Ankeny Centennial softball standouts Jordyn Kennedy, Mady Ott and Lauren Sandholm have been selected to the Class 5A West all-district team along with Ankeny star Abby Rusher, while the Ankeny Christian Academy duo of Riese Gjerde and Katie Quick were named to the Class 1A South Central all-district squad. The teams were selected by the Iowa Girls’ Coaches Association.
Kennedy, a sophomore first baseman and third baseman, was a repeat selection along with Sandholm, a freshman pitcher. They led the Jaguars to a 29-10 record.
Kennedy batted .460 with 12 home runs, 10 doubles and 39 RBIs. She drew 26 walks while striking out just once in 100 at-bats.
Sandholm compiled a 14-7 mark with a 1.58 ERA and racked up 150 strikeouts. At the plate, she batted .302 with one homer, two doubles and six RBIs.
Ott, a sophomore outfielder, batted .378 with 13 homers, seven doubles and 39 RBIs. She tied for seventh in the entire state in home runs.
Rusher, a senior pitcher, was also a repeat pick. She led the Hawkettes to a 22-22 record and a fourth-place finish in the Class 5A state tournament, where she earned all-tournament honors.
Rusher, a Creighton recruit, posted a 15-11 record with a 1.92 ERA and 172 strikeouts. She also batted .196 with one homer, five doubles and nine RBIs.
Gjerde, a senior, and Quick, a junior, led the Eagles to an 18-7 record in their first season as a varsity program. They both pitched and played other positions.
Gjerde compiled a 10-2 mark with a 1.59 ERA and 70 strikeouts. She batted .430 with three homers, three triples, nine doubles and 18 RBIs.
Quick went 8-5 with a 2.75 ERA and 87 strikeouts, but did most of her damage at the plate. She batted .587 with 12 homers, three triples, 11 doubles and 38 RBIs.
Quick, a Drake volleyball recruit, ranked among the state leaders in multiple categories. She was second in slugging percentage (1.293), ninth in batting average and 10th in on-base percentage (.644).
