Christian Colon of Anaheim Hills, Calif. Leads West Squad to 9-8 Victory at Fourth Annual Aflac All-American High School Baseba
August 12 2006 - 9:48PM
PR Newswire (US)
- Canyon High School Star Named Aflac Classic MVP; Cameron Rupp
Sets New Aflac Classic Home Run Derby Record - SAN DIEGO, Aug. 12
/PRNewswire/ -- The fourth annual Aflac All-American High School
Baseball Classic went down to the wire today as the West squad held
on for a narrow 9-8 victory over the East team at San Diego State
University's Tony Gwynn Stadium. The Aflac Classic is the nation's
top high school baseball game, featuring the best 38 players in the
country entering their senior year. The sellout crowd of 2,653 saw
the West squad win the elite event for the third straight year. The
West squad was led by Christian Colon, Canyon High School (Anaheim
Hills, Calif.), who tallied two singles, three stolen bases and
three runs scored (tying an Aflac Classic Record) to help lead the
West to victory. His performance earned him Most Valuable Player
honors. "It's just an amazing feeling," Colon said. "To have the
opportunity to play with the top 38 guys in the nation at the Aflac
Classic and to be recognized on national TV like this, it's just
amazing." Fellow West squad teammate Josh Vitters, Cypress High
School (Anaheim, Calif.), also belted three doubles, notched three
RBIs and scored two runs. The East team, coached by Kevin Maris,
son of baseball legend Roger Maris, was led by Jason Heyward, Henry
County High School (McDonough, Ga.) who compiled two hits, two RBI,
two runs scored and set a new Aflac Classic record with four stolen
bases. The complete Aflac All-American Baseball Classic box score
is available at http://www.aflacallamerican.com/. Prior to the
game, Cameron Rupp of Prestonwood Christian Academy (Plano, Texas)
thrilled fans as he belted seven home runs to win the Aflac
All-American Home Run Derby. The previous record was six home runs.
The 2006 Aflac All-American Baseball Classic raised $130,000 for
San Diego's Rady Children's Hospital and Health Center and $15,000
for Coaches Curing Kids Cancer, the game's official charity
partners, as part of Aflac's ongoing commitment to support research
and treatment of pediatric cancer. Friday evening at the Aflac
All-American Awards dinner, Michael Burgess of Hillsborough High
School, (Tampa, Fla.) won the third annual Jackie Robinson Award as
the Aflac National High School Player of the Year. Burgess was
presented with the award by Rachel Robinson, the widow of the late
Hall of Fame Baseball Player Jackie Robinson. Participants in the
Aflac Classic are selected by Baseball America and prep scouting
organization Perfect Game USA. About Aflac For more than 50 years,
Aflac products have given policyholders the opportunity to direct
cash where it is needed most when a life-interrupting medical event
causes financial challenges. Aflac is the number one provider of
guaranteed-renewable insurance in the United States and the number
one insurance company in terms of individual insurance policies in
force in Japan. Aflac's insurance products provide protection to
more than 40 million people worldwide. Aflac has been included in
Fortune magazine's listing of America's Most Admired Companies for
six consecutive years and Forbes magazine's Platinum 400 List of
America's Best Big Companies for five consecutive years. In January
2006, Aflac was included in Fortune magazine's list of the 100 Best
Companies to Work For in America for the eighth consecutive year.
Aflac was also included in Fortune magazine's list of the Top 50
Employers for Minorities in August 2005, and in September 2005,
Aflac Japan was named the Life Insurance Company of the Year at the
Asia Insurance Industry Awards, sponsored by the Asia Insurance
Review. Aflac Incorporated is a Fortune 500 company listed on the
New York Stock Exchange under the symbol AFL. To find out more
about Aflac, visit http://www.aflac.com/. (Logo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050721/CLTH055LOGO ) MEDIA
CONTACTS: Tim Turner Danny Ferrauiola Aflac Edelman 706-243-5594
cell 646-483-8242 cell Matthew Freeman Edelman 404-226-3304 cell
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http://photoarchive.ap.org/ DATASOURCE: Aflac CONTACT: Tim Turner
of Aflac, +1-706-243-5594, ; or Danny Ferrauiola, +1-646-483-8242,
, or Matthew Freeman, +1-404-226-3304, , both of Edelman, for Aflac
Web site: http://www.aflac.com/ http://www.aflacallamerican.com/
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