Oliver, Murphy among Hall of Champions' Stars of the Month

The San Diego Hall of Champions selected eleven athletes as professional, amateur, or high school Breitbard Star of the Month recipients for August, including Fallbrook High School wrestling coach Roye Oliver and Fallbrook High School baseball player Clark Murphy.

Oliver, who earned his Hall of Champions honor for wrestling at the Veterans Freestyle World Championships, was one of five Amateur Stars of the Month recipients. Although high school Star of the Month awards are usually bestowed for activity during the high school season, Murphy and Valhalla High School’s Ryan O’Sullivan were given prep Star of the Month awards for their AFLAC All-American High School Baseball Classic distinction.

The Veterans World Championship tournament, which this year was held August 2-5 in Istanbul, is for wrestlers over 35 years old. Oliver, who will be 51 in November, competed in the 85 kilogram (187.5 pounds) weight division of the 51-55 age division. Roye Oliver won a gold medal for his division and defeated ten-time world champion Rahim Abofi of Iran in the semifinals.

Murphy, a left-handed batter and first baseman, was one of 38 players in the nation chosen as an AFLAC All-American. He played in the AFLAC All-American High School Baseball Classic at Tony Gwynn Stadium on August 11, and he was a finalist in the AFLAC All-American home run derby competition.

A selection committee at the Hall of Champions studies statistics and achievements. In addition to collecting statistics, the Hall of Champions staff speaks with coaches, and athletic directors in the case of high school stars, to obtain recommendations.

The awards committee reviews a list of 12 to 15 names to select its prep athletes of the month. Typically six prep athletes are chosen each month of the academic year, although some months may have more than six athletes selected and some months may see fewer than six prep stars honored. Each month also typically sees the selection of four amateur stars and six professional stars to receive the monthly honors.

The Breitbard Star of the Month winners for 2007 will be honored along with the professional, amateur, and disabled Stars of the Year and the Breitbard Hall of Fame inductees at the annual Salute to the Champions dinner, which will be held at the Town and Country Hotel in San Diego on March 4, 2008.