Sept. 23, 2008
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Entering into her second season at the helm of the UK softball program, head coach Rachel Lawson has brought in 10 talented freshmen for the 2008-09 season. In addition to Kentucky’s 10 returning letterwinners, the freshmen will add tremendous depth to the squad. Let’s meet this year’s freshman class:
Jessica Adkins (Owensboro, Ky./Owensboro Catholic)
Adkins finished a great run with Owensboro Catholic which resulted in a third-place finish in the Kentucky state championships in her senior season. Owensboro Catholic was the 2007 and 2008 District and Region champions. Adkins was an integral part in their run, as a member of the 2008 All-State squad, and her team’s MVP in both her junior and senior seasons. She paced the squad with 34 RBI. She batted .354 as a senior with 11 extra base hits. Additionally, Adkins excels in the classroom maintaining a 4.0 grade point average while being named first team Academic All-State in each of her four years in high school. She was awarded the 2008 Owensboro Catholic Liz Lukschu Outstanding Female Athlete Award. Adkins was also a four-year letterwinner in basketball. The basketball team claimed the 2007 and 2008 Regional and District crowns. Adkins was named to the third-team All-Region as a senior, while also being named to the Messenger Inquirer second team in both her junior and senior seasons. Adkins was named the MVP of her squad as a senior, while also winning the KHSAA Sportsmanship award.
Macy Allen (Paris, Texas/Paris)
Allen was a three-year letterwinner at Paris High School. As a senior she batted .409 while leading the team with 20 stolen bases. Allen racked up numerous awards as a junior and senior, earning All-State honors as a third baseman both seasons. She was named the Defensive Player of the Year in both 2007 and 2008. Additionally, she was also tabbed the Utility Player of the Year and the Ladycat of the Year in both her junior and senior seasons. Allen was an All-State academic team performer in her final two years of high school. Allen was also a tremendous power lifter winning the state title in both her junior and senior years, while finishing as the runner up in her first two seasons. She was also a member of the 2006 and 2007 bi-area volleyball championship teams. Allen excelled in the classroom, as she was an honor graduate finishing as one of the top-10 members of her class. She was named a Texas Scholar in 2007 and 2008. Allen was a member of both the National Honor Society and the Spanish Honor Society, while competing in a variety of academic contests including writing, science fair, and problem solving. Allen’s father, Dirk Abbott, was a member of the track and football teams at Oklahoma Panhandle State University.
Chanda Bell (Indianapolis, Ind./Franklin Central)
Bell was a four-year letterwinner at Franklin Central, and a member of the 2008 Indiana state runners up. The Franklin Central squad claimed the conference, sectional and regional championships in her senior season. As a senior, Bell threw 152.67 innings of work, giving up just three earned runs. She tallied 15 shutouts and 302 strikeouts on the season. As a senior, she was named first team all-state, Indiana Super Team Player of the Year, all-county, all-conference and was her team’s MVP. As a junior, Bell was tapped as a second-team all-state performer, while winning first-team honors in the country and conference as well as her team’s MVP award. In the classroom, Bell was a member of the honor roll and part of the top-10 percent of her graduating class. Additionally, she earned an Academic Honors Diploma.
Brittany Cervantes (Chatsworth, Calif./Chaminade College Prep.)
Cervantes was a four-year letterwinner for a squad that won the Mission League Championship three times in her career. Chaminade also claimed the 2006 and 2007 CIF Championship Division IV. As a senior, Cervantes batted with a blistering .532 average and brought in 29 RBI. Cervantes was named the 2008 Mission League MVP and was an All-CIF Southern Selection team member. She was also named Chaminade’s most valuable player. As a junior after batting .412, Cervantes was named to the All-CIF Southern Section team, Mission League first-team and was the 2007 Chaminade offensive player of the year. She was tabbed to the LA Daily News second team as a sophomore, while winning the Chaminade HS Female Athlete of the Year for the freshman class in 2005. Additionally, Cervantes was a starter on the girl’s basketball team in 2007. She was selected by the school’s athletic director to serve on the Student Athletic Council in both her junior and senior years.
Aimee Currier (Torrance, Calif./Torrance High School)
Currier was a four-year letterwinner for Torrance High School playing centerfield. In her time at Torrance, she was a member of a league championship and runners-up in the CIF. Her squad named her the best offensive player in each of her freshman, sophomore and junior seasons. As a senior, Currier was awarded the Blanket Award. Her sister, Megan, plays softball for Boston University.
