Press Kit

News from Mt Washington Valley, NH – July 10, 2013

Contact:  Janice Crawford, 603-356-5701

NORTH CONWAY, NH CELEBRATES ALL-STAR JEFF LOCKE

North Conway, NH- Beyond its natural and family attractions, Mt Washington Valley has yet another draw for visitors. The White Mountain National Forest and the tallest peak in the Northeast may be important tourist draws for the region, yet North Conway is also home to a number of celebrated athletes.  From Olympic skier, Tyler Palmer to recent All-Star recruit, Jeff Locke, North Conway has produced a number of renowned athletes, putting the town not only on the tourism map but on the sports map too.

Born in 1987 in North Conway, NH, Jeff Locke attended Kennett High School where he was known as the “Redstone Rocket” and continues to be the all-time leader in wins for Kennett High School.   In June 2006, The Conway Daily Sun sports editor Lloyd Jones established his nickname because of Locke's fastball which Jones named after Locke’s hometown of Redstone, NH (a neighborhood of Conway, NH).  In both his junior and senior years of high school Locke was named New Hampshire player of the year and a New Hampshire State First-Team All-Star.

Says Rick West, Kennett HS Varsity Baseball Coach, “Jeff is the pride of Kennett High School and the Mt Washington Valley.  When the ‘Redstone Rocket’ takes the mound the whole Valley takes the mound with him”.

Right out of high school, at 19 years old, Locke was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the second round of the 2006 amateur draft and signed in June, 2006. By November 2007, Baseball America ranked Locke #8 on their Atlanta Braves Top 10 Prospects list. In June, 2009 Locke was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates and was assigned to their Class A Advanced affiliates, the Lynchburg Hillcats.  He was called up to the Majors in 2011 and his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates continued to soar from there. Locke’s scored another milestone recently when he was tabbed to represent the National League at the 2013 All-Star Game at New York's Citi Field.

From Conway to the big leagues, Jeff Locke joins other celebrated athletes like U.S. Ski Team Leanne Smith in putting North Conway on the global map.

For more information on visiting North Conway and Mt Washington Valley, visit www.mtwashingtonvalley.org or call 1-800-367-3364.  To plan your New Hampshire vacation, visit www.visitnh.gov.

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