Enka softball coach Jennifer Kruk congratulates Addison Harris after her walkoff home run in last month’s NCHSAA 3-A championship series played in Greensboro.
Note: The All-WNC softball team is in Saturday’s print edition of the Citizen-Times.
COACH OF THE YEAR
Jennifer Kruk
Enka
Kruk is a repeat selection as the All-WNC Coach of the Year award after she and the Sugar Jets (26-3) became Western North Carolina’s first repeat state champion in NCHSAA softball since Owen in 1999 and 2000. They outscored opponents, 248-66, and were No. 2 in the final MaxPreps all-classifications state rankings. Kruk has now been part of three state championships for Enka – one as a player (1996) and two as a coach (2015 and 2016). Sophomore infielder Kloyee Anderson was named the Mountain Athletic Conference Player of the Year and senior Courtney Pearson was crowned the league’s top pitcher. The Sugar Jets, who only lost to one in-state opponent this season (Greenville’s D.H. Conley), put six other players on the All-MAC team. They were Mariah Foxworth, Brittany Fletcher, Addison Harris, Payton Trantham, Danielle Harris and Claire Crout.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Courtney Pearson
Enka
Pitcher
Pearson (21-1) is a first-time winner of the All-WNC Player of the Year award, but a four-time member of the Citizen-Times All-WNC team. The right-hander was named the Mountain Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year for a third consecutive season after maintaining a 1.51 earned-run average with 110 strikeouts in 143.2 innings pitched. Pearson pitched every game of the NCHSAA 3-A playoffs for the Sugar Jets, including a sweep of C.B. Aycock (8-6 and 5-3) in the state-championship series played June 3-4 at UNC Greensboro. She was named the Co-West Pitcher of the Year by the N.C. Softball Coaches Association in addition to NCSCA all-state and all-district honors. Her career record was 68-12 with the wins total representing a school record. Pearson has signed to play college softball for Queens.
PITCHERS
Haylie Shope
Hiwassee Dam
Senior
Shope (17-1) was named the Smoky Mountain Conference Pitcher of the Year after maintaining a 0.79 earned-run average with 168 strikeouts in 97.2 innings pitched. At the plate, Shope hit .560 with 50 RBIs, 11 home runs, seven doubles and two triples. She received all-state and all-district honors from the N.C. Softball Coaches Association. Shope has signed to play college softball for Kennesaw State (Ga.).
Jaiden Tweed
Owen
Sophomore
Tweed (11-5) was named the Western Highlands Conference Pitcher of the Year after maintaining a 1.58 earned-run average with 174 strikeouts in 106 innings pitched. She had a fielding percentage of .982. Tweed also batted .500 with 25 RBIs, 15 stolen bases and three home runs. Tweed received all-state and all-district honors from the N.C. Softball Coaches Association. She has committed to play college softball for Presbyterian.
Madison Whitted
Pisgah
Sophomore
Whitted (13-4) was named the Western North Carolina Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year after maintaining a 1.17 earned-run average with 163 strikeouts in 112 innings pitched. At the plate, she hit .325 with 13 RBIs. Whitted received all-state and all-district honors from the N.C. Softball Coaches Association.
INFIELDERS
Kloyee Anderson
Enka
Sophomore
Anderson was named the Mountain Athletic Conference Player of the Year after batting .544 with 27 RBIs, five doubles, three home runs and two triples. She scored 45 runs out of the leadoff position for the two-time defending NCHSAA 3-A champion Sugar Jets. Anderson received all-state and all-district honors from the N.C. Softball Coaches Association. She has committed to play college softball for Alabama.
Kameron Forrister
Hiwassee Dam
Senior
Forrister was named the Smoky Mountain Conference Player of the Year after batting .607 with 25 RBIs, 14 doubles, seven triples and a home run. She stole 29 bases. Forrister received all-state and all-district honors from the N.C. Softball Coaches Association.
Hannah Jennings
Madison
Sophomore
Jennings was named the Western Highlands Conference Player of the Year after batting .589 with 33 RBIs. She was also 10-1 as a pitcher with a 1.57 earned-run average and 78 strikeouts in 58 innings. Jennings received all-state and all-district honors from the N.C. Softball Coaches Association.
Addison Harris
Enka
Senior
Harris earned All-Mountain Athletic Conference honors after batting .465 with 40 RBIs, 10 home runs, seven doubles and a triple. She had a .992 fielding percentage. Harris hit .615 with 17 RBIs, five home runs and two doubles in the NCHSAA 3-A playoffs. She was named the most valuable player of the state-championship series after clinching back-to-back titles for Enka with a three-run walkoff homer on June 4 at UNC Greensboro. Harris received all-state and all-district honors from the N.C. Softball Coaches Association. She has signed to play college softball for Mars Hill.
