Jan. 21, 2009
The Hall of Champions is pleased to announce the Stars of the Year in Professional, Olympic and Amateur sports for the 2008 calendar year. The 21 athletes will be honored at the 63rd annual Viejas Salute to the Champions dinner on Wednesday, Feb. 18 at the Town and Country Hotel's Grand Exhibit Hall.
The Salute dinner will also induct four members of the Class of 2009 into the Breitbard Hall of Fame: Marshall Faulk, one of the NFL's all-time great running backs from San Diego State; Eric Allen, a six-time NFL Pro Bowler from Point Loma High; Floyd Robinson, one of the American League's top hitters in the 1960s from San Diego High; and Ivan Stewart, a motor sports icon from his off-road racing career from Grossmont High.
USD Athletics had four student-athletes named Amateur Stars of the Year in 2008 - Brian Matusz for baseball, Amy DeGroot for volleyball, Brandon Johnson for men's basketball and John Matthews for football. The Toreros had a record twenty-one student athletes that were recognized as Stars of the Month this past calendar year.
Tickets for the dinner are $250 and are tax deductible. Call the Hall of Champions Events Department at 619-699-2313.
USD AMATEUR STARS OF THE YEAR
Amy DeGroot (Volleyball, USD) -- DeGroot, a junior outside hitter, was named the West Coast Conference Player of the Year after she led the Toreros to their third straight WCC title and a No. 15 national ranking. USD advanced to the NCAA tournament for the 13th time in 14 years. She earned honorable mention All-American.
Brandon Johnson (Basketball, USD) -- Johnson, a junior combo guard, led the Toreros to the West Coast Conference tournament title when he was named the WCC Tournament MVP. In the NCAA tournament, USD recorded a milestone win as the first men's basketball team from San Diego to win an NCAA tournament when the Toreros upset Connecticut. Johnson was named first-team All-WCC.
John Matthews (Football, USD) - The senior wide receiver was named a first-team All-American on the Football Championship Subdivision team. The NFL prospect led the nation's FCS schools in five categories and set USD career records for touchdown catches and receiving yards.
Brian Matusz (Baseball, USD) -- Matusz, a junior, was named the West Coast Conference Pitcher of the Year as he led the Toreros to the WCC title and a trip to the NCAA tournament, where he picked up a win in the regional opener. He also was named a first-team All-American and was the third pick of the draft overall by the Baltimore Orioles.
Besides the above four USD student-athletes, Toreros that were named Stars of the Month include Al-Rilwan Adeyemi (football), Brittany Cameron (women's soccer), Sam Child (women's basketball), Andrea Csaszi (women's volleyball), Amy Epsten (women's soccer), AJ Griffin (baseball), James Meador (baseball), Jessica Nyrop (women's volleyball), Josh Romanski (baseball), Amber Sprague (women's basketball), Ali Troost (women's volleyball), Sebastian Trujillo (football), Jake Yount (men's golf), Amanda Rego (women's basketball), De'Jon Jackson (men's basketball), Rob Jones (men's basketball), and Gyno Pomare (men's basketball).
