Pacific Athletes of the Week: Dec. 20, 2012
Alex Banks
Kinnick wrestling
Last week: Scored his second major upset of a defending Far East tournament gold medalist in as many weeks and helped the Red Devils secure their third in-season tournament title in as many weeks, capturing the DODDS-Japan Kanto Plain dual-meet team crown Saturday at Kinnick’s home gymnasium.
Banks, a senior, pinned reigning Far East 158-pound champion and Outstanding Wrestler Chad Wilder of Zama American in 1 minute, 15 seconds, as the Red Devils routed the Trojans 53-11. Earlier, Kinnick won 40-20 over Yokota. Banks’ stunner came a week after he beat reigning Far East 168-pound titlist Jeff Koo of St. Mary’s International as Kinnick won the Christian Academy Japan Invitational.
Assistant coach Dan Joley refers to Banks as the “poster child for Red Devil athletics.”
“Alex is a joy to coach, a true ‘blue-collar’ athlete,” Kinnick head coach Gary Wilson said. “He’s the teammate you know you should be paired up with (in practice), yet you dread the prospect. You know you will be going home bruised and banged up. His unrelenting work ethic helped him earn all his accolades.”
Selected by Stars and Stripes staff.
De’Asia Brown
Kinnick basketball
Last week: Averaged 19.7 points in three games, all victories, two on a long-haul road trip, as the Red Devils improved to 6-0 in DODDS-Japan, 3-1 in the Kanto Plain Association of Secondary Schools and 7-1 overall.
Brown, a sophomore and one of just two returners from last year’s team, scored 22 points as the Red Devils won at home 57-28 last Wednesday against Zama American. On Friday and Saturday at E.J. King, Brown chalked up 17 and 20 points in the Red Devils’ DODDS-Japan weekend series sweep of the Cobras, 68-57 and 60-40.
On a team of almost all underclassmen, Brown “has seen the challenges as well as the potential benefits that this mixture of new attitudes and talents presents and has risen to the occasion of team leader,” coach Samuel Williams said. “She has been a steadfast source of confidence and skills. This has given time and opportunity for our other players to blend in, develop and contribute to the mission.”
Selected by Stars and Stripes staff.
