Gray Collegiate Girls Net State Titles In Softball, Track

By WORTHY EVANS

Contributing Writer

Columbia - It’s been a memorable season for Gray Collegiate Academy’s girls. Not only did the War Eagles softball team clinch a 4A state softball championship—its third state title in four years—the Gray girls track and field team claimed the 4A state championship as well.

Gray softball finished 32-3 after claiming a 2-1 4A State Championship Series victory over York (25-5) in late May. The War Eagles fell 2-1 in the opening game that was disrupted with rain May 27 and was finished before game 2 May 28. Gray went on to shut out the Cougars 4-0 in game 2, then clinched the series with a 5-2 victory at the War Eagles softball field May 31.

In that deciding game Gray was down 2-1 before senior Maddox Long tagged a ball over the centerfield fence in the fourth inning for a 2-run home run. With Gray up 3-2 in the bottom of the fifth, senior Kayley Anderson followed up with a 2-run homer that gave the War Eagles a needed cushion to finish the game strong.

“The best thing was the seniors and they were going out with their last at-bats as a home runs, that’s pretty impressive,” head coach Doug Frye said, mentioning Anderson’s tension-breaking homer in the fifth. “She hit it good. It’s being disciplined and waiting on the pitch going with the pitch, don’t try to do too much with it, I think we did a good job of that today. We hit the ball pretty hard.”

He also noted the accomplishments of sophomore lead-off batter and shortstop Aspen Boulware, who opened the bottom of the first with a solo home run.

“Boulware, she’s just special anyway, she got probably 35 intentional walks this year because she’s hit 22 home runs this year. She’s just special kid, a special player.”

The Gray Collegiate girls track team won the 4A championship at Richland Northeast High School May 16 with 61 points, edging second-place Daniel’s 58 points and third-place Seneca’s 55 points.

It was the team’s second straight state championship. The War Eagles claimed the 2A state title last year.

“I’m really proud of these girls, they worked hard all year. The coaches did a great of preparing our kids to come out here and preform at a high level,” Head Coach Jackie Robinson said. “First time getting a AAAA state championship at Gray Collegiate, we did it with only seven girls making it so for them to come out here and maximize all the individual and relay events I just can’t say enough good things. We had several personal records; they picked themselves up and delivered in a big way.”

Senior Tamara Steward took home the gold in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 14.83 seconds. She also took first in the long jump with a mark of 5.48 meters. She finished second in the 400 hurdles with a time of 1:03.23.

Sprinters Tresta Miller and Zaria Gaines scored high in the 100, 200, and 400 dashes. Miller, a senior, took second in the 100 with a time of 12.04. Gaines, a junior, took fifth with a time of 12.15. Gaines finished sixth in the 200 with a time of 25.34 and Miller took second in the 400 with a time of 56.47.

Sophomore Aliyah Edwards took eighth in the 400 hurdles with a time of 1:08.64.

The 4x100 relay team of Steward, sophomore Taylor Jones, Edwards and Gaines took third with a time of 1;03.23.

The 4x400 relay team of Jones, seventh-grader Paisley Hinkle, Edwards, and Gaines took sixth with a time of 4:08.77.