A true act of sportsmanship
One Division II softball team exemplified the true meaning of sportsmanship in one of this year's playoff games. Sara Tucholsky, a senior part-time starter for Western Oregon, hit her very first career homerun -- but couldn't finish her victory lap around the diamond.
Out of overzealous excitement for her accomplishment, she overran first base. As her two on-base teammates ran home to score, she turned back to first to tag the base. But in that moment, her knee gave out and she collapsed.
According to the umpires, the only option was to replace Tucholsky, who was still crumpled on the dirt, with a pinch runner, which would record her hit as a two-run single. Any assistance from the team's coach, players or trainers while Tucholsky was an active runner would result in an out.
It was while Tucholsky's coach, Pam Knox, prepared to make the substitution that the opposing team's star player, senior Mallory Holtman, came to the rescue. The Central Washington homerun leader, along with her teammate, shortstop Liz Wallace, volunteered to carry Tucholsky around the diamond so that she could tag each base and have her homerun recorded.
Central Oregon ended up winning the game 4-2.
New bowl alignments
Both conferences containing West Virginia's two Division-I football teams have new bowl affiliations -- including one shared between the two.
First, the Big East swapped a Conference USA opponent for a SEC opponent in the PapaJohns.com Bowl.
Next, the new St. Petersburg (Fla.) Bowl, which was certified by the NCAA on April 30, will feature a team each from the Big East and Conference USA. It will air on ESPN in December and gives the eight-team Big East seven bowl affiliations (including the Bowl Championship Series bid), and the 12-team Conference USA six.
Local students sign with WVIAC teams
Within the last month, three Putnam County seniors have signed to play sports on the collegiate level at various schools in the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
Hurricane High School football player Chris Holsopple was recruited by Concord to play linebacker. Holsopple was honored earlier in the year as a member of the All-State second team and Putnam County Defensive Player of the Year. He is Hurricane's all-time leader in tackles with 406, and he will also be playing in the North-South game at Laidley Field on June 21.
Winfield High School senior Caleb Ashley signed to play basketball with West Virginia Wesleyan. Ashely averaged 21 points as a forward for the Generals and was an All-State first team forward.
Zack Statler, also from Hurricane, signed with Fairmont State to play basketball. He averaged 17 points as a guard and shot 61 3-pointers this year. He also earned All-State honorable mention.