Thursday, April 20, 2000 | 12:03 p.m.
Male Athlete of the Week: CALVIN REDDEN
School: Mojave
Class: Senior
Sports: Track
Family: Father Jimmy; mother Francine; brother Marvin; sister Jacina
Last week: Redden posted the nation's second-fastest 200 meter time by a high schooler this year at California's Mt. Sac Relays on Saturday, finishing the race in 21.15 seconds. The time was also a personal best for Redden, the defending state champion in the event. "He's proven that he's one of the best sprinting talents in the country," Rattlers coach Sam Germany said. "Last weekend was a big breakthrough." Redden also ran the 100 meters in 10.73, finishing fourth in a field that featured some of the nation's top sprinters, and anchored a Mojave 4x100 meter relay squad that wound up with a time of 42.99 seconds -- the second-fastest time in town this year.
This season: Redden, who signed with Alabama last week, boasts the state's top marks in both the 100 and 200 meters this spring. He ran the 100 in 10.69 (wind-aided) two weeks ago at California's Flo-Jo Memorial Invitational. "My training is paying off," said Redden who, at 6-2, is taller than most sprinters he races against. Redden is gearing up for a postseason that could see him capture as many as four state titles before heading off to the Division I ranks. "I want to take the 100, 200 and 400, and I'll probably run one of the relays," he said.
Female Athlete of the Week: JAIME HUGHES
School: Cimarron-Memorial
Class: Junior
Sport: Softball
Family: Father Don; mother Nina; sisters Julie, Jennifer
Last week: Hughes pitched her way to two victories while helping the Spartans to a 4-0 week against Silverado, Pahrump Valley, Cheyenne and Centennial. The hard-throwing Hughes went the distance in Monday's 3-2 win against the five-time defending zone champion Skyhawks then tossed another complete game on Friday in Cimarron's 16-3 victory over division foe Centennial. "She did a nice job last week," Spartans coach Gary Kaempfer said. "She jumped on all the batters and kept them off-balance." Hughes also contributed at the plate, knocking home four runs in her club's four contests.
This season: After some early-season struggles, the Spartans appear to have righted their ship as the postseason approaches. "We struggled so much at the beginning of the year, but we're coming together as a team now," Hughes said. "We're finally proving to ourselves that we can beat any team out there." For the year, Hughes is 8-2 with a 2.45 ERA. She has 56 strikeouts and 18 walks in 59.3 innings and has thrown eight complete games. Offensively, she has chipped in 10 RBIs and 10 runs as the Spartans' No. 5 hitter, playing first and third base when she's not pitching.
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