Colin C. Rhodes: Notebook: Lindsey in North-South All-Star game, West Middle wrestling places fifth of 20
Dec. 14—FAIRMONT — Every sport plays a North-South all-star game with select players representing the best of the best among seniors in West Virginia.
For volleyball, East Fairmont's Kalli Lindsey played for the AA North team for one final game to end her high school career on Dec. 10 at Woodrow Wilson High in Beckley.
"I am one of the first East Fairmont players to play in that game in quite a few years," Lindsey said. "It was a really nice experience getting to play with girls from around the state. Playing against girls that I normally wouldn't play against in school ball."
Lindsey, along with friends she's made from other schools, joined players from Robert C. Byrd, Philip Barbour, Liberty (Harrison), Weir and Roane County on the AA North team.
The AA North team went 3-2 overall, with wins against AAA South, A North and A South, and losses to AAA North and AA South, good enough for third overall in the tournament, according to Lindsey.
Her favorite moments included playing with friends, receiving a plaque for playing in the North-South game, the second set of the match against AA South (South won a close won 25-23) and representing her school and county at the game.
"It was a lot of fun getting to see the southern part of the state and getting to represent [the northern] part," Lindsey said. "And really show what East Fairmont stands for and Marion County as a whole. Just getting to enjoy the different parts of the tournament."
The opportunity to play another game after placing third, just short of regionals, in the sectional tournament meant a lot to the graduating senior. East Fairmont missed out on making regionals for the first time in over 15 years, according to Lindsey.
"It was nice to have another opportunity to put on the East Fairmont jersey one last time and go out on a good note," Lindsey said. "We ended out on a good note in sectionals, but it was nice to put that jersey back on again and represent East Fairmont and myself and my family and all the people that have supported me throughout the years of my career in volleyball."
Lindsey hopes to continue playing volleyball in college. If she can't, she said she could do discus and shotput in track and field. She's also considering joining the military as a commissioned officer and go through medical training.
West Fairmont Middle Wrestling
On Friday, Dec. 8, the West Fairmont Middle School wrestling team traveled to Huntington for the 2023 Huntington Eagle Classic.
West Fairmont competed in a field of 20 teams consisting mostly of schools from West Virginia but also some from Ohio and Kentucky.
Despite not having two starters, according to Head Coach Bubby Caputo, West Fairmont managed to finish fifth in the tournament with two individuals winning their weight classes.
"It shows us that we're doing well," Caputo said. "It's only our second tournament of the season. To place fifth while missing two starters, especially having those Kentucky and Ohio teams because you really don't know what's coming when you get these out of state teams."
West Fairmont had two wrestlers win their weight classes. Cooper Urse won the 135 weight class, and Savion Huggins won the 155 weight class. According to Caputo, Urse was unseeded at the beginning, and Huggins was a fifth seed.
Dominick Frisenda and Grayson Dinger placed second in the 102 and 171 weight classes, respectively. Caputo said Frisenda seeded third at the beginning and Dinger fifth.
Two other wrestlers placed for West Fairmont in the tournament: Brock Nichols finished fifth in the 78 weight class, and Jimmy Hershman finished sixth in the 108 weight class.
Around the area — Fairmont State men's basketball beat Bethany 117-81 to move to 6-3. Senior Tommy Williams made 10 three-pointers. — Fairmont State women's basketball suffered its first loss of the season to California (Pa.) 72-68 after winning eight straight to start the season. — Fairmont Senior High's girls basketball game against Lewis County this Thursday has been moved to Friday at 7 p.m.
Reach Colin C. Rhodes
at 304-367-2548
