Local Sports
AMONG NATION’S BEST
Staff ReportsHANCEVILLE — The success of Wallace State’s softball team on the field the last two years has resulted in individual awards for the Lions off the field.
After coming within one win of a second consecutive National Junior College Athletic Association championship this season, coach Jayne Clem’s team had three players named NJCAA First Team All-Americans.
Sophomore Sallie Van Kirk along with freshmen Kelsey Dennis and Stephanie Needham received the honors last month.
Van Kirk, Dennis and Needham were also named to the National Fast Pitch Coaches Association All-South Region First Team, while sophomore Sallie Beth Burch was selected to the second team.
Dennis was also named the NJCAA Region XXII Player of the Year for her strong season on the mound. The Pelham High graduate finished the year with a 34-4 record and a 0.84 ERA. She struck out 340 batters in 249 1-3 innings and tossed 24 complete games.
Skinner complemented Dennis with a 19-2 record and a 1.38 ERA in 24 starts.
Needham served as Wallace’s biggest power threat. The Hewitt-Trussville graduate hit .457 with 15 homers and 71 RBIs. Needham was also the Alabama Community College Conference Tournament MVP after going 4-for-4 with six RBIs against Jeff State in the championship game.
Van Kirk, who battled through an ACL injury all season, recorded a .391 average and .447 on-base percentage. She finished with 29 steals and 39 RBIs.
Burch, a Lawrence County product, hit .346 with six homers and 41 RBIs.
Van Kirk and Burch were part of a sophomore class that will be remembered for bringing a national title to Hanceville as freshmen.
“To see those girls mature as players and accomplish what they did is amazing,” said Clem. “It was their goal to get back to the national tournament after they won it as freshmen. To get back and be one inning away from winning two in a row says a lot about their character and hard work.”
Dennis, Needham and Skinner highlight a solid core returning next season. They’ll be joined by a strong freshman class led West Morgan High’s Lauren Seibert, who recently was named as the Class 3A MVP and Pitcher of the Year after leading the school to its first state championship.
- Local Sports
-
-
TALKIN' PREPS: Playoff-bound Aggies keep moving in the right direction
FAIRVIEW — Outside the home locker room at Fairview High, the celebration was loud enough that you almost thought you were part of the team.
-
RECLASS SHAKES UP AREA
No one at West Point High was surprised when the Alabama High School Athletic Association released its reclassification numbers for the 2010-12 school years.
West Point’s return to Class 4A was short-lived. When the ’10 football season begins next fall, the Warriors will be playing in Class 5A, Region 6 alongside Cullman, Hartselle and Walker.
-
PREP BASKETBALL: Cullman uses late push to beat Clay-Chalkville
CULLMAN — Morgan Smith didn’t deliver a freshman performance in her second varsity basketball game.
-
TALKIN' PREPS: Skipper goes from unknown to asset
Remember when Dylan Skipper was an unproven quarterback? How about when he was the glaring preseason question hanging over Cullman High’s offense?
-
JUCO MEN'S BASKETBALL: Farmer, Jones lift Lions to win in season opener
HANCEVILLE — Wallace State’s L.A. Farmer finished with 22 points and seven rebounds and Devon Jones added 13 points off the bench to lift the Lions past Northeast Mississippi 65-60 in the season opener for both teams Monday at Tom Drake Coliseum.
-
PREP FOOTBALL: Bearcats have sights set on another deep playoff run
Ben Moore will be in an unfamiliar position when the postseason begins Friday. He’ll be watching from the Cullman High sideline.
-
PREP FOOTBALL: Aggies ride early lead to win over Raiders
FAIRVIEW — For the final five minutes of their final regular-season home game in purple and gold, Fairview High’s seniors were exactly where they wanted to be.
-
PREP FOOTBALL: Bearcats beat elements, Bears
DECATUR — It was simply a matter of time before the heavy rain was going to arrive. But when it did, the Cullman Bearcats were unphased.
-
PREP FOOTBALL ROUNDUP: Warriors grab county win
-
PREP VOLLEYBALL: Ol' Blue heads to Addison
PELHAM — Nothing against the city of Pelham, but Pam Wilkins was ready to hightail it back up Interstate 65 with a shiny blue trophy in tow.
And the sooner the better.
Trailing late in game three of the Class 2A state championship match after taking a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series, the Addison High volleyball coach called a timeout to give her team a challenge.
Or maybe just a friendly suggestion. Whatever it was, it worked.
- More Local Sports Headlines
-
TALKIN' PREPS: Playoff-bound Aggies keep moving in the right direction
