Blanchet, Prep Top Fastpitch Honors
Seattle Prep softball coach Jeff Pietz was named Coach of the Year by his colleagues after the Panthers (25-5) won 20 straight games and went undefeated in Metro League play during the league's first year of fastpitch.
Four Panthers were named to the All-Metro AA League first team, including freshman pitcher Theresa Hornick, who pitched back-to-back games in the Metro, Sea-King district and state tournaments, and Merissa Monroe, who also made the first team last year. The Panthers' other first-teamers were infielder Molly Strother and outfielder Kesslie Oaksmith.
Two Panthers were named to the second team, and three made honorable mention.
Blanchet, whose team also played in the state tournament and shares the Metro title with Prep, had two players named to the first team, four to the second team and three honorable mention. Catcher Shannon Sifferman was the only Blanchet player who repeated first-team honors. She was joined on the first team by outfielder Michelle Wilson.
Two from West Seattle, Metro's No. 3 team, made the first team (catcher Jennifer Mullen and infielder Alexis Burnetto) and four more were on the second.
Five Chief Sealth players made either the first or second team, including Dorothy Talamaivao and Lilly Siatunuu, who were also named to the first team last season. Three Eastside Catholic players, including freshman pitcher Josie Wilkes, represented the Crusaders on the first team.
Roosevelt, champion of Metro AAA, placed four players on the AAA all-star team: pitcher Amy Nason, first baseman Erika Kovak, third baseman Jaida Kimmerer and outfielder Emily Fissel.
METRO AA FIRST TEAM
Pitcher - Theresa Hornick, Seattle Prep; Josie Wilkes, Eastside Catholic.
Catcher - Jennifer Mullen, West Seattle, Shannon Sifferman, Blanchet.
Infield - Meredith Johnson, Lakeside; Molly Strother, Seattle Prep; Theresa Ortega, Sealth; Merissa Monroe, Seattle Prep; Alexis Burnetto, West Seattle; Debbie Ohashi, Rainier Beach; Lilly Siatunuu, Sealth; Dorothy Talamaivao, Sealth.
Outfield - Jennifer Sisti, Eastside Catholic; Megan Schwender, Eastside Catholic; Heather Allen, Holy Names; Allison Baxter, Blanchet; Michelle Wilson, Blanchet; Kesslie Oaksmith, Seattle Prep.
Coach of the Year - Jeff Pietz, Seattle Prep.
METRO AA SECOND TEAM
Pitchers - Tanya Foote, West Seattle; Stephanie Rieck, Blanchet.
Catchers - Sara Peterson, Lakeside; Kate Joynt, Seattle Prep.
Infield - Christy Villa, Holy Names; Holly Millard, Blanchet; Allison Abbott, Lakeside; Dorrinda Cross, Blanchet; Jasmine Riach, West Seattle; Sara Tomlinson, Seattle Prep; Vanessa Del Fiero, Rainier Beach; Keesha Bennett, Ingraham; Crystal Swallow, West Seattle.
Outfield - Jackie Meyers, Sealth; Carrie Frame, Lakeside; Michelle Rinchards, West Seattle; Ruth Perez Stewart, Holy Names; Bree Callahan, Ballard; Letitia Zaragoza, Sealth.
METRO AA HONORABLE MENTION
Angie Perry, Katy Mullen and Laura Hagelin, Seattle Prep; Kelly Madigan, Marie Mooney and Mary Wellnitz, Blanchet; Jamie Rivetts, Eastside Catholic; Lashay Lyle, Candice Schmidt and Priscilla Calderon, Sealth; Renee Sappenfield and Susan Doyle, West Seattle; Mimi Hunter and Nat Laed, Rainier, Beach; Sara Dering, Lena Hansen and Robyn Dannenhold, Holy Names; Jamie Hannam and Tammy Westinghouse, Lakeside; Lyndsay Harris and Tukila Kumar, Ingraham; Mary Connaughton, Ballard.
METRO AAA FIRST TEAM
Pitcher - Amy Nason, Roosevelt.
Catcher - Stephanie Gustafson, Garfield.
Infield - Erika Kovak, Roosevelt; Airian Parker, Garfield; Jaida Kimmerer, Roosevelt; Michelle Yarbrough, Franklin. Outfield - Kari Kollen, Franklin; Emily Fissel, Roosevelt; Rebecca Anderson, Garfield.
Designated hitter - Dorothy Ng, Franklin.