knowing how to keep the team together, like a family," she says. A four-year member of the varsity team, Greenhawk has been a part of three Bayside Championship teams (2006, 2007, and 2008), and a team that finished as runner-up for the 2A State Championship (2006). MVP of the state championship team, Greenhawk will attend Bucknell University in the fall where she'll play softball and major in environmental science (though, she's quick to mention, her major is an oft-changing decision). She says EHS is a team that hits well and pitches great, and expects the juniors to play well. "We should win Baysides and have another great season, ending in another state championship." Greenhawk is a member of the principal's honor roll, minds in motion, and the National Honor Society. In her free time, she enjoys coaching 14 and under softball. She is the daughter of Jan and Jimmy Greenhawk.
Charlie Haslup
Easton High School
Baseball
Charlie Haslup is used to being a star. Playing both pitcher and short stop, he's been heralded since early in his career at EHS, receiving honorable mention as an all-Basyide Conference player for his sophomore season and accepting a scholarship to play at the University of Maryland after he graduates this spring. Haslup expects to become a starting pitcher for the Terps during his careeer there, but Haslup realizes things aren't going to come as easily at the next level as they have during his high school career. "I'll need to start in the bullpen," he says. "I'll need to get bigger and stronger, like college kids who've already had a chance to progress at that level." After considering UNC Greensboro and Radford University, Haslup selected University of Maryland so he could play in the ACC and have a better chance to reach the major leagues. A member of the honor roll and teen court with a 3.3 grade point average, Haslup plans to major in kinesiology in college. His expectations for the team this season are simple. "I expect to go undefeated and win states," he says. He is the son of Liz and Dave Haslup.
Photos by Tony Lewis Jr.
Tags:
cassie greenhawk
kari lee harper
blake whitten
charlie haslup
More Articles