By Sam Waller

Albany graduate Luke Ivy fulfilled a dream recently when he signed to compete in track and field at Rice University.

Ivy becomes Albany’s first signee for NCAA Division I men’s track since Drew Hudson competed at Princeton.

“I never thought I’d be doing that,” Ivy said. “In the back of my mind, I thought it would be really cool, but I never actually believed that I could. Now that it’s a reality, it’s really exciting and something I’m looking forward to.”

By Sam Waller

Two Albany Little League teams advanced in their respective divisions over the weekend in the District 5 tournament, starting with games at the Albany complex on Saturday, May. 28.

The tournament was to conclude Wednesday, June 1, with championship games at the Wylie Little League complex in Abilene.

In the Majors division, the Indians advanced to the County bracket championship and were to play the Merkel Willies on Tuesday, May 31 at Merkel. The winner of that game will play an Abilene opponent for the district championship.

By Sam Waller

There are still plenty of spots available for the youth golf clinic being sponsored by the Albany Kiwanis Club in cooperation with Central Texas Junior Golf.

Organizer Coralie Tidwell said 16 aspiring golfers have already signed up for the free clinic with room for up to 40.

The clinic for students in third through eighth grade is scheduled for 2:00-4:00 p.m. Sunday, June 26, at Albany Golf Club.

Instruction will be by PGA professionals.

To preregister, visit the Central Texas Junior Golf Facebook page or call 325-895-0817.

By Sam Waller

Future Albany Lions and Lady Lions athletes can learn the skills they will need down the road during a series of sports camps offered by local coaches.

The camps for students entering kindergarten through ninth grade for the 2022-23 school year began this week with the Albany Basketball Camp, held Wednesday-Thursday, June 1-2 at the Albany High School gym with instruction by Tate Thompson and Ryder Peacock.

By Sam Waller

The Albany Golf Club will host its annual Father’s Day Golf Tournament Saturday-Sunday, June 18-19 at the Albany Golf Course.

Entry fee for the three-person scramble is $300 per team and includes one mulligan per person each day.

The tournament will have 8:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. tee times on Saturday. Teams will be flighted after the first round.

By Sam Waller

The Albany Lions are back in the regional finals of the Class 2A baseball playoffs after sweeping the Clarendon Broncos in the regional semifinals at Lubbock Christian University’s Hays Field.

The Lions won the series opener 11-4 on Thursday, May 26, then completed their fourth sweep of the playoffs with a 16-3 victory in six innings on Saturday, May 28.

By Sam Waller

Albany Little League concluded its regular season last week and now turns its attention to postseason play.

“It was a wonderful season, and we still have some games ahead of us in district tournaments and all-stars,” league organizer Paul Hamilton said.

The Indians won the local Majors title, going 6-0. The Oilers finished 2-4 and the Reds went 1-5. The local teams also played several games against teams from area towns.

By Sam Waller

The entire Albany Lady Lions starting lineup earned spots on the All-District 8-2A softball team after making their deepest playoff run since 2018.

Ana Balliew received Albany’s lone superlative honor as Pitcher of the Year. Shortstop Robin Lucas, catcher Haily Cox, and third baseman Sara Smith were named to the first-team infield, with Ansleigh Garcia and Gracie Price chosen for the first-team outfield.

By Sam Waller

The Albany Lions passed their toughest test of the postseason so far, overcoming an eight-run deficit in Game 2 to complete a sweep of their Class 2A regional quarterfinal baseball series against Coleman at McMurry’s Walt Driggers Field.

The Lions (19-4) pulled away to win Game 1, played Friday, May 20 with a score of 7-1 after being tied 1-1 in the fourth inning. In Game 2, played Saturday, May 21, Albany won 14-12 in eight innings after trailing 11-3 in the third inning.

By Sam Waller

Alli Scott claimed the second state gold medal in Moran history Saturday, May 14 at the Class 1A state track meet.

Scott won the 100-meter hurdles at Myers Stadium in Austin, claiming Moran’s first track state title since Amy Moore won the 440-yard dash in 1972, which was the first year the UIL held a state meet for girls.

Scott narrowly missed adding another top spot, finishing second in the 300 hurdles.