SPRING SPORTS PREVIEW
Sidney Daily News,Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Page 5
ANNA
Experience returns in all sports at Anna ANNA — Anna has a lot of experience back in coaching, with longtime track coaches Dean Stewart and Randy Lerner, along with baseball coach Mike Muehlfeld and softball coach Tim McMahan. And they all have players returning with expereince as well.
Baseball Mike Muehlfeld returns as the head baseball coach for the Rockets, and has eight lettermen returning from a team that was 139 overall and finished 93 in the County. He has reason for optimism this season because his top three pitchers return. “Pitching should be a strength with Josh Robinson, Wes Showalter and Craig Berning all returning,” he said. “But there will be a lot of question marks early with respect to the rest of the lineup. There is lots of competition for all spots.” He said Dustin Poeppelman in centerfield is “one of the few certainties.” Poeppelman hit .406 last season with 18 RBIs, and uses his speed well on the bases. “We need to finalize who will be starting behind the plate and at short,” Muehlfeld said. “Once that is determined, other positions will fall into place.” The lettermen include Poeppelman, Brad Boyd, who will play at first and third; Luke Cummings, who will play first and DH; Berning, who had a 3.00 earned run average last season and averaged a strikeout per inning; Carter Bensman, who will play middle infield; Robinson, who had a
middle distance and Kirsten Angus in the sprints. “Losing the points Nikki Albers always scored for us will be hard to replace,” said Locker. “We have 15 freshmen out this year, so a lot of our season will depend on how they improve as they gain experience at the high school level.” Locker says Russia should be he favorite in the County. “Russia has a good returning group that won SDN Photos/Luke Gronneberg the title last year,” he LOOKING FOR big things this season at Anna in track are (l-r) Bonnie Alt- said. “And they also did staetter, Jessica Hamberg, Kylie Comer, Amy Albers, Brittnee Axe and Shel- well the past few seasons in junior high. Fort bie Albers. Loramie always has a 2.76 ERA last season; strong program and Travis Grieves, who hit Botkins has been getting .270 last year and will better and better. It play in the outfield, and should be a good battle Showalter, who had a at the league meet this 2.12 ERA last season. year.” The top newcomers Boys track this season are juniors There are 10 letterNick Doseck, Zach men back for longtime Zimpfer and Matt CumAnna coach Dean Stewmings, and sophomore art in boys track this Ryan Counts. season. Doseck and Counts READY FOR a big year in Anna baseball are (l-r) The Rockets were can both catch and play Luke Cummings, Brad Boyd, Carter Bensman and County champions last anywhere in the infield Josh Robinson. year and runner-up in or outfield, and Zimpfer the district meet. and Cummings could see age from last season. McMahan. Returning are three time on the mound. Rickert will hold state qualifiers in senior track Girls Softball down shortstop and Randy Locker begins Ryan Spicer, who was Tim McMahan is back Gephart will be at first. his amazing 33rd year as ninth in the state discus, as the head coach of the They both hit around the head coach of the and senior Nate BollLady Rockets for his .275 last season. girls track team at Anna, heimer and junior Brady 11th season and he has At second will be a and has 11 letter-win- Cates, who both ran on seven letter-winners re- freshman in Alexis ners back for the upcom- the 400 and 800 relay turning this year. Phillips and at third will ing season. teams that placed in the They include senior be Haley Steinbrunner, They include Kelli top eight at state last Rebecca Bensman, jun- who hit .290 last season. Ehemann in the hurdles season. iors Jule Gephart, Haley In the outfield will be and pole vault, Ashley Other returnees inSteinbrunner, Amanda Harris, who hit .275 a Michael in the hurdles, clude senior Gage UderRickert, Kylie Keener year ago, Bensman and Bonnie Altstatter in the man in the sprints, and Chloe Egbert and freshman Cayleigh Kirt- distance and high jump, juniors Jonathan Bernsophomore Allison Har- ley. Kylie Comer and Brit- ing, Adam Larger, and Another freshman, tnee Axe in the sprints Derek Steinke and sophris. Keener will do the Ashley Dentinger, is also and long jump, Jessica omores Matthew Bruce Hamburg in the shot and Luke Gaier. pitching. She had a 3.10 in the mix. “We have seven and discus, Katelyn Stewart lists the top ERA last season. Egbert will be behind starters back so with Brunswick in the 400, newcomers this year as the plate and brings that nucleus,we should Shelbie Albers in the freshmen Ian Douglas, back a .416 batting aver- have a good year,” said sprints, Amy Albers in Conner Rioch, Zach
