SB: Six area players named academic all-state
six area female athletes named to the Texas Girls Coaches Association
Academic All-State Softball teams. (Photo by John Krueger)
Six area softball players have produced impressive numbers on the field during the 2011 season. But they have also been recognized for their efforts in the classroom as three Carthage Lady Bulldogs, two Center Lady Riders and a Beckville Ladycat were honored by being named to their respective Texas Girls Coaches Association Academic All-State Softball teams.
Honored from Carthage on the Class 3A team were centerfielder Kendall Hightower, leftfielder Payton Peace and pitcher Jessica Pride. Center players named to the elite squad were centerfielder Destiny Russell and catcher Kaley Nichols. Beckville shortstop Erica Graham was named as a member of the Class 1A state squad.
Destiny Russell - Center
Russell was a four-year starter for the Lady Riders and she finished her senior year ranked No.5 in her class with a grade point average of 99.1296. She was a four-year Academic All-District 18-3A athlete and plans on attending Stephen F. Austin in the fall.
Russell started her high school career playing as a utility player, then moved to right field her sophomore season, before settling in and playing her last two seasons in center field.
She was named the team's Most Valuable Player this past season and was an All-District 18-3A honorable mention. Russell was a first-team all-district performer her junior year, claiming the team's coaches' award. As a sophomore she was an all-district honorable mention and received the coaches' award that year as well. As a freshman she was honored with the coaches' award, beginning a three-year run of that award.
"Destiny always gave 110 percent no matter what," said Center head softball coach Christie Benton. "She always led by example and never gave up. She was one of those players who always uplifted her teammates and improved every time she walked on the field."
Kaley Nichols - Center
Nichols, who was the starting catcher for Center for the past three seasons, was a three-year Academic All-District 18-3A player and finished with a No.12 ranking in her class with a GPA of 95.1153. She plans on attending SFA to become an athletic trainer.
In addition to her academic accolades, Nichols received the squad's coaches' award in her sophomore. She was also an all-district honorable mention catcher as a junior and received the Center Defensive Player of the Year award as both a junior and senior. She topped that by being named to the Second-Team All-District 18-3A team this season.
"Kaley was a great leader and was always energetic, full of life and loves the game of softball," Benton expressed. "She continually worked hard to make herself and the team better every day."
Benton said she will miss both Russell and Nichols from the team in the future.
"As a coach, I'll miss these two ladies greatly and am honored to have had the opportunity to have coached them," she insisted. "They are the prime example of what it means to be a student-athlete.
"They were always worked hard on and off the field to better themselves, and at the same time influencing those around them in a profound way.
"They were well-deserved to receive these all-state honors."
Jessica Pride - Carthage
Lady Bulldog pitcher Jessica Pride was a first-team all-district hurler, finishing the year with a team-leading 72 innings pitched, posting a 4.28 ERA. She gave up just 44 earned runs on the year, while striking out 33 and walking just 11.
She started 12 games, posting a 7-6 record (.538), recording 15 appearances and two complete games.
Pride was also the top hitter on the Carthage ballclub, with a .579 average, including a .657 on-base percentage and a .737 slugging percentage. She scored 20 runs, tagging 33 hits, with 20 RBIs, six doubles and a home run. She also drew 10 walks while striking out only four times in 70 plate appearances.
Kendall Hightower - Carthage
Hightower was not only a scholar in the classroom, but one of the top hitter on the Carthage roster as well. The outfielder finished the 2011 season as the third-leading hitter on the squad with a .413 batting average.
The First-Team All-District 16-3A outfielder posted 19 hits with eight runs scored, 11 RBIs and three doubles during her senior campaign. She had an on-base percentage of .491 and a slugging percentage of .478, striking out only four times all season long.
Payton Peace - Carthage
Carthage's Peace was another player that excelled both in the class and on the field. She hit .333 on the year, with 23 runs and 29 hits in 92 plate appearances. The Second-Team All-District 16-3A outfielder drove in six runs and had a .333 slugging percentage.
