NANKIN — A pair of north central Ohioans swept the top awards when the All-Firelands Conference softball team was announced earlier this month.
Mapleton’s Heidi Earl was selected the FC Player of the Year, while Crestview’s Chesnie Patton was the Pitcher of the Year. Monroeville’s Abe Helmstetter was the Coach of the Year after leading the Eagles to a Division IV state runner-up finish.
A senior, Earl batted .567 with eight home runs, 10 doubles and 50 runs batted in. She helped the Mounties win a share of the FC title.
A junior right-hander, Patton was 10-3 with a 1.10 earned run average and 108 strikeouts in 83 innings of work.
Earl’s twin sister, Holly, joined her sibling and Patton on the All-FC first team, along with Crestview’s Sophie Durbin and P.J. Endicott.
Other first-team picks included Monroeville’s Abby Poths, Veanna Helmstetter and Taryn Tyler, New London’s Emilee Rowland, Madison Rowland and Gracie Thomas and Norwalk St. Paul’s Ella Kalizewski.
Mapleton’s Audrey Hellickson, Emilee Dennison and Faith Lowery, Crestview’s Kalee Hammon and Plymouth’s Jaylin Branham and Emily Irven were second-team picks. They were joined by Monroeville’s Emily Scheid, Ava Krueger and Avery Rosser, New London’s Raeann Mitchell and South Central’s Krystin Hamons and Makena Calame.
Honorable-mention selections were Crestview’s Allison Volz, Mapleton’s Caitlin Vermilya, Monroeville’s Destiny Saam, New London’s Pailee Wilson, Plymouth’s Cailynn Bailey, South Central’s Zaida Myers, St. Paul’s Bella Guerra and Western Reserve’s Abby Hamisfar.
Mapleton and Monroeville shared the FC title at 12-2. Crestview was a game back.