ESPN RISE

Editor's note: ESPN RISE Magazine honors the top individual athletes in each of the magazine's 25 regions. Disagree with our choices? Vote for your favorite athletes here. And check out the honorees from other regions here.

Boys' Athlete of the Year

DERRICK FAVORS
South Atlanta / Basketball
Through his first three seasons at South Atlanta, Favors displayed the ability to dominate play with his 6-9 frame. The knock on his game, though, was his inability to win a state title. Well, you can cross that off the list. Favors poured in a game-high 38 points and ripped down 15 boards to lead the Hornets to an 81-62 win over Westover in the Class AAA finals. Favors, the No. 2 player in the ESPNU 100 and the McDonald's All-American Game MVP, averaged 27.5 points, 13.3 rebounds, five blocks and four steals a game this winter.

OTHER FINALISTS

KENNETH GILSTRAP
Miller Grove / Track
If you're discussing elite runners in the country, then Gilstrap's name has to be in the conversation. At press time, the senior sprinter owned the nation's best outdoor time in the 100 (10.31) and the second-best mark in the 200 (20.98).

BRANDEN SMITH
Booker T. Washington / Football
Smith, one of the top corners in the nation, was named Gatorade State Player of the Year after registering 50 tackles and two picks in the fall. The senior star added five scores in the return game and reeled in 1,085 receiving yards.

DONAVAN TATE
Cartersville / Baseball
Tate's play has made him one of the most desirable prospects in the country. The All-American outfielder is considered a likely first-round pick in June's MLB Draft and helped Cartersville win 17 of its first 21 contests.

Girls' Athlete of the Year

CHALONDA GOODMAN
Newnan / Track
Goodman was every bit as good as advertised in her senior year. She won the 60 and 200 crowns at the Nike Indoor Nationals in March. Her feats on the big stage further solidified her legacy at Newnan, where Goodman is a three-time Class 5A champ in both the 100 and 200. The Texas recruit also claimed a pair of Nike Outdoor championships in the 100 and 200 last summer. At press time, Goodman owned the nation's best times in both events for the 2009 outdoor season. She set the 100 mark at 11.30 seconds, while her 23.32 was tops in the 200.

OTHER FINALISTS

ANNE MARIE ARMSTRONG
Wesleyan / Basketball + Volleyball + Track
In Greater Atlanta, Armstrong is queen of the rings, sporting rocks on eight fingers from her triumphs in volleyball, basketball and outdoor track. The two-time Miss Georgia winner dropped 18.3 points on the hardwood in her senior season.

MORGAN BULLOCK
Mill Creek / Softball
Bullock proved she was the area's best pitcher, compiling a 27-4 record with a 0.52 ERA and 221 strikeouts in the fall. She ended her career by leading the Hawks to the Class AAAAA title. She will play at Florida State next year.

MONIQUE MEAD
Landmark Christian / Volleyball
The Georgia Tech recruit was rated the No. 38 senior by PrepVolleyball.com and was named to the Under Armour All-American second team. Mead, a senior, recorded 616 kills in the fall, good for seventh-best all-time in the state.