Receiving special honors at Crothersville’s fall athletic awards program were, front from left, Carlee Walker, Dirk Crater and Pearl Shirley, and back from left, Hayden Pilgrim, Elayna Ord and Makenna Newberry.
Arv Koontz | The Tribune
Seniors Carlee Walker and Pearl Shirley each received three special volleyball awards during the Crothersville Junior-Senior High School fall sports awards program held at the school last week.
Makenna Newberry received two special awards in volleyball, while Dirk Crater received two special awards in cross-country.
The junior high volleyball players and cross-country runners also were introduced.
Shirley and Walker were named to the all-Southern Athletic Conference first team.
Shirley also was named academic all-state and received the team’s hitting award. Walker received the passing award and shared the serving award with Elayna Ord.
Volleyball coach Scott Sage had special praise for his seniors.
“I want to wish them the best, and I encourage them to not stop playing volleyball,” he said. “I encourage them to keep playing volleyball.”
Sage said being named to the academic all-state team is one of the best honors a high school athlete can receive.
Newberry, a junior, received the setting award and was recipient of the mental attitude award, and Sage said she did a nice job of showing excellent sportsmanship throughout the season.
Freshmen received the other special awards with Zoey Prince being named the most improved player and Hayden Pilgrim receiving the blocking award.
Pilgrim was playing basketball for the Tigers this winter, and last Friday in a game against Cannelton, she fell and hit her right knee on the floor and tore her ACL.
Sage said the most improved award was the hardest for him to choose because some other players also were very deserving.
This was Sage’s first year as head coach of the Tigers, and he said this was his 21st season coaching volleyball either on the high school, middle school or club level.
“Our motto was ‘Get better each and every day,’ and I think we did that,” he said.
The Tigers were 8-23 overall and 1-4 in the SAC.
“I thought we fought in every one of our matches,” he said. “We had several five-set matches. To the underclassmen returning, I challenge you to find time to get some touches on a volleyball during the offseason.”
He said a couple of his players missed the awards program because they were in Seymour practicing with their club team.
Rita Cook assisted Sage with presentation of the varsity awards.
Cross-country head coach Carl Bowman said he began the season with five runners, but Crater was the only player to finish the season.
“Dirk received quite a few trophies and ribbons this season. His goal was to make all-conference and to make it out of the sectional, and he did that,” Bowman said.
Crater, a sophomore, received the mental attitude and outstanding runner awards.
Bowman said he feels like there is a bright future for the boys cross-country team at Crothersville as the junior high team qualified for the middle school state meet.
Junior high awards:
Volleyball
A team
Kyla Hollan: Mental attitude
Jallin Gibson: Most improved
Kendra Kelshaw: Serve receive
Rayleigh Lewis: Serving
B team
Ava Hodge: Mental attitude
Elise Prince: Most improved
Lewis: Serving
Cross-country
Jude Howard: Most improved
Koby Davis: Mental attitude
Kayleb Lauderbaugh: Most outstanding