ALL-LEAGUE SELECTIONS
• Most Valuable Player: C Brittany LaMar, East Union jr.
• Pitcher of the Year: Brianna Parker, Oakdale jr.
• Offensive Player of the Year: SS Jode Johnson, Ceres sr.
• Defensive Player of the Year: C Amanda Tye, Sonora sr.
• Coach of the Year: Nick Olmo, Sierra.
• First team: 3B MacKenzie Taylor, Oakdale sr.; 2B/SS Marissa Toy, Oakdale sr.; RF/2B Kaila Olson, Oakdale soph.; 1B Cassie Waggy, East Union jr.; CF Jillian Goulart, East Union jr.; P Gabby Hawkins, Sierra sr.; 2B Sommer Wilson, Sierra fr.; P Kaycee Creek, Ceres soph.; CF Melissa Bond, Manteca sr.; 2B/SS Raileen Romo, Weston Ranch soph.; OF Amanda Flemming, Central Valley sr.; SS Kelli Keefe, Sonora jr.; OF Ryan Norton, Ceres jr.
• Second team: 1B Shelby Reali, Oakdale soph.; 2B Cherie DeJesus, East Union sr.; DH Jessica Lavoie, East Union jr.; C Stephanie Maestretti, Sierra sr.; CF Iyana Hughes, Sierra fr.; C Cierra Hammons, Ceres soph.; UTIL Chellsee Lee, Manteca sr.; INF Mariah Navarro, Manteca jr.; C Michelle Lord, Weston Ranch sr.; INF Jessica Berndt, Central Valley jr.; OF Krystal Ruiz, Lathrop jr.; P Jackie Ketner, East Union sr.; OF Ashley Pittman, Sonora sr.
• All-defensive team: C Brooke Magnussen, Oakdale, jr.; SS Kourtni McCall, East Union sr.; SS Daylynn Penner, Sierra jr.; 3B Jessica Ellsworth, Ceres soph.; C Dallas Mould, Manteca jr.; P/OF Carson Craven, Sonora sr.; P/SS Serena Hernandez, Weston Ranch jr.; C Bee Bejaran, Central Valley fr.
Teammates and coaches call her “Hammer,” and it’s a fitting description to what East Union High junior Brittany LaMar did for the Lancers this season.
LaMar led all area hitters with a gaudy .644 overall batting average and was rewarded for her big year by being voted the Valley Oak League’s Most Valuable Player.
Her average, 56 hits, 37 RBIs and 11 doubles are all area highs. The three-time varsity starting catcher batted cleanup for East Union’s potent lineup and led the team to a second-place record of 13-3 (22-8 overall). East Union was eliminated from the consolation round of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV playoffs by VOL champion Oakdale last Friday.
Sierra’s Nick Olmo also picked up a major award, earning Coach of the Year after leading the Timberwolves (11-5, 17-10) back into the postseason with the third seed out of the VOL. The rest of the big awards went to Pitcher of the Year Brianna Parker (Oakdale), Offensive Player of the Year Jode Johnson (Ceres) and Defensive Player of the Year Amanda Tye (Sonora).
East Union juniors Cassie Waggy and Jillian Goulart join LaMar on the all-league first team. Waggy, the 2009 All-Area co-MVP, drove in 33 runs, plated 30, roped two doubles, three triples and two homers with a .476 average. Goulart batted .454 with 44 hits, 30 runs and 13 steals from the top of the order.
Senior infielder Cherie DeJesus (.400, five homers, 33 RBIs), pitcher Jackie Ketner (13-2, 0.75 ERA) and designated hitter Jessica Lavoie (.463, 21 RBIs) were named to the second team.
Headlining Sierra’s all-league selections is senior pitcher Gabby Hawkins, who shared the all-area MVP honor with Waggy last year. Hawkins struck out 274 batters in 163 1/3 innings and is ranked 17th in the state. She also boasted a 0.60 ERA and hit .385.
Freshman Sommer Wilson was called up from the sophomore squad midway through the VOL season but made an immediate impact, so much so that she was selected to the first team despite playing just eight varsity contests.
Wilson produced eye-popping numbers in her eight outings, batting .538 with a whopping 1.385 slugging percentage to go with five triples four home runs and 12 RBIs.
Outfielder Iyana Hughes (.444), also a freshman called up along with Wilson, made the all-league second team with senior catcher Stephanie Maestretti (.315, 19 RBIs).
Manteca center fielder Melissa Bond (.442, two homers, four triples, 22 RBIs) rounded out a stellar three-year varsity career with a spot on the all-VOL first team. Senior utility player Chellsee Lee (.365, 11 RBIs) and infielder/pitcher Mariah Navarro were named to the second team. The Buffaloes finished the season at .500 in league (8-8) and overall (11-11).
Weston Ranch (4-12, 8-18) had two players earn all-league recognition, with sophomore middle infielder Raileen Romo on the first team and senior catcher Michelle Lord on the second team. Outfielder Krystal Ruiz of first-year varsity Lathrop (0-16) was named to the second team.
Local players earning spots on the all-defensive team were East Union senior shortstop/pitcher Kourtni McCall, Sierra junior shortstop Daylynn Penner, Manteca junior catcher Dallas Mould and Weston Ranch junior pitcher/shortstop Serena Hernandez.
