The Grand River Conference has honored its best in softball with the recent selection of first-team, second-team, and honorable mention teams for both the Western and Eastern Divisions for the 2019 season. For the first time in the four-year set-up of the 16 school league, the GRC championship went to Unionville, as Putnam County beat Worth County in the GRC championship game. Putnam County won the GRC Eastern Division with a record of 7-0, while a 6-0 record (St. Joseph Christian did not have a team) gave Worth County the GRC West crown.
Eleven young ladies earned GRC East first-team status, seven of those by unanimous fashion. Two Trenton Lady Bulldogs were named unanimously to the team, in seniors McKayla Blackburn and Lexi Whitaker. Putnam County’s Sammi Bradshaw and Carsen Sporleder were named unanimously, as were Maysville junior Sadie Smith and sophomore Ashton Willis, and Polo freshman Chloe Gilbert. The remainder of the first team consists of Trenton junior Maci Moore, Milan sophomore Cadence Pauley, and Princeton sophomore Lauren Krohn and senior Lindsey Batson.
GRC East second-teamers were, from Putnam County, Claire Tipton, Kori Hornaday, and Stephanie Stout; from Trenton, Teya Cooksey and Chandler Lynch; from South Harrison, Jillian Hurt; from Princeton, Lacie Lewis and Jasmine Allen; from Maysville, Ashley Brown, Rylie Boyer, and Madeline Smith; and from Gallatin, Caragan Baker.
GRC East honorable mentions go to Trenton’s Chloe Harris, Milan’s Erin Richardson, Putnam County’s Shay Tilden, Princeton’s Carsey Brown, Polo’s Mallory Clevenger, and Gallatin’s Madalyn Shubert.
Putnam County edged Trenton by one game to win the GRC East title, with Maysville third and Princeton finishing fourth.
Worth County’s edge for the GRC West crown was two games over Stanberry, Braymer, and Albany, who finished 4-2 in conference play. Twelve girls earned GRC West first-team status. Named unanimously were Albany juniors Michaela Martin and Gabby Newman; Braymer junior Hallie Russell and freshman Raylee Hawkins; Stanberry senior Sydney Mattson and junior Riley McQueen; and Worth County senior Anna Gladstone and junior Megan Cassavaugh. Others on the first team are King City freshman Emberlyn Medsker, Pattonsburg sophomore Jillian Plymell, and the North Andrew freshman duo of Madison Curran and Michaela Sybert.
Second-teamers on the western side are Stanberry’s Lexi Craig and Sadie Runde, Albany’s Sierra Anthony, Braymer’s Jasmine Taylor and Kennedy Stone, Worth County’s Jill Hardy, Pattonsburg’s Web Bailey, and Alaina Officer of North Andrew.
GRC West honorable mention picks are Worth County’s Morgan Beagle and Merrideth Spiers, Pattonsburg’s Quincy Crone, North Andrew’s Emalee Pittman, King City’s Victoria Washburn, Albany’s Emily Poppa, and Stanberry’s Morgan Wallace.