Ashleigh Gustafson (Louisville, Ky./Christian Academy of Louisville)
Gustafson was a five-year letterwinner at Christian Academy where she played for four different coaches in high school. Gustafson led her team to two District 28 Championships in her junior and senior seasons, while finishing as the runners-up during her first two seasons. Gustafson was a force to be reckoned with on the mound, throwing nine no-hitters in her career. As a senior, she tossed nine shutouts, striking out 214 batters and held a .656 earned run average. Gustafson added offensive firepower as well with a .471 batting average and belting two homeruns. Gustafson was named the District 28 most valuable player in her sophomore and junior seasons, while earning All-Region team honors in all four years of high school. She was first-team all-state in her final two seasons, while playing in the East-West all-stars game in her final two seasons. Additionally, Gustafson was a first-team Academic All-State performer all four years. Gustafson was a five-year letterwinner in golf as well. She won the Region 7 Tournament as a junior. Gustafson was a member of the National Honor Society and was nominated as a Wendy’s High School Heisman nominee. She served a junior class officer, was a yearbook assistant editor and the student council treasurer. Gustafson spent time in the community as well, serving on a mission trip to the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina and she volunteered weekly at the Southeast Christina Church’s Disability ministry. Her father, Ron, was a member of the football and track teams at Eastern Illinois.
Allie Jest (Stone Mountain, Ga./Chamblee Charter High School)
Jest was a four-year letterwinner at Chamblee Charter High School and won the most valuable player award in each of her four seasons. She was named to the first team Dekalb Rockdale, and was an All-Region first team selection in 2005. Jest was a member of the Atlanta Journal Constitution first team in her sophomore and senior seasons. As a senior, her .657 batting average was the highest clip in Dekalb County. She also was outstanding in the circle, tossing three no hitters and 169 strikeouts. Jest also participated in track and field, lettering all four years. She finished second in the 100-meter hurdles in the region in her senior season while finishing in third place at the state meet. She was the runner-up in the event as a sophomore in the region, and finished third as a junior. Additionally, she lettered in basketball as a junior. Jest was a scholar athlete in 2006, 2007 and 2008. A member of Who’s Who Among High School Students, Jest was a member of the National Art Honor Society.
Kristen O’Haver (Odon, Ind./North Davies High School)
O’Haver was a four-year letterwinner at North Davies. The squad was the state runner up in her freshman season, while finishing as Sectional champions in all four seasons. O’Haver played third base and pitched for the team. As a senior she tallied a .481 batting average with 33 runs batted in. On the mound, she tallied a.600 earned run average. In back-to-back seasons, O’Haver was named the most valuable player of her team, claimed the Big Stick award, was an All-State selection, all-conference selection and was named the All-Area Player of the Year. As a senior she made the Indiana All-Star team. Additionally, O’Haver was a member of the National Honor Roll and the National Beta Club. She was a member of Who’s Who Among American High School Students and was a letterwinner for the band for two years.
Rachel Riley (Bowling Green, Ky./Greenwood High School)
Riley led Greenwood High School to back-to-back state championships as a junior and senior. On the mound in her final two seasons she tallied a 45-6 record and had a 1.000 fielding percentage. As a senior her earned run average topped out at .380, after returning to play from an ACL injury. At the plate, she hit with a .429 average as a junior and an incredible .522 as a junior. Riley was a six-year letterwinner, and was a six-year member of the 14th District All-Tournament team and the 4th Region Seasonal team. She was a two-year State All-Tournament team most valuable player. She was also a three-year member of the 3A All-State Division team. Riley holds Greenwood High School single season records in highest batting average, highest infield percentage and strikeouts per game. Her career records include–singles, doubles, base on balls, sacrifice hits, batting average, assists, fielding percentage and strikeouts. Riley was a four-year Academic All-State first team member and finished high school with a 4.0 grade point average. She was a member of the National Honor Society and the National Society of High School Scholars. Greenwood High School tapped her as the Miss Freshman 2005 and the Miss Senior 2008.
Erika Silence (Indianapolis, Ind./Decatur Central High School)
Silence was a four-year letterwinner for Decatur Central and won three county championships in her career. Decatur Central was also Sectional Champions in her freshman season. As a senior, Silence batted .414 with 37 RBI, 19 doubles, three triples and three homeruns. Her 19 doubles led the state. She earned second team all-state honors as a senior, while being named All-County in her freshman, sophomore and senior seasons. She was also a three-year All-Conference team member. After her senior season, she was named as an Indiana Softball All-Star, while also representing the All-West Softball Honor team all four years. Additionally, Silence was a three-year letterwinner in volleyball. She was also active in her community, volunteering at the Fletcher Place Community Center and volunteered as a coach teaching young girls softball skills. She graduated with academic honors from Decatur Central.
