The spring sports season is in full swing with baseball and softball, track and field and golf and boys tennis.
Here are our nominees from the area’s high school and college athletes for the March Athletes of the Month. Click here to vote. The poll closes this Sunday at midnight.
John James
James has been most impressive on the mound in his freshman season at Allen Community College, collecting a 6-0 record with a 2.22 ERA through a team-high 44.2 innings pitched. It’s been a sigh of relief every time James gets the ball this season. The Red Devils have won six of James’ seven starts.
The Red Devil’s best start to date came in a 5-0 shutout victory over Northeast. James threw seven innings, allowing only four hits and no runs and striking out 10 batters. He then earned a win over Neosho with a seven inning, no run, three hit performance on March 17.
Brandon McKarnin
McKarnin got the Iola Mustangs season off to a good start when he shut out and held Independence hitless in a 12-2 home opener victory on March 21. He also had four strikeouts and is serving as one of three senior leaders on this year’s Iola High baseball team.
McKarnin then turned around and brought it at the plate against Burlington last week when the senior knocked a two-run double before collecting two more hits in the second game. McKarnin’s presence both on the mound and at the plate is a key part of Iola’s success.
Brayden Lawson
Lawson is a powerhouse in the javelin and shot put for the Marmaton Valley Wildcats.
A junior, Lawson was an integral part of the Wildcats’ first place win at the season opener track and field meet at Uniontown. Lawson placed third in the boys javelin throw with a distance of 115 feet and also placed fifth in the shot put with a mark of 34’ 4.75”.
He is expected to lead a strong Marmaton Valley boys track team which also has young talent in Jaedon Granere and Evan Kent.
Robin Todd
The Allen softball team has won eight games so far and Todd has been one of the main reasons why. The Lady Red Devil leads her team with 18 RBIs and a .324 batting average while also smacking two homers.
Todd, a Lawrence sophomore, has had eight multi-hit games this season and drove in a season-high four runs in a 12-7 win over Oklahoma Wesleyan JV on Feb. 22. It’s been a big jump from her freshman season when Todd had a .238 batting average with 15 hits.
Josie Walter
Even though she’s only a freshman, Walter is making her name known after the Crest girls secured first place at the Uniontown track meet last week.
Walter took first place in the 1600-meter run with a time of 5:59.01. Then in the 800-meter run, she took second place with a time of 2:48.48, one place behind teammate Peyton Schmidt.
Walter is coming off a strong cross country season where the Lady Lancers reached new heights as well.
Carsyn Haviland
Haviland has been a force at the plate to start the season after she drove in three runs in a couple of victories at Neodesha. The Lady Cub is only one piece of a hard-hitting Humboldt softball lineup which can strike for runs at any time.
A senior, Haviland plays at first base.
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