Two local standouts grace cover of Sports Illustrated for Kids

By Austin KnoblauchSenior Editor, Sports

May 13, 2009 12:50 PM PT

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Even though he missed out on the starting quarterback job at USC, that hasn’t stopped Matt Barkley from making the cover of a nationally recognized magazine.

The Santa Ana Mater Dei graduate is featured front and center on the cover of this week’s issue of Sports Illustrated for Kids, highlighting the magazine’s ’20 under 20’ list of top athletes from across the nation. Barkley, 18, is considered one of the nation’s top high school recruits and has gained a lot of notoriety since winning the 2007-08 Gatorade Male High School Athlete of the Year Award as a junior.

Barkley wasn’t the only local kid to make the cover, though. Mirai Nagasu, a 16-year-old figure skater from Arcadia, is also featured. Nagasu won the 2008 U.S. Figure Skating National Championships and is considered a favorite to qualify for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. Unfortunately, an ankle injury played a role in her fifth-place result at this year’s national championships.

For more on young athletes, check out The Times’ high school sports blog, Varsity Times Insider.

-- Austin Knoblauch

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Austin Knoblauch

Austin Knoblauch is a senior editor in Sports at the Los Angeles Times, overseeing NFL coverage and digital initiatives. He previously worked as an editor and writer at NFL.com. He initially joined The Times in 2005, serving in various web editing and reporting roles. Knoblauch’s favorite sports are football, hockey and auto racing. He is a native of Southern California and graduated from Mount St. Mary’s University in Los Angeles.