Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Rogers’ Lueders, Van Buren’s Brady dominant as seniors
Many athletes excel in more than one sport like senior Grace Lueders of Rogers, who is part of a doubles team that won three straight Class 6A state and three straight Overall state championships in tennis.
Lueders is also a standout runner in track and field and she showcased her ability last week by winning the 100, 200, and 400 meters in the 6A-West Conference meet at Ramay Junior High in Fayetteville. For her effort, Lueders is the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette girls Athlete of the Week. Connor Brady of Van Buren is the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette boys Athlete of the Week.
Lueders and her tennis partner, Jenna Kate Bohnert, beat doubles teams from Little Rock Central last fall while winning the Class 6A state and Overall championships. Lueders was on her own last week while winning the 100 (12.68), 200 (25.76), and 400 (57.65) for the Lady Mounties, who finished fourth in the team standings at the conference meet.
“Grace is peaking at the right time,” Rogers girls track and field coach Becky Efurd said of Lueders, who’ll run for Samford (Ala.) University after high school. “She has a fantastic attitude and she works her tail off.”
Brady is a catcher who stood out at bat and behind the plate for Van Buren, which swept a doubleheader from Siloam Springs and lost a 14-13 slugfest to Class 6A Bentonville West. For the week, Brady was 7-for-12 at the plate with four runs scored, seven RBI, two doubles, a triple, a homer and two stolen bases in three games. He also threw out all three runners on attempted steals in those games.
Brady is a senior who’ll continue his baseball career next season at Eastern Oklahoma State College in Wilburton, Okla.
“Connor has been on a tear over the last month,” Van Buren coach Luke Weatherford said. “He is really confident at the plate right now and is doing a great job catching for us as well. He is having a great senior year.”