The Grand River Conference has announced first team, second team, and honorable mention softball honorees for the 2017 season. For the second consecutive season, 15 schools participated in softball (St. Joseph Christian did not have a team), with Trenton High School winning the GRC title with a victory on September 21st over Stanberry.
Trenton, a powerful Class 2 program featuring high-level talent, placed four players on the Eastern Division’s first team, with two selections to the second team, and one honorable mention. However, the Lady Bulldogs are not among the two GRC teams advancing into the state playoffs, with Penney bouncing Trenton 2-1 on Saturday in the District 15 championship game. Gallatin and Maysville will play tonight (Wednesday) night in the first round of the Class 1 playoffs, with Gallatin at Canton, and Maysville playing at Norborne.
In the GRC East, eleven players were named first-team, with seven in unanimous fashion. Among the unanimous first-teamers are the Trenton junior battery of pitcher Ainsley Tolson and catcher Salem Croy, in addition to Princeton sophomore Lindsey Batson, Polo junior Kallie Heil, Maysville senior Brea Blanton, and the Putnam County duo of sophomore Sammi Bradshaw and freshman Carsen Sporleder.
Four young ladies, including two Trenton Lady Bulldogs, complete the GRC East first team, as THS freshman Maci Moore and junior Mykah Hurley are joined by Gallatin senior Aubrey Feiden and Maysville junior Cat Whiteman.
Ten girls were named first-team All-GRC West, with seven unanimously. Those seven are Albany freshman Michaela Martin, King City seniors Shae Gilbert and Grace Schottel, Stanberry seniors Kalie Peterson and Taylor McQueen, Braymer senior Maggie Phillips, and Worth County sophomore Anna Gladstone. The three girls completing the first team are Braymer senior Kelsey Stone, North Andrew junior Jentry Copple, and Stanberry junior Lily Osborn.
Trenton High School junior Sidney Lynch and sophomore Lexi Whitaker were named GRC East second-teamers, along with South Harrison freshman Riley McChesney, Maysville freshman Sadie Smith, Putnam County sophomores Kori Hornaday and Katy Salisbury, Princeton senior Vivian Allen, Polo junior Shelby Copeland, and the Milan tandem of junior Courtney McCollum and senior Maddie Schoonover.
GRC West second-teamers were selected as Albany senior Lulu Brown, freshman Gabby Newman, and junior Riley Houts, Braymer senior Shelby Anderson and sophomore Jasmine Taylor, King city junior Shanley Muff and senior Abigail Rapp, North Andrew senior Aeriel Rutherford, Pattonsburg senior Katie Warford, Worth County junior Haley Hunt, and Stanberry senior Taylin Hunter, junior Madi Sager, and junior Kierstyn McMillen.
Trenton junior Taylor Richman, lost to the Lady Bulldogs program at mid-season due to a broken leg, was hitting as well as anybody in the GRC at the time of the injury, with that recognized by the conference with an Eastern Division honorable mention selection. Richman is joined by Gallatin freshman Caragan Baker and junior Karley Salmon, Princeton junior Kylie Willett, Maysville sophomore Emily Brown, South Harrison sophomore Milaynie May, and Putnam County junior Riley Rouse.
GRC West honorable mention status goes to Braymer sophomore Taylor Francis and junior Tori Smith, Pattonsburg junior Shaila Cramer, Worth County junior Kennedy Galanakis, and Worth County freshman Jill Hardy.
Trenton won the GRC East with a 7-0 conference mark, one game ahead of Putnam County, while Gallatin was third at 4-3. Maysville and South Harrison tied at 3-4, with Milan and Princeton both at 2-5, and Polo at 1-6.
In the GRC West, Stanberry’s 6-0 mark was two games ahead of the runner-up 4-2 records by King City and Braymer. Worth County and Albany both were 3-3, with North Andrew 1-5, and Pattonsburg at 0-6.
