Marion softball team proud of advancing to AA state championship series

Marion – Although the overall target was not achieved, the Marina high school softball team had a lot to celebrate and was proud of their season.

The Swamp Foxes just failed to make it in the best-of-3 state championship series last year when they lost in the last game to drop to the second spot but this year, they did it. The termites lost two games against Gray Collegiate Academy with scores of 9-1 and 8-4 respectively but they ended with a 22-4 performance.

After Marion’s loss in game two in West Columbia on May 22, freshman Kynnedi Jenkins noted that “It actually feels good even though we lost. ” There is an upward improvement in the performance of the team compared to the previous season. Head coach Norman Black expressed his satisfaction on the team saying, “ For us to finish at this position after losing two players, I think that is really good. ”

The Foxes had a right to play for the right to challenge for a tile last season. They became the last team standing in the lower state tournament carrying an inactive record, and they only required a single triumph against Chesterfield. However, Marion fell to Chesterfield twice, and Chesterfield went on to win the state playoffs.

‘Yeah it does mean a lot,’ said senior catcher Anna Grace Page who plays in the team since seventh grade and last year the team came close losing in the final round. “And the years before that we didn’t even get close to this area and so it is rather meaningful. ”

The Swamp Foxes before this game had never participated in the state championship game in over 3 decades. Despite the fact that they had to bring back numerous top players, head coach Kenosha Hyman says she had her moments of doubts around the early part of the season.

This season, both Hyman and Klawitter said their girls began the game “cold with the batting” and “not at the psychological level. ” “Now that the games began to go through, one felt could be get to state championship. ”

The remaining two were single run-margin def ear’s and one was brought home in the final innings. The Foxes fell to Dillon, which got to the AAA lower state tournament; the Foxes dropped a 4-3 decision while the other team lost to the AAAA state runner-up West Florence in the fifth with a score of 6-5 in extra innings.

Hallie Libiedz, the senior pitcher said that this made Marion work very hard, giving the team the needed boost to take the next level.

“Personally we tried to do a lot of work this year from last year to this year” concluded Libiedz, who will be going to Columbia College in the fall to play on the college level. “From my teammates and for myself too KFU had a vast improvement; many of us shifted to new roles that had not been tried before.

The <st>Both, Jenkins and Page concurred with the other.

“We believe we even practiced more, and just the research on the teams that we had come across,” Jenkins explained.

“Our bats got a whole lot better and ou Artikelr fielding got a whole lot better,” said Page.

Libiedz also made the South Carolina Association for Women’s Sports AA All-State team, as did Page. They were also named to the All-Region 8 team with Mal Williams, Peyton Sawyer, Ja’Shaya Page, and Jenkins.

The other students are: Samantha Libiedz and Anna Grace Page and these are the only seniors at the institution. But still their absence will create some serious vacancies and Libiedz has not ruled out that the young talents will win the state championship.

She said: “I know next year these girls have it in the rag. ” “That’s how much I trust you guys ‘I love each and every of you like a sister to me, That’s why I wouldn’t change my team for any other team out there. ”
 
Nine Tongan athletes achieved their place at the AA State meet.

Spearheading his team’s performance, Marion triumphed in five girls events and four boys events in the AA track and field state meet at Lower Richland High in Hopkins on May 18.

In track and field events, Jaeda Davis secured the third position in the 100-meter sprint while Ashanti Gause in 400-meter sprint. Shamyah McKelvey finished fourth in the discus event, and in the 4/100m relay the team also came fourth. Nevaeh Gamble was eighth in the girls 10- and-under 100-meter hurdles. The girls score 23 point and ranked in 12th position.

In the final track and field event, the high jump and the long jump for the boys, Jamere Legette came second overall. Taj Lathon competed in the 200 dash for which she was ranked eighth as well as the 4 by 1 relay team which also came in eighth place. The Thoma sisters led the scoring chart and Mitchell tied with Marion for the thirteenth position with 21 points.