By Staff
Holt, Storey, J.D Glenn and Roberts highlight "Best of 2003: Part I"
Nick Johnston, Hartselle Enquirer
The year 2003 saw coaches come and go, championships won and championships lost, and plenty of high school seniors finding a home with many colleges to play their respective sport.
Here is the "Best of 2003: Part I."
10. Several local athletes sign on dotted line.
The Enquirer stayed busy in 2003 making trips to athletes' signing days across the coverage area.
Here is a list of who signed with what school:
Football – Ben Atchison HHS (Jacksonville State), Brett Byford HHS (Nebraska), Hodge Patterson HHS (Huntingdon College), Trey Clark HHS (Rhodes), Nikita Stover HHS (Alabama), Juwan Ward HHS (Tennessee-Chattanooga) and Jeremy Orr HHS (Ranger CC)
Softball – Labeth Aycock BHS (Central Community Colleges), Elizabeth Jones DHS (Snead State), Robin Halbrooks HHS (West Alabama), Jessica Lyle HHS (Troy State) and Sabrina Roberts HHS (UNA)
Basketball – Lynsie Lamitie BHS (Gadsden State) and Brad Spivey HHS (Martin Methodist).
Baseball – Zac Ward HHS (UAB) and Matthew Thomas (Samford)
Volleyball – Holly Kilgore HHS (Central Community College) and Kristen Bramlett BHS (UAH).
Tennis – Zac Brown HHS (UAH)
9. Holt wins state title.
Hartselle Hurricane swimmer Corey Holt won the 15-18 50-yard breastroke event this past summer.
Holt had dominated in the pool the entire summer, and won the ARPA District II Swimming and Diving Championships title in Guntersville before going on to win at state.
8. Samantha Storey is a well-known name in a growing sport.
Storey, of Hartselle, was ranked first in state – and fourth in the nation – back in August for BMX. She represented the United States in the BMX World Championships in Perth, Aust., and came in eighth of 24 riders.
She is originally from California, and after moving to Hartselle, took a break from the sport. After the three-year hiatus, Storey came back with a vengeance, and now rides for the Clayborn Factory Team out of Birmingham.
She plans to turn pro in February when she turns 16, and also hopes to participate in an Olympic exhibition in 2008.
7. J.D. Glenn wins state championship.
J.D. Glenn won the 205-pound division of the Alabama State Power Lifting Championships in March.
Glenn squatted 405 pounds, benched 295 and power cleaned 255 to win the title by 20 pounds.
But, what's amazing about this story is what Glenn had to overcome to win.
He actually wanted to compete in this event the year before, but because of a hernia he suffered from severe crying as a baby, he was forced to a hospital bed.
The training was too intense, and very painful.
But after the surgery, and a long recovery and rest, Glenn was able to return to the weight room.
6. Roberts breaks state record.
Danville's Kristy Roberts got a lot of attention this past spring and summer.
Roberts was a perfect 76 of 76 in stolen bases – good enough for a state record – and also was placed on the Alabama Sports Writers Association Super All-State Team … as a sophomore.
Roberts also landed in the national record books, as her 84 consecutive stolen bases is third on the national list, while her career .577 batting average is good enough for seventh in the nation.
Honorable mentions
There were several other big headlines in 2003, and here a few that didn't make the Top 10 list:
1. Brewer head football coach Robert Peppers resigns after two years with a 1-19 record.
2. The Hartselle Junior High eighth grade football team wins Tennessee Valley Conference by going 6-1 on the season.
3. The Danville Hawks bounce back from a 0-10 season to a 4-6 2003 season.
4. Former Hartselle pitcher now pro Steve Woodard and Courtney Duncan start baseball clinic.
5. Ross and Ryan Summerford, twins at Falkville High School, lead the Blue Devils on the court and baseball diamond, as well as the classroom.
See next week's edition of the Hartselle Enquirer for the Top 5 of 2003.