By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Four starters on the Highlands softball team that won its third consecutive 9th Region championship were first-team selections on the Division II all-star team selected by members of the Northern Kentucky Softball Coaches Association.
Heading that list of Bluebirds is senior catcher Michelle Barth, who was named Division II Player of the Year. She finished the season with a team-high .586 batting average and 30 of her 65 hits went for extra bases, including 10 home runs.
Her team’s other three Division II all-star selections are sophomore shortstop Payton Brown, senior center fielder Bailey Markus and sophomore pitcher Kaitlyn Dixon, who had a 21-6 record in the circle for the 27-13 Bluebirds.
The other Player of the Year award-winners are Grant County junior Brianna Knochleman in Division I and Brossart senior Maddie Kremer in Division III.
Softball games in the St. Elizabeth Healthcare All-Star Series will be played Tuesday at Dixie Heights High School. Juniors will take field at 5 p.m. followed by seniors at 7 p.m.
N.KY. SOFTBALL COACHES ASSOCIATION FIRST-TEAM ALL-STARS
DIVISION I
Player of the Year — Brianna Knochleman (Grant County), Ava Scott (Cooper), Emilie Young (Simon Kenton), Mollie Sharp (Conner), Emerson Morman (Scott), Laney Schuster (Ryle), Maddy Goddard (Ryle), Skylar Mitchell (Dixie Heights), Dani Wright (Boone County), Hope Hamilton (Campbell County).
DIVISION II
Player of the Year — Michelle Barth (Highlands), Abby Turnpaugh (Notre Dame), Kaitlyn Dixon (Highlands), Dani Oldfield (Walton-Verona), Izzy Hernandez (Lloyd), Payton Brown ( Highlands), Ava Auberger (Notre Dame), Katelynn Murphy (Beechwood), Addi Zinser (Notre Dame), Bailey Markus (Highlands).
DIVISION III
Player of the Year — Maddie Kremer (Brossart), Evie Thomas (Holy Cross), McKenzie Sullivan (Dayton), Cam Kratzer (Villa Madonna), Leah Robinson (Brossart), Rachel Shewmaker (Brossart), Rosemary Rice (Villa Madonna), Zoe Sparks (Dayton), Evie Orsua (Ludlow), Paulina Long (Bellevue).
State champions receive Student-Athlete of the Year honors
Four recent Northern Kentucky high school graduates were named the state’s Student-Athlete of the Year in their respective sports in an awards program sponsored by Midway University.
High schools across the state submitted nominees in each sport and a panel selected winners based on athletic and academic achievement, community service and leadership.
The award-winner in boys cross country was Covington Catholic graduate Michael Zechella, a semifinalist in the National Merit Scholarship Program and one of the top five runners on the CovCath team that won the Class 2A state championship.
Two individual state champions who earned awards were Gabriella Ocasio of Simon Kenton in girls wrestling and Landon Isler of Ryle in boys diving. Ocasio won the 145-pound state title and finished with a 43-0 record this season.
Colin Menner of Holy Cross was named the state’s top student-athlete in boys bowling. He helped his team win the Region 6 championship and qualify for the state tournament.
Notre Dame graduate among candidates to join Olympic team
Notre Dame graduate Morgan Hentz is one of five candidates for an alternate position on the U.S. Volleyball women’s national team that will compete in the Summer Olympics in Paris that begins in July.
The national team’s 12-player roster was released on Wednesday. The alternate, who can be subbed in for an injured player during the Olympics, is expected to be selected after the team returns from next week’s Volleyball Nations League in Japan.
Hentz is a back-row defensive specialist who was named Libero of the Year in the Pro Volleyball Federation after her first season with the Atlanta Vibe team. She averaged a league-leading 4.2 digs per set and helped the Vibe limit opponents to a league-leading .178 hitting percentage.