Kearns and Gerrit Hoverstyrdt. Douglas was the County junior high champ in the discus last year, Rioch was the 200 champ and the 400 runner-up, Kearns was runner-up in the shot put and Hoverstyrdt finished in the top three in both hurdles races at the County meet a year ago. “We should again be strong as a team this season,” Stewart said. “In the throwing events we return senior Ryan Spicer, who finished the season strong last year, qualifying for the state meet in the discus. Freshman Ian Douglas will also add to our throws. He finished third at the middle school championships in 2012. Our sprints will be strong. We return Nate Bollheimer, first in both the 100 and 200 at the County meet, and state qualifier on the 4x100 and 4x200 relays; Brady Cates, who has run at the state meet both his freshman and sophomore years and senior Gage Uderman, who had a strong junior year and will be a top sprinter on this year’s team. Junior Adam Larger, a state qualifier in cross-country, will lead an experienced distance squad, including juniors Derek Steinke and Cory Abbott, and sophomores Johnny Berning and Luke Gaier. Matthew Bruce, a sophomore, was third in the league in the long jump last year and will be one of the best jumpers in the area in 2013.” Anna has won eight of the last nine County titles and should again field a team that will challenge.
FAIRLAWN
Two state qualifiers return in Jets’ track
Boys track
Coach Tim Cummings Softball has nine lettermen back Dave Jones is coachfrom last season, includ- ing the girls softball ing Trey Everett, who team for the second was a state qualifier in straight season and
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and Bishop at short. There are several candidates for the rest of the positions. “We are a young team but we return some good talent,” said Bishop. “We have three seniors who
are four-year starters, and Brad Caudill returns as our No. 1 pitcher. We got a nice surprise with Jacob Penningson coming out this year. He’s looked good in workouts.”
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Girls track Tracy Nuss has seven letter-winners back in girls track at Fairlawn, including a state qualifier. Olivia Cummings qualified for the state meet in the shot put and didn't disappoint, finishing third in Columbus with a heave of 39 feet, 11.5 inches. She’s a senior, as are returnees Haley Slonkosky and Marie Rose, and sophomores Abby Roe, Cheyenne Driskel, Katie Nuss and Haley Blanford. “We will continue to grow and improve this season” said Nuss. “I look forward to the mostly seasoned track and field athletes. They each have a great attitude and work ethic and are working to improve times and distances this season. We hope to have addition regional qualifiers this season.”
average from last season. Forman hit .333 and will hold down third base. The pitchers will be Madeline Fogt and Alison Watkins, and behind the plate will be Dana Stanley, who hit .300 last year. At first will be Megan Dudgeon and at second will be Madison Guinther and Watkins. SDN Photo/Todd B. Acker Outfield candidates Emily Boerger, FAIRLAWN HAS two state qualfiers returning in are track, including Trey Everett in the high jump and Christine Ward, Kayli Strunk and Sarah Olivia Cummings in the shot put. Keller. the high jump last sea- looks for big improveBaseball son. He finished tied for ment over last year, The Jets were 8-14 sixth in the state meet. when the Lady Jets man- last year and coach Brad Also back are fellow aged only one victory. Bishop has seven playseniors Jessie Hughes, “Last year was a ers back, including senAnthony Gillem and tough year for us,” Jones iors Zach Rogers, Grant Cole Cummings, junior said. “We have 11 girls Covault and Ryan LessTrey Fletcher, and soph- on the team this year ing, juniors Brad Caudill omores Jakob Penning- and they’ve been work- and Wes Bolton and ton, Freddy Hughes, ing very hard in practice. sophomores Jacob MarSebastian Harshbarger So we’re hoping for good vin and Seth Bishop. and Joey Cockroft. things. Caudill, Marvin, “We bring back everyHe has just two play- Bishop and Rogers, body that went to re- ers back from last year in along with R.J. Morrigionals last year,” said seniors Abby Stemen son, will be handling the the coach. “We want to and Sam Forman. Ste- pitching. get more kids to state men will play at short Rogers will be behind and improve our fourth- and brings back a .292 the plate, with Caudill place County finish from last year.”
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Fairlawn heads into the track season with not a lot of numbers, but two returning state qualifiers this season.
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