Four of Miami-Dade County's best athletes enjoyed one of their most prestigious honors on Friday morning.

South Dade's Kendrick Sanders, Palmetto's Amanda Marquez, Monsignor Pace's Derrick Hopkins and Ransom Everglades' Madeline Rosenthal each won Athlete of the Year trophies during the Herald's All-Dade Awards breakfast at Parrot Jungle Island near downtown Miami.

The event, which was sponsored by Ford Motor Company and Parrot Jungle Island, drew more than 1,200 spectators.

Coral Reef's Gaston ''Chachi'' Rodriguez and Norland's Carla Harris-Curry also were honored at the banquet as Coaches of the Year for leading their basketball teams to their first state titles.

Marquez was the most decorated athlete by the end of the event. She was named the Class 6A-5A Female Athlete of the Year, the Girls' Scholar-Athlete of the Year, and the 6A-5A Girls' Volleyball Player of the Year.

Marquez will play softball -- her main sport for which she was selected first-team All-Dade multiple times as a catcher -- at Villanova this fall. She also led Palmetto's girls' volleyball team to the state final four for the first time since 1977.

Marquez is the first Athlete of the Year from Palmetto since football star Orson Mobley won it in 1981. Marquez's 2000 on the SAT, coupled with her 3.8 unweighted grade-point average, helped her win the Scholar-Athlete trophy.

Miami Beach's Taylor Calibo, a four-sport athlete who will attend the United States Naval Academy, was the Boys' Scholar Athlete of the Year.

Sanders finished a wrestling career that ranked among the greatest the county has ever seen. He was a three-time state champion, a junior national champion and a starter on the South Dade football team, earning him the Class 6A-5A Male Athlete of the Year trophy.

Sanders, who signed with Purdue, is the first recipient of the award from South Dade since Herman Jones -- a football, track and basketball star -- won it in 1974. Sanders also won the Wrestler of the Year award.

Hopkins left little doubt as to why he was selected the Class 4A-1A Male Athlete of the Year. After excelling on the football field as a dual threat for a Pace team that advanced to the state semifinals, Hopkins returned to the track after an injury to win two state championships, in the 100 and 200 meters.

He also ran on the fastest 400-meter relay team in the nation, which set a state record en route to the Class 2A state title -- a first for Pace's boys' track program. Hopkins, who also won the Boys' Track Athlete of the Year, joins DeMarcus Van Dyke and Lovon Ponder as the only others to win the Overall Athlete of the Year from Pace.

Rosenthal was named the Class 4A-1A Girls' Athlete of the Year, which gave Ransom the winner in that category for the second consecutive year after never having had one prior. She also won the Girls' Water Polo Player of the Year award after leading Ransom to its first state title in 12 seasons. She was also an All-Dade first-team swimmer.

In light of its success across the board in nearly every sport, Palmetto was honored as the Class 6A-5A All-Sports Trophy winner. The Panthers won the award for the third time in the past four seasons. Gulliver Prep, with a strong season in both boys' and girls' sports, claimed the Class 4A-1A All-Sports Trophy for the fifth consecutive season.

The Class 6A-5A Boys' Major, which recognizes excellence in football, baseball, basketball, wrestling, track and field and soccer, went to Columbus. The Explorers advanced to the state title game in baseball, had a state runner-up finish in track and field, a third-place finish at state wrestling, and playoff appearances in football and soccer.

Lourdes earned the Class 6A-5A Girls' Major after winning seasons in softball, volleyball, basketball, soccer and track. The Bobcats basketball team went 30-2 and reached the regional finals.

Monsignor Pace claimed the Class 4A-1A Boys' Major after winning a state title in track, reaching the state semifinals in football, and posting a third-place finish at state wrestling. Westminster Christian won its first Girls' Major Award for 4A-1A, highlighted by its state championship in softball three weeks ago.

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