Matt Brown of Limon and Jenna Gregoire of Rampart were impressed by the Broncos’ Champ Bailey and baseball Hall of Famer Rich “Goose” Gossage on Thursday at The Denver Athletic Club’s 35th annual athletic banquet.
The thing was, Bailey and Gossage were just as impressed with the recently graduated high schoolers.
Brown and Gregoire were named male and female student-athletes of the 2009-10 school year, respectively, by The Denver Post, 9News and The DAC.
Gossage, who prepped at Wasson in Colorado Springs, was blunt: “Those kids were great. I don’t even know what a 4.-something GPA is.”
Those grades would belong to Gregoire, who earned a weighted 4.8 GPA, was first in her class, was a multiple state champion in swimming as a freestyler, set numerous city and pool records, and will take her talents to Harvard.
Said Gregoire: “I really wasn’t expecting it all. I’m pretty proud to be here.”
Like Brown, Gregoire will have a significant donation made in her name to Mile High Squash, an after-school program for middle-schoolers in which they are instructed in squash, community service and academics.
Brown, The Denver Post 2009 Gold Helmet winner as a quarterback, also starred in basketball, competed in track and field, and led the Badgers to the 2A baseball title by knocking in the tying and go-ahead runs and earning the pitching victory.
He had a 4.0 GPA.
He’ll attempt to play both football and baseball at Colorado School of Mines.
“It’s an amazing honor to be recognized with all of those people,” Brown said. “With Champ Bailey and Goose Gossage, those guys are great.”
Brown and Gregoire edged other finalists Marco Gonzales, Rocky Mountain; Mitch Griebel, Heritage; Darragh O’Neill, Fairview; Shane Opitz, Heritage; Shelby Babcock, Legacy; Natalie Dunn, Poudre; Kaitlin Hanenburg, The Classical Academy; and Amy Kame, Central (G.J.).
Gossage was honored with The DAC’s career achievement award. Bailey was named The DAC’s professional athlete of the year and shared with the crowd his pain after his grandmother’s recent death as well as that of a young man from his home state of Georgia who spent most of his recent years looking up to him.
“I want to be remembered for more than helping the Broncos win a Super Bowl,” Bailey said of working toward changing the lives of others as his grandmother did to his.
Other DAC winners: Haley Jenkins, youth female; Davis Brendel, youth male; Mary Hoftiezer, top female; Marty Harrison, top male; Christine DeRose, master female; and Peter Wycoff, master male.
Neil H. Devlin: 303-954-1714 or ndevlin@denverpost.com
