22 New York Tri-State Area Student-Athletes Nominated For 2013 McDonald's All American® High School Basketball Games

NEW YORK, Jan. 17, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, McDonald's^® announced the list of players nominated for the 2013 McDonald's All American Games. Of the 814 nominees selected by high school coaches, athletic directors, principles and members of the McDonald's All American Games Selection Committee, 22 players hail from New York Tri-State – 16 male and 6 female players.

The New York Tri-State 2013 McDonald's All American Boys High School Basketball Team nominees include:

NEW YORK

• Kentan Facey - Long Island Lutheran High School, Brookville, NY
• Jordan Washington - Pathways College Prep, Queens, NY
• Tafari Whittingham - Lincoln High School, Brooklyn, NY

NEW JERSEY

• Deandre Bembry – Patrick School, Elizabeth, NJ
• Josh Brown – St. Anthony's Catholic High School, Jersey City, NJ
• Reggie Cameron – Hudson Catholic High School, Jersey City, NJ
• Austin Colbert – Gill St. Bernard High School, Gladstone, NJ
• Hallice Cooke – St. Anthony's Catholic High School, Jersey City, NJ
• Tyler Ennis – St. Benedict's Prep, Newark, NJ
• Keith Kirkwood – Neptune High School, Neptune, NJ
• Jermaine Lawrence – Pope John XXIII High School, Sparta, NJ
• Tyler Roberson – Roselle Catholic High School, Roselle, NJ
• Jaren Sina – Gill St. Bernard High School, Gladstone, NJ
• Isaiah Watkins – St. Benedict's Prep, Newark, NJ
• Spencer Weisz – Seton Hall Prep, West Orange, NJ
• Michael Young – St. Benedict's Prep, Newark, NJ

The New York Tri-State 2013 McDonald's All American Girls High School Basketball Team nominees include:

NEW YORK

• Carolyn Binder - Rye Country Day School, Rye, NY
• Saniya Chong - Ossining High School, Ossining, NY
• Aaliyah Lewis - Bishop Ford Central Catholic High School, Brooklyn, NY

NEW JERSEY

• Dawn Green – Essex County Vocational (Newark Tech), Newark, NJ
• Teana Muldrow – East Orange High School, East Orange, NJ
• Jade Walker – DePaul Catholic High School, Wayne NJ

The complete list of 2013 McDonald's All American Games nominees will be available at www.mcdaag.com. The final roster of 24 boys and 24 girls who will be selected to play in the 2013 Games will be announced during the McDonald's All American Games Selection Show on ESPNU, airing February 14 at 5:00 p.m. ET.

"This year we have an outstanding group of basketball players that make all of us from the New York Tri-State area very proud," said Tony Scari, president of the New York Tri-State Area Owners and Operators Association. "These remarkable young men and women truly epitomize what it means to be a student-athlete. Their talent and dedication will take them far and we look forward to watching them continue to excel both on and off the court."   

The 36^th annual Boys Game will tip-off on Wednesday, April 3 at 8:30 p.m. CT from Chicago's United Center and will be broadcast on ESPN.  Prior to the Boys Game will be the 12^th annual McDonald's All American Girls Game which tips-off at 6 p.m. CT and will broadcast live on ESPNU. Information regarding tickets for the 2013 McDonald's All American Games is available at Ticketmaster.

Proceeds from the Games will benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC). The Games have raised more than $10 million for RMHC since its inception in 1978.

@McDAAG
Follow the McDonald's All American Games Twitter handle, @McDAAG, to receive up-to-date information and a behind-the-scenes look at the 2013 Games; including key announcements, local player/coach recognitions and historical Games facts and figures.

ABOUT McDONALD'S NEW YORK TRI-STATE RESTAURANTS:
McDonald's is one of the world's best-known brands and is a global leader in food service. There are more than 600 McDonald's restaurants, owned by over 100 franchisees, located throughout the New York, New Jersey and Connecticut Tri-State. Visit www.mcdonaldsnymetro.com or follow us on Twitter @McDNYTriState for information about other McDonald's area programs.

About Ronald McDonald House Charities^®
Ronald McDonald House Charities^® (RMHC^®), a non-profit, 501(c)(3) corporation, creates, finds and supports programs that directly improve the health and well-being of children. Through its global network of local Chapters in 57 countries and regions, its three core programs, the Ronald McDonald House^®, Ronald McDonald Family Room^® and Ronald McDonald Care Mobile^®, and millions of dollars in grants to support children's programs worldwide, RMHC provides stability and resources to families so they can get and keep their children healthy and happy. All RMHC-supported programs provide a bridge to quality health care and give children and families the time they need together to heal faster and cope better. For more information, visit www.rmhc.org, follow RMHC on Twitter (@RMHC), or like RMHC on Facebook (Facebook.com/RMHC Global).

©2013 McDonald's

SOURCE McDonald's New York Tri-State Restaurants