Rising seniors denied chance to play in all-star games
The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are still being felt in the high school sports world.
Even as school teams were permitted to begin working out once again on campus in June — with social distancing restrictions — a staple of the Alabama High School Athletic Association summer calendar will be missing.
Each July, the AHSAA conducts its All-Star Week in Montgomery. Part of the activities of the week include games and competitions involving the North-South All-Star teams from each sport. Teams are named from the rising senior classes in each sport, split by geography.
That event didn’t take place this year, but the all-star teams were still named, and several Mountain Brook athletes found their names on the list.
In fall sports, Parker Balzli and Elizabeth Robertson were named as all-stars in cross-country. Both are highly-regarded athletes for the Spartans’ cross-country and track and field programs. Robertson finished ninth in the Class 7A girls race at the 2019 AHSA Across-country state championships, helping Mountain Brook to a second-place finish. Balzli was 17th overall in the 7A boys race, as the team placed fourth.
Mountain Brook coach Michael McGovern was also named one of the all-star cross-country coaches.
From the volleyball court, rising senior Celie Field was named to the North All-Star team. Field helped lead the Spartans to the 7A state championship last October, the program’s first in three years.
“It’s a huge honor to be selected for the all-star game, so it means a lot to me that I was chosen to be a part of it,” Field said.
Field admitted there is a sense of letdown that she won’t be able to play a game with the top players in her class across the state.
“I’m definitely disappointed I won’t get the opportunity to play in the all-star game,” she said. “I believe I would’ve loved the experience.”
The other athletes from Mountain Brook were chosen from spring sports. Patrick Neil and Lindsey Smith T are soccer players who were key components of successful Spartans squads in an abbreviated 2020 season. The boys held a 9-4-4 record when the season was halted, while the girls were 7-2-2.
Four other Spartans were selected from the highly successful tennis program. On the girls side, Margo Belden and Emma Karcher were named to the North All-Star team. Karcher won state titles in singles and doubles last spring as the Lady Spartans rolled to their third straight 7A title.
“I am incredibly honored to be selected for this game,” Belden said. “It is a huge blessing and I’m very thankful.”
Ethan Shunnarah and Thomas Woodall were named all-stars from the boys program. However, none of the four tennis players will be able to compete with and against some of the top talent.
“It’s so upsetting that the game was canceled,” Belden said. “I would have loved to meet the others involved, and I’m sure it would have been a great learning experience.”
The 2020 fall seasons were still slated to begin in late August as of press time.