Ten-year old sprinter Kyron Bussey is top August Athlete for New Orleans

Fifth-Grader Won 100-Meter and 200-Meter Dashes at AAU Junior Olympics

NEW ORLEANS – Kyron Bussey, a 10-year old from Marrero, has been selected as the Greater New Orleans Amateur Athlete of the Month for August. Monthly award-winners are selected by the Greater New Orleans Sports Awards Committee, sponsored by the Allstate Sugar Bowl. Bussey is believed to be the youngest honoree in the history of the award, which has been presented since 1957.

Greater New Orleans Amateur Athletes of the Month

Bussey, who competes for the S.A.C.S. Track and Field Club, won the championships in the 100-meter and 200-meter dashes of the 10-year-old division of the AAU Junior Olympics in Des Moines, Iowa, in early August. In the 100, Bussey had the top time in the prelims and semifinals, with a personal-best time of 12.64 seconds in the semis, before running a 13.00 into a strong headwind in the final. Bussey turned in a time of 26.90, also into a strong wind, in the 200 final. He defeated last year’s winner in both races. Bussey is an honor student at Estelle Elementary School.

“You have to get out on that curve and then on the straightaway, just stay home and stay strong,” Bussey said after his 200-meter win. “I want to thank my dad and my coach, Coach Kris [Lewis], I want to thank them a lot for believing in me.”

Bussey was selected for the honor over three other area standouts:

• Luke Barbier, a pitcher for the New Orleans Boosters, was named Co-Most Valuable Player of the 2023 All-American Amateur Baseball Association (AAABA) National Tournament in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. Barbier enjoyed a stellar tournament, compiling a 1-1 record on the mound with 19 strikeouts and a 2.77 ERA in two games and 13 innings pitched. The Boosters finished as tournament runner-up to Johnstown’s Mainline Pharmacy, with Johnstown edging New Orleans in a 3-2 decision in the title game. Barbier, who played at Nicholls this past year, will pitch for Delgado Community College this fall.

• Bengisu Kazazlar, a freshman setter for Xavier University of Louisiana Women’s Volleyball, made her collegiate debut by averaging 9.50 assists per set (152 total) and serving nine aces, both team bests, at the CC Hampton Inn Classic in Columbia, Mo. She also produced 15 kills and seven blocks and hit .290 while producing a pair of assist/dig double-doubles. Kazazlar was chosen Red River Athletic Conference Setter of the Week for Aug. 21-27.

• Kolby King, a sophomore from Pompano Beach, Fla., keyed Tulane Basketball’s bronze-medal performance at the World University Games held in China from July 28-August 6. Tulane represented Team USA at the games. King was the overall leading scorer in the tournament with 109 points as he averaged 18.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 2.0 steals per game. He shot 58 percent from the field, 44 percent from three-point range, and 74 percent from the line. In three August games, he averaged 20.7 points per game. In the bronze medal victory over Argentina on Aug. 6, the 6-2 King scored 23 points. He added 21 points, including 18 in a second-half rally, in a 95-82 semifinal loss to Brazil on Aug. 4. He had tallied 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting to lead the Green Wave in an 96-68 win over the Republic of Korea (Aug. 2) to advance to the semifinals.

The Greater New Orleans Sports Awards Committee has been selecting an Amateur Athlete of the Month each month since 1957. The athlete must be a native of the greater New Orleans area or must compete for a team in the metropolitan region in order to be eligible.

The Allstate Sugar Bowl has established itself as one of the premier college football bowl games, having hosted 28 national champions, 103 Hall of Fame players, 52 Hall of Fame coaches and 21 Heisman Trophy winners in its 89-year history. The 90th Allstate Sugar Bowl Football Classic, which will double as a College Football Playoff Semifinal, is scheduled to be played on January 1, 2024. In addition to football, the Sugar Bowl Committee annually invests over $1 million into the community through the hosting and sponsorship of sporting events, awards, scholarships and clinics. Through these efforts, the organization supports and honors thousands of student-athletes each year, while injecting nearly $2.4 billion into the local economy in the last decade. For more information, visit allstatesugarbowl.org.