Having a name that sounds like you may spend time meditating in one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World isn’t a bad thing.
For Manasquan (New Jersey) lacrosse player Canyon Birch, it earned him enough votes to win the Class of 2019 All-Name Team vote. With 55.17% of the total votes, fans voted his name as the best in the class.
FINAL TALLY: 2019 Boys All-Name Team
It’s unlikely the Penn State commit is named after the Grand Canyon, but he was biggest Canyon in New Jersey this year, performance-wise. Birch broke the state record for most career goals on May 7, scoring his 363rd goal goal in the Shore Conference quarterfinals.
“It’s a huge sigh of relief to get that off my chest and not have it sitting on my back for the rest of the season, it allows me to focus on the rest of the season,” Birch said to the Asbury Park Press afterward. “I noticed sometimes like today, I was forcing some stuff trying to get those goals. Now it’s out of the way, and I can play my game.”
Play his game he did. Birch led the Warriors to a championship appearance and a 23-2 season record.
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In second place in the All-Name voting was another lacrosse player, Bear Lockshin. Owning the first name of a fierce animal and a last name that sounds more like a threat to opposing players than anything, the Westminster (Simsbury, Conn.) athlete won 11.14% of the vote.
Lockshin is a Princeton commit and a four-star player on Inside Lacrosse.
Those two lacrosse players seem locks to join Inside Lacrosse’s list of top collegiate names next year.
Coming in right behind Lockshin was baseball player Rey Rey Mendoza.
The Eagle Pass (Texas) athlete earned 10.92% of the vote for his unique name.
Mendoza, a left-handed pitcher who also plays first base and outfield, is a top-500 baseball prospect in Perfect Game rankings who is committed to Houston.
Congratulations to all the nominees. With star talent and great names all around, don’t be surprised if these names pop up in the future.
*If you have any nominees for the Class of 2020, 2021 or 2022 please submit to hsscontent@usatoday.com