The 2012 “TOP 12” & “Event Elite” Camp kicked off yesterday
in Los Angeles, CA. The 42 best kickers/punters in the world flew into Los
Angeles to attend the highly anticipated, one of a kind, invite only event.
These specialists earned their spots by attending and dominating the Chris
Sailer Kicking Annual National Events in Las Vegas where over 700 specialists
competed overall. All the big names, current committed players, and players
looking to be the next to earn a scholarship came eager and ready to prove
themselves. The history of this camp is impressive. Some past participants
include current NFL kickers Nick Folk, Ryan Succop, David Buehler, Dan Bailey,
Bryan Anger, Randy Bullock, Blair Walsh, Bradley Nortman, Kai Forbath, etc. 4 of
the past 5 Lou Groza Award Winners have been at this camp: Thomas Weber, Kai
Forbath, Dan Bailey, and Randy Bullock. The scene was set for another huge camp.
Day 1 of the camp would focus on field goals for the
kickers and punting for the punters. It was apparent from the start that
everyone was focused and ready to compete. Here are some highlights from Day 1.
Best Field Goal Kicker: Michael Geiger (Class of 2013 – OH)
Best Punter: Ken Kester (Class of 2013 JC – CA)
Field Goal Champions: Matt Anderson (Class of 2013 – CA) &
Mitchell Howard (Class of 2013 – CA)
Punt Champion: Jimmy Hutchinson (Class of 2013 – GA)
Today will focus on kickoffs for the kickers and punting
for the punters. On kickoffs, I expect a big day from Matt Wogan (Class of 2013
– NC), Ty Cummings (Class of 2013 – TX), Jordan Dascalo (Class of 2012 – CA) &
Connor Derby (Class of 2013 JC – CA). On punting, look for Jonathan King (Class
of 2013 – TN), Jed Barnett (Class of 2013 JC – CA), & Andrew Antognoli (Class of
2013 – CA) to step up and compete with the top punters. Some other names that
might surprise are Austin Macginnes (Class of 2013 – AL), Jay Mattox (Class of
2013 – NV) & Andrew Gantz (Class of 2013 – OH).
Stay tuned for Day 2 Results. Visit
www.ChrisSailerKicking.com for
more results and up to date player rankings.