Huskies hand out Senior Awards, so do I
Happy graduation, everyone.
The festivities are in full swing. That’s parties, ceremonies and the buying of golf balls.
Ooops, the last one that slipped in is what the sports editor does as the school year ends. Yes, teachers and students are excited for summer, but the media is in that group as well. I love high school sports, but having been doing this since August, allow me a moment.
“Please go away NOW!”
Oh, I feel so much better. Before we’re out like polyester, Battle Mountain gave out its Senior Awards last night. Eagle Valley, Vail Christian and Vail Mountain don’t do this. So I will. I’m here to serve after all.
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Huskies
No surprise here. Joe LyBarger took home the boys’ honor. Soccer, basketball and baseball. He’s pretty good. And he is surprisingly the first from the clan to win this. (I’ll say it, Emily got robbed in 2008.) He is the fourth and final of a line of LyBargers who’ve been at Battle Mountain since 2000 (Sarah, Emily, Maddie and now Joe.) Young Josephus had big expectations going in, and leaves with a soccer state championship banner in the gymnasium. As LyBarger grew through high school, it became all about the team and winning. Well done, kid.
I do wonder what Tim and Mary Ann are going to do now. After 13 or so years of driving all over Colorado what will the LyBargers do? (Aside from root for the Red Sox.)
Rosie Davies was the ladies’ recipient. Good pick, Battle Mountain staff. (And yet another soccer sweep.) Davies skied and booted, for the record. She also goes out a winner, having helped Huskies girls soccer to their first league title since 2008.
Devils
I wrote about this in the senior section for the Eagle Valley year-in-review article, and I’ll say it again — Andy Armstrong. That isn’t hard with the wrestling title and all-state in football. One thing I forgot to mention in the senior section article was the rest of the line for Devils’ football — Joey Sanchez, Roberto Cortes, Ty LaFramboise, Ayren Hart and Sam Boyd among others. As good as the so-called skill position players were (and they were), the line made it happen in Gypsum this year.
For the ladies it’s Megan Osteen. She was the anchor of the staff for the softball team and a big part of Devils track in the spring.
Saints
Very tough competition on the boys’ side, befitting a triumphant boys’ basketball season. Gotta be Gunnar Wilson here. First off, there was a grand conspiracy that he was somehow recruited to Vail Christian so he could play soccer at Battle Mountain. How a reverend’s son was somehow “recruited” to a parochial school — I don’t get it, but it was one of my favorite nut-bag emails of the year. Anyway, Wilson won a state title with the Huskies, was a big part of the riotously successful basketball team and won a state pole-vaulting title his sophomore year.
Serious props to Zach Linder, Austin Ellsworth, Robby Bowles, Nigel Johnsen, Kevin Boselli and Mack Cooper. This was the tightest race.
Girls? Why, Gracen McGuckin. I just pressed the Staples’ “That was easy” button we have on our copy desk.
Gore Rangers
Alex Leever’s a senior? Yeesh. I was covering him the then-Junior Olympics three years ago, which, come to think of it, really does make him a senior. Soccer and skiing. Skiing and soccer.
Ellen Edgerton joins a cool trivia question, which is, “Who from Vail Mountain made all-league in volleyball all four years?”
It isn’t who you think. That would be Cely Brinkmann and Edgerton. (Nope, no Tree. By the way, belated congratulations to Lara Golos — nee Bossow on your nuptials.) Madame Edgerton has signed with Cal State Bakersfield to play in college. Go Roadrunners!
And now, I’m going golfing.
Sports Editor Chris Freud can be reached at 970-748-2934 or via cfreud@vaildaily.com.