Meet the 106 Cape-Atlantic League 4-Star Athletes
It used to be that winning a varsity letter in high school sports was a great accomplishment. At some schools, it still is. But others award letters for loyalty, to student-athletes, particularly seniors, who finish out the season.
The next level up is being a starter and a step above that is being selected to the league, conference or division all star team.
But how about being a first team all star for two seasons? Or three? Pretty special accomplishments.
Then just imagine being a first team all star four straight years. High school athletes only get to compete for four years, so making the all star first team each year defines you as a Quad Star.
Its not easy. You have to stay healthy and get off to a great start as a freshmen. There is a little more opportunity in individual sports like swimming, track, cross country and golf than in team sports.
Mike Trout didn’t do it. Neither did Matt Szczur, Austin Johnson or Renee Tomlin. Even Dave Weinberg, Mike Frankel and Mike Gill fell short.
In the first 20 years of the 21st Century, during which more than 50,000 student athletes competed at Cape-Atlantic League schools, there were only 106 times when an athlete was a Quad Star. That is less than one percent.
Lets salute them.
First of all, there were no Quad Stars in boys soccer, girls volleyball, boys basketball, baseball or boys lacrosse.
There was just one each in football and boys track. Raushan Smith of Bridgeton was the lone Quad Star in football and Quentin Bundy of Pleasantville in boys track.