Kinsaul, Williamson named All-Stars
Published 12:00 am Saturday, April 19, 2014
Straughn juniors Katelyn Kinsaul and Jacie Williamson were selected to play on the girls South All-Star basketball team during the Alabama High School Athletic Association’s 18th annual Alabama All-Star Sports Week in July.
All-Star Sportsweek puts the state’s top juniors together to participate in a week of sporting activities, which covers soccer, volleyball, baseball, softball and football.
According to an AHSAA press release, the Straughn girls join other area girls such as Brantley’s Payton Burnett and Amahni Upshaw, along with Daleville’s La’Tia Fils-Aime’.
“I’m really excited about being selected,” Williamson said. “It’s definitely a big accomplishment for me to be picked. I’m looking forward to meeting everyone else and just getting better and start preparing for next season.”
Kinsaul said that she was “excited to be nominated.”
“To be selected to participate in the game is such an honor,” Kinsaul said. “I am so looking forward to meeting the players and working on the game plays. It will be a highlight of my summer I’m sure.”
In addition to the regularly scheduled sports activities, the sports week will feature the summer conference with clinics and professional development sessions for coaches, principals, athletic directors, cheerleader coaches and officials.
The game will be held on Wed., July 23.
During their junior seasons, Williamson and Kinsaul stood out on the floor in their individual ways.
Kinsaul averaged 7.8 points and 3.2 assists per game, while Williamson — who was a finalist for the Class 3A Girls Player of the Year — averaged 19.8 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1 assist per game this season.
“The key to success for me this season was hard work and motivation to return to the playoffs with my team,” Kinsaul said. “Determination and patience on the court against our opponents is a standout memory I have of my teammates. It made for a great winning season. God has surely blessed me and I am so thankful.”
For Williamson, her keys this year lie in the fact that she’s played with several of her teammates for years.