Albany softball players earned recognition on the District 7-2A All-District team, which was announced this week following the elimination of the final district team from the playoffs.

Junior Caitlyn Holson was named the Offensive Player of the Year by the coaches for the district, while junior Aubrey Moon received the district’s Fighting Heart Award. Moon battled injuries throughout the season, still managing to compete in most of the games.

Sophomore Torie Fuentes was picked for second team All-District at the third base position.

Four Moran junior high students placed at the district tennis meet in Eula on Tuesday, May 7.

Caleb York took second in boys singles, and Daphani Crews was third in girls singles. 

Brook Orsak and Emily Murk were third in girls doubles.

“This was the first year for all of these participants, and they are off to a great start,” said coach Jo Hise. “I am very proud of how well they represented Moran ISD.”

Boys Singles

Caleb York lost to a player from Eula 6-4; defeated a player from Eula 6-1 for second place.

Girls Singles

Moran senior Kobee Lapp placed fourth in the triple jump at the University Interscholastic League 1-A Track and Field State Championships in Austin last Friday, May 10.

Many would be satisfied by qualifying for state, but according to coach Dakota Fowler, Lapp was disappointed with his fourth place finish.

The 42-08.5 Lapp cleared at the state meet is five and a half inches less than his personal record of 43-02 recorded at the Albany Invitational meet at the end of March. Those extra inches would have earned him a bronze medal.

The Lion baseball team dominated Cross Plains in the bi-district series last week, handing the Buffaloes a pair of 10-run rule losses to advance to the next round of the playoffs.

Albany (15-6) will travel to San Angelo Central High School this week for the area playoff series against the McCamey Badgers. 

As of press time, Game 1 will be played Thursday at 5:00 p.m., with the second bout set to follow after a brief rest. If a third game is needed to determine the series, it will be played at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, May 10.

Senior Caroline Masters has her work cut out for her this Saturday.

The diminutive 4-foot 9-inch pole vaulter is headed to the UIL State Track and Field Meet for the second time, setting the lofty goal to end up on the medals stand this time.

Masters placed seventh last year with a jump of 10 feet. She is taking in a personal record of 10-6 this year and is tied for third place based on the qualifying regional jumps.

Masters is again advancing as the second place medalist out of Region 1-2A.

The Albany junior high tennis team brough home several medals from last week’s district tournament, including gold in girls singles and boys singles for both grade levels, as well as seventh grade boys doubles.

There were also several silver medals for local players, who missed out on any other action during the short season because of the weather.

“Our season was cut short, but the kids were good about coming to practice and did a great job at district,” said tennis coach Sara Wilson.

Kobee Lapp cleared 42 feet 11 inches in his final jump to win the gold medal in triple jump at the Region 3-A track meet last month and earn his way to the University Interscholastic League Track and Field State Championships taking place tomorrow, May 10, in Austin.

The boys 1-A triple jump event will take place at 3:00 p.m. on Friday, May 10, in Mike A. Myers Stadium at the University of Texas campus in Austin.

The stadium is located at 707 Clyde Littlefield Drive.

The Hardin Simmons Cowgirls recently won the American Southwest Conference Track and Field Championship thanks in a large part to Shackelford County graduates Baley Green and Sydney Ten Cate.

HSU senior Sydney Ten Cate graduated from Moran, while college freshman Baley Green is from Albany. 

Ten Cate garnered 30 points at the meet, and Baley earned 13 points on her own and another eight as part of the mile relay team. Between the two they helped tally 51 points toward the HSU team winning total of 224.83.

Sydney Ten Cate

The Lion baseball team clawed their way back to second place in District 8-2A with a 4-1 win over the Haskell Indians last week in Hermleigh. The game was orginally scheduled in Albany but was moved due to weather conditions.

The Lions are paired against the Cross Plains Buffaloes in the bi-district playoff series set to start Thursday (today) in Eastland at 5:00 p.m. Game 2 is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. Friday in Eastland, with the third game 30 minutes afterwards if needed.

Admission will be $3 for adults and $2 for students.

Several members of the Albany track teams competed last week at the Region I-2A meet in Levelland, with senior Caroline Masters advancing for a second year to the state track meet in the pole vault.

While Masters was the lone Albany athlete to advance to Austin, several other individuals and three of the four relay teams made the finals to place at the regional meet.