SW4A All-Conference

As reported in the Observer :

Butler pitcher Constance Orr, who was 22-0 and led the Bulldogs to the N.C. 4A title, is the Southwestern 4A player of the year.Providence's Amanda Truso is coach of the year, and Leah Quant (Providence) is conference pitcher of the year.

The all-conference team: Kat Holtzmeister, Kalie Lang, Mykaela Williams and Jennifer Rosene (Ardrey Kell); Allie Cashion, Caroline Baker, Taylor Morris and Jessica Fellmeth (Weddington); Missy Wills, Kelsey Vanderhill and Maddie Fletcher (Providence); Sally Snover (Myers Park); Taylor White, McKenzie Morenus, Chelsea Stamey and Jessica Rappe (Butler); Christy Cheatham and Ashley Benge (Independence); Leslie Hylton (South Mecklenburg); and Ellen Coons (East Mecklenburg).

 

Sun Devils

Conrgats to all who made the team, but a big congrats to NC Sun Devil team members: Taylor Morris, Jessica Fellmeth, and Jennifer Rosene for making the SW 4A All-Conference Team!!!

 

Corrections to Cht Observer Listing

Christy Cheatham attends South Meck, not Independence. Coach of the year was Amanda Stefanski (Providence).

 

Congrats to the Providence Coach.

Kudis to Brian Cottom at Butler High School as well. First year high school softball coach - undefeated and state champions. Many people (including lots on this board) chalked this as impossible following the graduation of Ward and Rappe.

 

agree and disagree SWING.....

....yes props to Butler, even though I'm an easterner, I read into the possible lack of #1 interest in the Butler program. They were the reigning 4A champs and still didn't really top the polls, print wise, but showed to all of us that they were the best team in the end!....
Disagree with you in principle on the "coach stuff". Easy there, so coach Steph. got props.......why call out that,with respect? Its no different than Butler not being ranked #1, and CHALKED, as you say. Great job by all of the kids in the east and the west!

 

Keep in mind that this is voted on at the end of the regular season and Amanda and Marci absolutely deserve the honors that they received -- they took a team that had i believe five freshman and only lost 2 conference games both of which were to Butler. The SW4A is one of the toughest out there !!! They worked very hard to get all they could out of their team. No disrespect to Butler but they had a lot of talent on the team to get them to the SW4A title and i think no one questioned they would finish at the top of the conference. I certainly dont want to see this post get thrown into which coach is better than another -- It really is about the girls and their accomplishments.

 

Thanks Bigcat...just an assistant's two cents

We are very pleased that Butler pulled a 3-peat. Go SW4A!!! I get to coach a couple awesome young women from Butler in the summer as do many other summer coaches out there who have the luxury of having these talented Butler kids on their summer teams to make them better. Bigcat is correct in stating that PHS started five freshmen pretty much all season and found a way to get them to be successful quick. I see a lot of posters write about coaches they love or admire, so I am going to get on my soap box for a minute and share so all of you know that there is another awesome and respected coach out there for the right reasons.

Coach Stefanski is an awesome motivator, loves the kids and they love her. She is an exceptional student educator at PHS that is truly adored by her co-workers. I do not think she ever quite gets the respect she deserves so I am going to enlighten those of you who might care to know this because what she has done at PHS in 3 yrs is not a happy accident: This is a coach that was an All-Conference Player twice in college, All Tournament twice, All Region, Academic All Conference three years in a row, The Female Athlete of the Year for her university her senior year and an NCAA leader in BA, stolen bases and doubles...not to mention a career statistics leader at her college. She has coached numerous division I & II players and helped them get recruited. People do not know this because she does not brag. She knows the game and works hard to make sure our kids know it too. She definitely deserved this honor. She went the extra mile I promise you more than anyone out there to get the most out of the team. Much planning and preparation went into every one of those wins; coach's motto: always be prepared even if it meant staying up till 2am and getting up at 5am to go teach. All the team bonding events, team dinners, classroom movies, chalk talks, fun games/quizzes, Zuma outings, hustle ball, spur of the moment dinners, etc etc. She was the catalyst behind it all pushing that positive energy into our kids and being an awesome coach as well. There is a reason we have great team chemistry every year, it's just not a coincidence. It all starts with her. When a team loves their coach, that says something and I know our kids love her and respect her. When you combine that with the success they had this year it makes it easy to understand if you know our teams/conference.

Congratulations to all the All Conference Players and the PHS kids. There is one kid out there we felt should have been All Conference from Butler who was a senior. She is an outstanding competitor and we love playing against her & have much respect for her. Not sure what happened there, but to all the kids who worked hard this season, All Conference or not, congratulations!

 

Id like to congratulate all the SW4A players that made all conference.
I think SW4A is one of the toughest in the state year in and year out.
With that much talent and a limited number of slots, more then a few deserving girls will get left out.
Thanks to everyone for their support of Butlers Softball program.
We work the girls hard and try to always challenge them to improve there skills. Coach Cottom is a first year coach with 14 years coaching experience in CMS and has coached fastpitch before. I can tell you that Brian is as happy for Coach Stefanski and what she has accomplished with the Panthers as anyone, and feels she deserved the honor.
Like most outstanding coaches, Cottom and Stefanski are not concerned about personal recognition but in seeing their players grow in positive ways both on and off the field. I do think that coach Cottom will get his unsolicited but deserved recognition as COY before long.
Thanks again for the support from our fellow SW4A schools in our quest for the State championship.
Ray