Erica Graham - Beckville
Graham was named the District 21-1A Offensive Player of the Year and finished her high school run ranked third in her class with a grade point average of 98.705.
A standout in volleyball, basketball and softball, Graham will play college softball at Northeast Texas Community College in Mount Pleasant. She was also an all-district performer in the other sports as well during the 2010-11 school year.
Graham hit over .530 on the year, with 10 home runs and over 50 RBIs and 40 hits, stealing nearly 30 bases.
Texas Girls Coaches Association
Class 3A All-State Academic Team
Lauren Zanotto (Sr.) - Argyle
Megan May (Sr.) - Athens
Cassie Conatser (Sr.) - Bowie
Ainsley Shaffer (Sr.) - Bowie
Jessica Franklin (Sr.) - Bridge City
Lauren Fedor (Sr.) - Canton
Kendall Hightower (Sr.) - Carthage
Payton Peace (Sr.) - Carthage
Jessica Pride (Sr.) - Carthage
Kaley Nichols (Sr.) - Center
Destiny Russell (Sr.) - Center
Annabelle Hutchinson (Sr.) - Columbia
Kelsey Engeldinger (Sr.) - Connally
Sarah Plymell (Sr.) - Connally
Rachel Harrison (Sr.) - Farmersville
Brittany Varner (Sr.) - Farmersville
Shelby Brewer (Sr.) - Gainesville
Taylor Murphy (Sr.) - Gainesville
Krystal Hillis (Sr.) - Greenwood
Shaena Price (Sr.) - Greenwood
Breanna Ross (Sr.) - Hamshire Fannett
Shannon Sain (Sr.) - Hamshire Fannett
Nicole Sewell (Sr.) - Hamshire Fannett
Kendall Williams (Sr.) - Hamshire Fannett
Macey Cloberdants (Sr.) - Hargrave
Dannan Dueitt (Sr.) - Hargrave
Lauren Mena (Sr.) - Hargrave
Haley Richter (Sr.) - Hondo
Jenni Bowden (Sr.) - Huntington
Kelsey Kirkland (Sr.) - Huntington
Joey Drury (Sr.) - Iowa Park
Blaire Untalan (Sr.) - Iowa Park
Lauren Ainsley (Sr.) - LaVernia
Hali Kizer (Sr.) - Lindale
Devin Marsh (Sr.) - Lindale
Jessica Green (Sr.) - Lovejoy
Catherine Guilbeau (Sr.) - Lovejoy
Kensey Camp (Sr.) - Lytle
Brandi Potter (Sr.) - Lytle
Amy Briscoe (Sr.) - Needville
Shauni Prihoda (Sr.) - Needville
Jenny Stack (Sr.) - Needville
Julie Stack (Sr.) - Needville
Cobi Barker (Sr.) - North Lamar
Haley Cole (Sr.) - Orangefield
Kristah Balboa (Sr.) - Orange Grove
Melanie Garcia (Sr.) - Orange Grove
Jordan Mayhew (Sr.) - Pampa
Madi Shults (Sr.) - Pampa
Laura Benavidez (Sr.) - Robstown
Keila Flores (Sr.) - Robstown
Mallory Westbrook (Sr.) - Rusk
Hannah Holub (Sr.) - Sealy
Sarah Oliver (Sr.) - Sealy
Laura Bernaldez (Sr.) - Spring Hill
Avery Curtis (Sr.) - Spring Hill
Courtney Tisdale (Sr.) - Spring Hill
Kealey Womack (Sr.) - Spring Hill
Kristin Dietz (Sr.) - Van Alstyne
Dara Hendon (Sr.) - Van
Jessica Marshburn (Sr.) - Van
Chelsey Moore (Sr.) - Van
Taylor Wilson (Sr.) - Van
Lyndsie Dunson (Sr.) - Vernon
Elizabeth Danielle Guerra (Sr.) - Vernon
Alyson Perez (Sr.) - Vernon
Megan Allred (Sr.) - West
Brooke Morrison (Sr.) - West
Taylor Sullins (Sr.) - West