BOISE, ID (February 10, 2010)– With their nominations to the McDonald’s All American® High School Games, six Treasure Valley area high school basketball players including, Julie Muguira of Bishop Kelly High School, Jordin Juker of Boise High School, Jenna Cacchillo of Capital High School, Hallie Koeppen and Callie Williams of Eagle High School and Zach Kelsh of Vallivue High School, were recently recognized as top prep standouts in the nation. These six local high school basketball players are among only 11 basketball players in the state of Idaho, and 2,137 players nationwide to be nominated for the honor.
The five local girl players, Muguira, Juker, Cacchillo, Koeppen, and Williams are among 877 girl nominees nationwide competing to fill one of 24 positions on the Girls Team and Kelsh is among 1260 boy nominees competing nationwide to fill one of 24 positions on the Boys Team. Selected players will play for the honor of raising Game proceeds for Ronald McDonald House Charities® (RMHC®) of Central Ohio. Both Games will takes place March 31, 2010 at Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio. The final team rosters will be announced on ESPNU on February 11 at 5:30 p.m. ET.
“It is an honor to have six Treasure Valley area high school basketball players recognized for their dedication and outstanding accomplishments as athletes and as students,” said Dick Darmody, Owner-Operator of Treasure Valley area McDonald’s. All six local All American High School Basketball nominees will be honored at their local McDonald’s restaurant with their coaches and teammates.
About the Treasure Valley Area Nominees:
- Julie Muguira, Bishop Kelly High School:Muguira, a 5’10” wing who averages 11.9 points and 5 rebounds per game is praised by her coach of three years, Derek McCormick, for being one of the top players he has ever coached while at Bishop Kelly. “She is smart, works really hard, and she has a good understanding of what she wants to do with her life,” said McCormick of Muguira when asked to describe her best attribute.
- Jordin Juker of Boise High School: Juker, a 6’0” three guard averages 11.05 points and 6 rebounds per game, and shoots 82.4% from the free throw line. As a four-year varsity starter, Juker is recognized by her coach Kim Brydges as a “complete team player that makes her teammates better, both on and off the court.”
- Jenna Cacchillo of Capital High School: According to Coach Blas Talleria, Cacchillo, a 5’9” guard, is the definition of a truly great student athlete. “Cacchillo is an incredible student athlete…she works hard and has tons of energy,” said Talleria.
- Hallie Koeppen of Eagle High School: Koeppen, a 5’9” wing averages 5 points and 10 rebounds per game. Coach Harry Angelos spoke highly of Koeppen as he described her as an “extremely aggressive shut-down defender.”
- Callie Williams of Eagle High School: Williams, a 5’6” point guard who averages 11 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists per game is described by her coach Harry Angelos as a tough defender and an incredibly unselfish, great leader. As the coach for both Williams and Koeppen, Coach Harry Angelos praised, “both girls are extremely bright, which makes things really easy.”
- Zach Kelsh of Vallivue High School: Kelsh is a 6’5” guard/wing, who averages 18.5 points and 8.6 rebounds per game. “Kelsh is an extremely athletic player and great competitor,” praised Coach Mike Chatterton. “It is an honor to coach a player who works so incredibly hard – and who is also just an all around great kid with a great personality.”
The players were all nominated by the McDonald’s All American Basketball Team Selection Committee, a group of 24 prominent basketball experts, including nationally-renowned coaches and top high school sports journalists.
The eighth-annual Girls Game will begin at 5:30 p.m. ET, Wednesday, March 31, at Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio, and will broadcast live on ESPNU. The 33rd Anniversary of the Boys Game will tip off following the Girls Game at 8:00 p.m. ET and will air live on ESPN.
Proceeds from ticket sales of both Games will benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) of Central Ohio. To date, millions of dollars have been donated to RMHC Chapters from proceeds generated at the McDonald’s All American Games. RMHC’s core three programs include the Ronald McDonald House®, Ronald McDonald Family Room® and the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile™ — extending the reach of the Charity to directly improve the health and well-being of children around the world.
McDonald’s All American alumni include WNBA talent Seimone Augustus (Minnesota Lynx) and Candace Parker (Los Angeles Sparks) who made history at the 2004 McDonald's All American Games when she became the first woman to win the slam dunk contest at the POWERADE® Jam Fest. Current NCAA stars include Maya Moore (Connecticut) and Glory Johnson (Tennessee). Former and current NBA superstars include Alonzo Mourning, Magic Johnson, Kevin Garnett, Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James and Kevin Durant.
