sports Kudos For Excellence Steve Stein Contributing Writer W e conclude our profiles of Jewish News High School Athletes of the Year with items on Molly Gelb and Jennica Lurie, who share the honor for female athletes. Molly Gelb Molly Gelb was a standout diver for four years on the Ann Arbor Huron High School girls swimming and diving team. She com- peted in the Michigan High School Athletic Association Division 1 state meet three times — finishing 15th as a sophomore, eighth as a junior and sixth as a senior — and she was an All-American as a junior and senior. Gelb placed third and second in the conference meet as a junior and senior, and she was a regional cham- pion as a senior. She qualified for regionals four times. She was team captain and MVP in her senior season and the team's Rookie of the Year when she was a freshman. Now a freshman at Brown University in Providence, R.I., Gelb is a diver on the Ivy League school's women's swimming and diving team. She admits she has sports super- stitions and wishes she didn't have them. "Diving is truly a mental sport:' she said. "So while I have superstitions about what suit I wear and the kind of food I eat before a meet, I think one of the keys to success in any sport is build- ing up the mental strength to be able to overcome superstitions." Gelb earned several academic honors in high school. She says competing in sports helps her in the classroom. "Participating in athletics has taught me a lot about time manage- ment, balancing athletics, academics and any free time I have:' she said. Her favorite athlete is 2008 Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson. "I remember watching her leading up to and in the Olympics and thinking she had it all: strength, grace and a little bit of spunk," she said. Gelb also enjoys ballet. She's been dancing since she was 3. Jennica Lurie Jennica Lurie competed in gymnastics, diving and pole vault at East Lansing High School and now is involved in club gymnastics as a freshman at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. She was a two-time All-State gym- nast, two-time all-conference and regional qualifying diver and two-time conference champion and state quali- fier in pole vault. A youth club gymnast for 12 years, she reached Level 9. She was Level 8 all-around champion at the Spartan Showcase and Motown Madness meets, and she qualified twice for the Michigan regional team. It's probably not surprising that Lurie's favorite athletes are gymnasts. "I enjoy watching all the national team gymnasts, but every four years when the Olympics roll around I pick my favorite based on their skills, strengths and artistry:' she said. "This past summer, Aly Raisman was my favorite. I like to root for the underdog. Not many people predicted she'd make it to the all-around finals so it was pretty exciting when she did:' Sports have been a big part of Lurie's life. "I've learned valuable lessons in leadership, perseverance, teamwork and self-motivation:' she said. "Those skills have given me a founda- tion to be successful not only in sports but the professional world as well:' More Honorees The 29th Jewish Sports Hall of Fame induction class includes ex-college tennis stars Debbie Michelson Fuger and Rick Zussman, ex-college baseball standout Martin Wolfe, ex-college basketball star Dan Arnold and sports broadcaster Eli Zaret. The awards were presented at last month's banquet. Also honored were the 2013 Pillars of Excellence award winners Herb Bernstein, Ken Bertin, Ed Krass, Karen Sklar Gordon and the late Fred Goldberg. This award honors out- standing contributions to sports and the enrichment of the community. Former Detroit Lions tight end Charlie Sanders, a 2007 inductee into the NFL Hall of Fame, was presented with the Alvin Foon Humanitarian Award. PASS THE LATKES What's not to love? Latkes from Plaza Deli are fresh, delicious and complete your Chanukah celebration. Order Now from Plaza Deli plaza deli 29145 Northwestern Highway Southfield, MI 48034 (248) 356-2310 ❑ Send news to sports@thejewishnews.com . theepicureangroup.com 1868740 November 7 • 2013 71