The Mount Vernon News sports department’s 31st ATHLETE OF THE WEEK nominations continue the established procedure of spotlighting student-athletes’ skills and performances on the fields and courts of action.
Based on performances, we ask ADs, coaches and the community to nominate one boy and one girl from their athletic programs to compete against other schools’ nominations. We ask for a recap of their worthy performances and a picture. Please send your nominations to me, Mike Blake, MVN Sports Editor, at mike.blake@mountvernonnews.com. Make sure YOUR school is represented.
This week we have two diamond stars who are run-production RBI machines for their school teams.
Female ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
East Knox has some powerful hitters in its softball lineup, and one of them is an extreme RBI producer. Natalie Smith is a junior with a powerful swing. In 13 games this season, she is 31-for-47 for a KMAC-leading .660 average. She has bombed seven home runs, four doubles and one triple. Smith has 32 runs scored, seven walks and only one strike out. Her on-base-percentage is .704, slugging percentage is 1.234, and her OPS is a staggering 1.938. Additionally, she is an RBI manufacturing plant with 35 RBIs in 14 games, 11 more than anyone else in the KMAC.
In EK’s 17-1 win over Northmor on April 20, Smith belted two home runs, including a grand slam, and drove in seven runs, and she finished up with two solid innings in the circle to close out the game. Smith drives in runs in bunches. In the Lady Bulldogs’ 27-0 mauling of Mount Gilead on April 14, Smith had six RBIs, and on April 2, in EK’s 21-3 win over Marysville, Smith hit a grand slam and drove in seven as part of a nine-RBI doubleheader. This past Tuesday, she went 5-for-5 with two more RBIs and five runs scored.
East Knox softball coach Jake Ulrey said Smith was deserving of the Athlete of the Week honor. “Natalie is one of the best hitters to go through EK in the past 10 years,” Ulrey said. “She is a tremendous teammate who only cares about the team’s success.” Ulrey is impressed with Smith’s focus. “Natalie works hard and plays hard mentally as well as physically, yet she is always having fun no matter what she is doing,” Ulrey said. “She is a great student. She is a very smart, driven young lady.”
Male ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
The Northmor Golden Knights average eight runs a game with reliable bats in the lineup. Andrew Armrose is their leading RBI machine and to prove the point, he drove in seven runs in Northmor’s doubleheader sweep over Loudonville on April 23, and he has exhibited clutch hitting all season.
Against the Redbirds, the senior finished the day with five hits as he drove in three runs in the first game and four more in Game 2 to lead Northmor to a doubleheader sweep over Loudonville, 5-3 and 11-1. On April 15 against Danville, he had two RBIs, and he drove in three against Madison earlier this month. So far this season, Armrose is hitting .444 with 16 hits in 36 at bats and has accounted for 22 RBIs in 11 games to lead KMAC run producers by four.
Northmor baseball coach Buck Workman said Armrose is a competitor and also a top student. “Andrew is a three-sport guy (baseball, football and basketball) who just loves to compete,” Workman said. “He’s also a quality human being who excels in the classroom.
Congratulations on a great week by our ATHLETES of the WEEK Natalie Smith and Andrew Armrose, and congratulations to all local athletes for solid efforts.
To all local schools: Send us your athlete nominations for next week and show them and the community how much they mean to their schools.
