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ASU: Walk-on kicker who will back up All-Pac-10 selection Jesse
Ainsworth...former soccer standout who transferred to ASU from Radford University.
LAST COLLEGE: Transferred to ASU from Radford (Va.) University where he was a
defender on the Highlanders' soccer team...played in 16 games, scoring one goal
and turning in four assists...began his college career at Yavapai CC in Prescott,
Ariz., where he played on the 2002 junior college national championship soccer
squad.
HIGH SCHOOL: A 2002 graduate of Marcos de Niza High School in
Tempe...earned four letters in soccer, two in football and one in track and
field...captained all three squads...two-time MVP of both his football and soccer
teams...earned first-team all-state, all-region and all-city honors in football as
a senior...three-time first-team all-region selection in soccer...also earned
all-state honors in soccer in 2002...had 20 catches for 300 yards and five
touchdowns as a senior...booted 90 percent of his kickoffs for touchback and made
8-of-10 field goals...was the KPNX-12 Friday Night Fever Player of the Week in
Sept. 2002 after kicking a 46-yard field goal and making a 46-yard TD catch in a
game...was a member of the National Honor Society and won the Sydney Barbosa Award
as the top student-athlete at Marcos de Niza...played on the eight-time state
championship Arizona Pros club soccer team...his club squad also won three
regional titles (competing against 14 western states) and was the 2002 national
runner-up...lists scoring the winning goal in the regional championship game to
send his team to the national title contest that season as his most exciting
sports experience...was coached by Roy Lopez.
PERSONAL: Majoring in
Spanish...parents are Del (ASU education department) and Eileen (math teacher)
Merrill of Tempe, Ariz....has two brothers, Scott (28) and Brad (25)...his dad
wrestled at ASU, and his brother, Scott, played soccer at Lake Forest
College...enjoys singing, traveling, learning foreign languages and playing
sports...spent three summers playing soccer and touring Europe...born Aug. 1, 1983
in Phoenix...full name is Mark Thomas Merrill.
