EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the first of three articles about how local athletes fared for their college teams during the spring sports season. Graduates of Lakeside will be featured on Tuesday. Graduates of Lake Hamilton will be featured on Wednesday.
Most college spring sports teams concluded their seasons in May and June with graduates of Garland County and the surrounding area featuring for programs throughout Arkansas.
JESSIEVILLE
Mary Carter
Mary Carter joined the Southern Arkansas softball team this season from Jessieville for the winningest season in program history.
Southern Arkansas (60-11) advanced to the semifinals of the 2018 NCAA Division II Softball Championship in Virginia. The Muleriders were one game short of playing for the Great American Conference championship in Bentonville before winning all three games at home in the Central Region Tournament, both games of the super regionals in Magnolia and three out of fives games in Virginia.
Carter was a freshman pitcher and utility player on the team's roster.
Dylan Anderson
Jessieville alum Dylan Anderson finished with 8 2/3 innings pitched across five appearances for the Arkansas Baptist College Buffaloes (5-38), according to statistics reported to the National Junior College Athletic Association.
Anderson was last shown to play for the team on March 3. He was a freshman on the team's roster.
Kaleb Moody
Kaleb Moody, of Jessieville, was listed as a freshman catcher for the North Arkansas College Pioneers (15-31).
Nick Marshall
Arkansas State's rugby club finished the regular season with a record of 4-4 after consecutive wins over Clemson, 57-21, and Indiana, 48-14, at Curt Huckaby Field in Jonesboro.
Nick Marshall, of Jessieville, was listed as a front wing on the team's roster.
The Red Wolves were ranked No. 11 in the country before losing, 34-23, on the road in Provo, Utah, against Brigham Young after leading, 17-15, at the half in the first round of the 2018 Division 1-A College Rugby National Championship.
Arkansas State was 2-1 in first-round pool play in early June in the Penn Mutual Collegiate Rugby Championship sevens tournament in Pennsylvania. The Red Wolves defeated Delaware, 31-12, and Virginia Tech, 19-5.
Their only loss was to UCLA by a score of 17-12. The Hokies eliminated the Red Wolves, 15-7, in the plate bracket quarterfinals.
FOUNTAIN LAKE
Dilan Holcomb
Arkansas State's rugby club finished the regular season with a record of 4-4 after consecutive wins over Clemson, 57-21, and Indiana, 48-14, at Curt Huckaby Field in Jonesboro.
Dilan Holcomb, of Fountain Lake, was listed as a front wing on the team's roster.
The Red Wolves were ranked No. 11 in the country before losing, 34-23, on the road in Provo, Utah, against Brigham Young after leading, 17-15, at the half in the first round of the 2018 Division 1-A College Rugby National Championship.
Arkansas State was 2-1 in first-round pool play in early June in the Penn Mutual Collegiate Rugby Championship sevens tournament in Pennsylvania. The Red Wolves defeated Delaware, 31-12, and Virginia Tech, 19-5.
Their only loss was to UCLA by a score of 17-12. The Hokies eliminated the Red Wolves, 15-7, in the plate bracket quarterfinals.
HOT SPRINGS
Katie Welch
Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts graduate Katie Welch earned honorable mention 2018 All-Southern Athletic Association women's track and field awards. She placed third in the 100-meter hurdles event with a time of 0:16.08 in the SAA meet in Sewanee, Tenn., in April.
Welch was named to the All-SAA Academic Honor Roll in June. To qualify, SAA student-athletes must have had a minimum grade point average of 3.25 and be regular members of a varsity athletic team in a sport sponsored by the conference.
MAGNET COVE
Peyton Penny
Magnet Cove alum Peyton Penny was listed as a sophomore on the Hendrix College women's golf team.
Penny was named to the All-SAA Academic Honor Roll in June. To qualify, SAA student-athletes must have had a minimum grade point average of 3.25 and be regular members of a varsity athletic team in a sport sponsored by the conference.
BISMARCK
Cole McSwain
Cole McSwain, of Bismarck, redshirted dring the 2018 season for the Lyon College baseball team.
The Scots were 37-17 overall and 22-7 in the NAIA American Midwest Conference. They finished 2-2 in the conference tournament and 1-2 in the opening round of the 10th annual NAIA Baseball National Championship tournament.
McSwain was among 140 student-athletes named to Lyon's Athletics Director Honor Roll for the spring semester. To qualify, a student-athlete must finish the semester with a grade point average of 3.0 or better.
CENTERPOINT
Emmery Boyd
Centerpoint graduate Emmery Boyd appeared in three games for the Henderson State softball team in the 2018 season as a freshman. She pitched five innings in April against Southern Arkansas (60-11) and Northwestern Oklahoma State (13-38).
The Reddies finished the season 33-25 and 24-20 in the Great American Conference. Their season ended after winning one game out of three in the conference tournament in Bentonville.
MALVERN
Marc Davis, Matt Davis
Matt Davis and Marc Davis, both of Malvern, completed their seniors seasons in the spring for the Central Baptist College men's golf team in Conway.
Trace Collie
The Southern Arkansas baseball team finished one game short of appearing in the NCAA Division II College World Series.
Redshirt freshman infielder Trace Collie, of Malvern, batted once this season against Henderson State (30-20) in February.
The Muleriders finished 41-19 after losing to eventual Division II national champion Augustana in May. Southern Arkansas won the Great American Conference tournament to earn the top ranking in the NCAA Division II Central region and host the Magnolia Regional at Walker Stadium at Goodheart Field.
The team is coached by Lake Hamilton alum Justin Pettigrew.
CUTTER MORNING STAR
Neriah Brown
Neriah Brown shot rounds of 75 and 78 for Southern Arkansas in Harding's Natural State Classic tournament in April at the Red Apple Inn & Country Club in April.
Brown, a graduate of Cutter Morning Star, completed his senior season for the Muleriders.
Sam Byrd
Cutter Morning Star graduate Sam Byrd took home two gold medals in the Southern Athletic Association track and field meet in Sewanee, Tenn., in April.
Byrd won the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 0:54.39 and ran on the winning 4x400-meter relay team to earn All-SAA First Team honors. He was also named to the All-SAA Academic Honor Roll in June. To qualify, SAA student-athletes must have had a minimum grade point average of 3.25 and be regular members of a varsity athletic team in a sport sponsored by the conference.
Sports on 07/02/2018