CATCHER
Averi Arrowood
Reynolds
Senior
Arrowood earned All-Mountain Athletic Conference honors after batting .462 with 22 RBIs, three home runs and three doubles. She only had one throwing error. Arrowood received all-state and all-district honors from the N.C. Softball Coaches Association.
OUTFIELDERS
Teegan Bullock
North Henderson
Junior
Bullock earned All-Western North Carolina Athletic Conference honors after batting .583 with 14 RBIs, four doubles and one home run. She only struck out twice and had a fielding percentage of .926 while playing both outfield and third base. Bullock received all-state and all-district honors from the N.C. Softball Coaches Association.
Mariah Foxworth
Enka
Junior
Foxworth earned All-Mountain Athletic Conference honors after batting .400 with 24 RBIs, nine doubles and 23 runs scored. She had a .952 fielding percentage. Foxworth was also 3-1 as a pitcher with a 2.59 earned run average and 31 strikeouts. She received all-state and all-district honors from the N.C. Softball Coaches Association.
Aly Woody
McDowell
Senior
Woody earned All-Mountain Athletic Conference honors after batting .435 with 13 RBIs. She had a 2.08 earned-run average in her pitching appearances for the MAC 4-A champion Titans. Woody received all-state and all-district honors from the N.C. Softball Coaches Association. She has signed to play college softball for Montreat.
UTLITY PLAYERS
Halei Bryson
Franklin
Infielder/pitcher
Bryson was named the Western North Carolina Athletic Conference Player of the Year after batting .537 with 14 RBIs, 10 doubles, three home runs and two triples. She was 6-4 as a pitcher with a 2.16 earned-run average and 60 strikeouts in 68 innings. Bryson received all-state and all-district honors from the N.C. Softball Coaches Association.
Samantha Schmidt
Roberson
Senior
Schmidt earned All-Mountain Athletic Conference honors after going 12-6 as a pitcher with a 2.14 earned-run average and 188 strikeouts in 131 innings. She was responsible for every one of the wins for the Rams (12-11). Schmidt also batted .408 with team-high totals for RBIs (19) and home runs (five). She received all-state and all-district honors from the N.C. Softball Coaches Association.
DESIGNATED PLAYER
Abigail Knight
Robbinsville
Freshman
Knight earned All-Smoky Mountain Conference honors after batting .610 with 19 RBIs, six doubles, three triples and a home run. She had a 22-game hitting streak during her first season at the high school level and stole 25 bases. Knight received all-state and all-district honors from the N.C. Softball Coaches Association. She has committed to play college softball for Virginia Tech.
SECOND TEAM
PITCHERS
Casey Gilbert, Brevard senior
Josie Harris, Reynolds senior
Micayla McCoy, Smoky Mountain senior
INFIELDERS
Savannah Buchanan, Tuscola sophomore
Claire Crout, Enka freshman
Hayley Kropp, Polk County senior
Cami McLaughlin, Reynolds senior
CATCHER
Brooke Vilcinskas, Madison junior
OUTFIELDERS
Brittany Fletcher, Enka junior
Danielle Harris, Enka junior
Caitlin Hodges, Roberson sophomore
UTLITY PLAYERS
Amelia Gabriel, Asheville senior
Allison Plafcan, Tuscola junior
DESIGNATED PLAYER
Michaela Morris, West Henderson senior
HONORABLE MENTION
Asheville: Caroline Penland.
Brevard: Brooke Nanney.
East Henderson: Kierra Delozier and Tiffany Dorn.
Enka: Payton Trantham.
Hayesville: Kaitlyn Edwards and Maddie Payne.
McDowell: Mikki Shelton, Haley Gowan, Michalyn Bingham and Liana Elliott.
North Henderson: Alex Oates
Owen: Ashley Valencia, Caitlyn Ledford, Anissa Avila, Natalie Stewart, Livie Presley, Bria Crompton, Ari Pridmore and Alivia Brigman.
Pisgah: Brooklyn Allen, Becca Rhea, Kalei Mull, Miranda Connor and Jordan Taylor.
Polk County: Autumn Owen and Maranda Gosnell.
Roberson: Gracie McCurry, Dariann McCurry, Haley Morrow and Alexis Pike.
Robbinsville: Lauren McGuire, Jacey Underwood, Jerri Anna Roper, Mikayla Morgan, Haley Kennedy and Kinsley Orr.
Rosman: Marissa Henson, Alex McNeely, Christa Galloway, Alicia Guinn and Alicia Lewis.
Smoky Mountain: Claudia Crowe and Rachel Matthews.
Swain County: Sydney Call.
Tuscola: Melody Hannah.
ABOUT THE ALL-WNC TEAMS
The Citizen-Times All-WNC teams are compiled by staff writer Andrew Pearson after nominations are requested from area coaches.
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