AAA names fall All-Star teams
Eight Garland County athletes and one coach were recently named to the rosters of the state’s fall sports All-Star teams, the Arkansas Activities Association announced last week.
Lake Hamilton and Lakeside were the most prominent among the county’s picks for the teams with four athletes from Lakeside, three from Lake Hamilton and one athlete and a coach from Hot Springs named to the four fall teams.
Lake Hamilton’s Olivia Way and Lakeside’s Allison Irwin were named to the West Cheerleading squad while Lake Hamilton’s Kassidy Gardner and Lakeside’s Jaqueline Arreola were named to the West Dance team. Hot Springs’ Katie Henson is the West Dance team’s assistant coach.
Kaimani Gray was the Trojans’ only athlete on the West Football team, but he will be joined by Lake Hamilton’s Izaiah Clenney and Lakeside’s Logan White.
Lakeside’s Maddie Trusty was the only Garland County athlete named to the West Volleyball team.
Coaches were nominated for their respective teams and voted on by their peers. The coaches then selected players for their respective teams from players nominated by coaches.
All-Star Week and the High School Coaches Clinic has been canceled for the second-straight year due to COVID-19 concerns.
“While we are disappointed AHSCA will not be able to host the campers and play the games in June, this should not diminish from the accomplishments of the coaches and student athletes during the 2020-2021 school year and their high school careers,” the AAA said in a news release.
AAA ANNOUNCES ALL-STATE TEAMS
A total of 14 area athletes were named to the AAA’s All-State basketball teams, the organization announced last week.
Eleven athletes represent Garland County with Lakeside leading the county with four among the boys and girls teams. Hot Springs and Lake Hamilton both ended up with three athletes each, and Fountain Lake had one on the 4A boys team. Arkadelphia, Bismarck and Centerpoint each had one athlete represented.
On the Class 5A boys team, Hot Springs’ J.J. Walker and Jabari West, Lake Hamilton’s Zac Pennington and Lakeside’s Caleb Campbell are among the 32 athletes on the team.
Lakeside dominated the Class 5A girls team as only one of two teams with three athletes. Adachi Igbokidi, Erika Bittinger
and Ronni Formby represent the Lady Rams with Lake Hamilton’s Aspen Thornton and Hayleigh Wyrick and Hot Springs’ Jaylia Reed also among the state’s top athletes.
The Class 4A boys team featured Fountain Lake’s Colby Lambert and Arkadelphia’s Ryan Harris among its 24 athletes.
The Class 3A boys team had just one area athlete, Bismarck’s Dawson King, and the Class 4A girls team featured Centerpoint’s Marlee Bright.
AAA ANNOUNCES HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES
The AAA recently announced the inductees for the Hall of Fame honorees for the three organizations under its umbrella.
The Arkansas High School Coaches Association, whose Hall of Fame was created in 1995, named a class of seven for its 2021 class: Kathleen Bell, Texarkana; Jerry Bridges, Cabot/Fort Smith Southside; Jim Cox, Fordyce; Billy Murray, Earle; Joe Nooner, West Memphis; Ellis ‘Scooter’ Register, LR McClellan/El Dorado/LR Catholic; and Boyd Shelton, Bentonville.
The Arkansas Officials Association, whose Hall of Fame also dates to 1995, has a class of six: Edwin Gene Etheridge, Alexander; Ernie Murry, Benton; Larry Moore, Clarksville; A.C. Freyburger, Conway; Lou Wood, Flippin; and Bill Carver, Springdale.
The Arkansas High School Athletic Administrators Association created its Hall of Fame in 2007 and has a class of two: David Daniel, Jonesboro, and Sid Simpson, Pine Bluff.
The annual induction will take place at the Hot Springs Convention Center on July 9 at 6 p.m., and tickets will go on sale May 1.