What's Up Magazines

Athletes Worth Watching
By Pat O'Malley

Anisha Queen
Old Mill School
Basketball

Queen epitomizes the student-athlete and is a superb point guard on the Patriots girls basketball team, which was vying for a region title and berth in the state tournament this month. The Old Mill junior is ranked No. 6 in her senior class of 618; with an overall 4.28 grade point average in 3 years, in a recent semester she rang up a lofty 4.56.

"Time management is very important," says Queen on her maintaining such high academic standards and taking three Advanced Placement courses.

"I have to pace myself the best way I know how and make sure I do all my homework and everything I need for school." Queen, who scored a 1740 on the new SAT, is also a member of the National Honor Society, Student Government Association, and Principal's Advisory Council and is a peer helper. "I'm involved in the school activities and my church," she says.

In basketball, Patriots' coach Craig White says that Queen's leadership and unselfishness play a prominent role in the team's success. "To have a good team in basketball, you have to have a good point guard and Anisha is just that," says White. "She is a leader who does all the little things it takes to win, not worrying about her own personal stats."

Queen is leaning toward the University of Maryland and hoping to become a pediatrician.

Brian Phipps
Severn School
Football, Basketball, Lacrosse

A three-sport standout for the Admirals, Phipps is following in the footsteps of his older brother, Michael, and his dad, Wilson Phipps, in accepting a lacrosse scholarship to the University of Maryland. Michael Phipps is now a junior attack with the Terps, while little brother is a goalie headed to College Park. "It's been a family tradition," says Brian Phipps. "I've grown up rooting for Maryland and it's been a dream to play for them. I thought it would be pretty neat to put on the uniform myself and play."

Wilson Phipps played on the Terps' national championship team in the '70s under coach Buddy Beardmore and taught his sons how to play the game. The father is in the Severn School Hall of Fame along with his wife, the former Becky Waters, for their lacrosse prowess. "My parents want what's best for me and my dad coached me when I was younger, and helped me to become who I am today," says Phipps. "My mom also gives me a lot of support."

Phipps will be a team captain in lacrosse this spring and was a team captain in basketball for coach Tank Duckett. "When I retire, Brian is one of the kids I will never forget because he is such a wonderful example of what a Severn student-athlete should be."

Quite obviously, Duckett and other coaches at Severn have influenced Phipps, who has a 3.56 grade point average and 1140 on the old SAT (out of 1600) and wants to study education and become a teacher-coach.

Ai Moreland
South River High School
Soccer, Basketball, Lacrosse

No question that basketball is in the blood of this three-sport standout, who will graduate this year after her third year in high school. Moreland's father, Rick Moreland, played at UMBC and with the Washington Bullets briefly before working public relations for the latter; he is currently vice president of marketing for the MCI Center.

Moreland carries a 3.75 grade point average and scored 1150 on the old SAT while also being a member of the National Honor Society and a church volunteer. She wants to play basketball in college and sees pros and cons of graduating as a 17-year-old junior.

"It's not really an advantage athletically, because I will be coming in a year earlier than everyone else and physically I will need to work at it more," says Moreland, who has the support of her parents and plans to pursue business, marketing, or communications-but something to with sports. "Academically, there is an advantage skipping 12th grade, and I think I'm ready to take that step." Moreland is looking at McDaniel; York; Virginia Wesleyan; and Eckerd in St. Petersburg, Florida, for college.

Getting ready for lacrosse this month, Moreland, a team captain in hoops and lacrosse, had hopes that the Seahawks basketball team would return to the state tournament. Her two older brothers, Rick and Ryan, also played hoops at South River.

Justin Bowser
Arundel High School
Wrestling

Bowser will finish his high school career this month (March) with the most wrestling wins in Anne Arundel County history; he hopes to one day compete for the United States Naval Academy. The Wildcat senior passed Old Mill's Doug West, who held the county record of 138 career-wins, in mid-February and has been adding to it in regional and state championship competition at the 125-pound level.

"Breaking the county record is a highlight and shows how tough I am," says Bowser, who has followed in the footsteps of his older brothers, Andrew and David, who also wrestled at Arundel High in Gambrills, and his father, Dahl Bowser, a U.S. Secret Service Agent, who wrestled in Claysburg, Pennsylvania. "My dad got me into wrestling when I was a little kid and I've loved it ever since."

Bowser, who is a 3.00-plus student and wants to study sports medicine, says he may have to attend a Navy prep school in Rhode Island before entering the academy and wrestling for the Mids.

Bowser is looking to win his second straight Class 4A/3A State Championship this month. Last year, as a junior, Bowser was a SUN All-Metro grappler with a staggering 39-1 record, including 20 pins and six technical falls in copping his first state crown.

"My coach (Bill Royer, former Old Mill standout wrestler) changed my style completely and made me the wrestler I am today," said Bowser. "I have to thank him for that."