Marty Gordon
NRVsports@ourvalley.org
The River Ridge District announced its all-district selections Friday in five sports with Blacksburg High School dominating girls’ soccer. A total of 10 players were named to the district teams—four first team, four second team and two honorable mention.
Bruins named to the first team included: Akaela Feng, Skylar Prosser, Ashlen Birch and Sarah Linkenholder. Second teamers were Kyia Williams, Meghan Shelton, Georgia Halkidis and Blake Carroll. Blacksburg honorable mention players were Desiree Diaz and Erin Hendershot.
Christiansburg High School placed two players on the first team: Morgan Mullens and Brooke Simpkins and another three, Michaela Webber, Madison Adams and Gracie Martin, to the second team. Two players from Christiansburg, Jasmine Kitts and Carley Walden, were honorable mention.
On the diamond, Christiansburg placed four players on the first team, adding one on the second team and four honorable mentions. First teamers included: first baseman Zalen Akers, third baseman Ryan McFee, outfielder Zach Taft and pitcher Will Stout.
Pitcher Brady Kirtner was second team, while the honorable mention team included: second baseman Hunter Davis, and outfielders Kevan Lambert and Zach Durham. Lambert was also named to the honorable mention team as a pitcher.
Blacksburg had one first teamer in Outfielder Luke Goforth who is a rising junior. Outfielder Ryan Oosterhuise and Catcher Hunter Radford were named the second team. A total of six Bruins garnered honorable mentions: first baseman Devon Stosser, second baseman Chris Wysocki, shortstop Tyler Vandevord, utility player Jared Madigan, and pitchers Tyler Vandevord and Austin Nickle.
In softball, four Blacksburg players were named to the first team with Christiansburg garnering two. Both schools had two second teamers with Christiansburg picking up honorable mention.
First teamers included: Christiansburg second baseman Courtney Wright and outfielder Kyndall Stanley. Blacksburg was represented by: outfielder Katie Currin, Flex-player MaKayla Dowdy, utility Emily Fugate and pitcher Robin Mann.
Christiansburg’s second teamers were: shortstop Harley Dove and Pitcher Madison Thompson. For Blacksburg, the second team included catcher Brooke Anderson and first baseman Lafon Alaina.
Emma O’Dell of Christiansburg was honorable mention at the outfield position.
On the tennis courts, Blacksburg’s Haley Freeborn and Annie Zhang were named to the girls’ first team while teammate Katie Deutsch was second team. Blacksburg placed two boys, Frank Thompson and Ruhan Prasad, on the first team along with Christiansburg’s Brandon McGuire.
The two schools had two second teamers in Kolby Brown (Christiansburg) and Steven Yang (Blacksburg.
The All-American Conference also announced its all-star teams for both boys and girls lacrosse.
First team boys’ included Spencer Amacher of Blacksburg. Second teamers were: Mathew Davidson (Christiansburg), Chase Seward (Blacksburg), Kyle Herndon (Christiansburg), Aist Rowland (Blacksburg), Kaleb Edwards (Blacksburg) and Mac Padgett (Christiansburg).
The honorable mention for the boys’ squad included Blacksburg goalie Jayme Hollimon and Dixon Seward. Christiansburg’s Evan Walker was also named second team.
Blacksburg placed four players on the girl’s second team: Katie Racek, Olympia Wimmer, River Roberts and Catherine Sheen, while four more were named to honorable mention (Sophia Hutton, Rachel Day, Molly McPherson and Zenna Carson.
Christiansburg garnered two players, Caitlyn Caudell and Maddie Wade, to the second team.