Converse’s Abby Friday tops Week 27 Shreveport Times Athlete of the Week voting
Converse’s Abby Friday garnered enough votes this week to win the fifth annual Shreveport Times online poll for Athlete of the Week, sponsored by Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers, the Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission and Silmon and Cosse Orthodontics.
A standout softball player for the Lady Cats, Friday becomes the first Converse athlete to win in the non-football poll for the 2023-24 school year. She joins previous winners that include Benton’s Claire Allen and Brody Hutchison, along with Caddo Magnet’s Elena Pizarro and Calvary’s Jackson Burney.
Friday and her supporters accumulated 31,826 votes, a solid 39.1% of the 81,354 votes cast in the weekly online recognition. Those numbers allowed Friday to top a field of 14 additional candidates, including Evangel baseball standout Garrett Burns, who finished in second place with and impressive 26,222 votes (32.2%).
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Friday will receive a duffle bag, a boxed lunch combo and some additional swag courtesy of Raising Cane’s.
She was a member of the Lady Cats' 2023 LHSAA Non-Select Division V state championship team. Currently, Friday is 3-1 on the mound with 23 strikeouts.
"Abby is a key member of our squad and is one of our four seniors," Converse coach Chris Brumley said. "She pitches and plays centerfield. As our leadoff hitter, she is batting .429."
Others on the 27th ballot of the school year were Marshall O'Callaghan, Caddo Magnet tennis; Jackson Cooper, Byrd golf; Logan Smith, Natchitoches Central basketball; Kamren Clarkes, Captain Shreve basketball; Jamar’i Bell, Huntington basketball; Dakota Howard, Parkway basketball; Javonte Small, Bossier basketball; Trey Dimmer, Ruston basketball; Ava Defee, Benton softball; Anna Morris, Loyola softball; Landon Fontenot, Calvary; Jack Carlisle, Northwood baseball and Blayne McFerren, North DeSoto baseball.
They were chosen because of their performance the previous week or because their names were submitted by their coach. The Times poll is posted each Monday at shreveporttimes.com with a new slate of student-athletes in high school sports other than football.
The Times online only poll runs through Thursday midnight. The poll includes northwest Louisiana athletes competing in volleyball, cross country, swimming, cheerleading, basketball, soccer, wrestling, powerlifting, indoor and outdoor track, baseball, softball, golf, tennis, bowling, gymnastics and fishing while those sports are in season.
Jimmy Watson covers Louisiana sports for the USA TODAY Network. Email him at jwatson@shreveporttimes.com and follow him on Twitter @JimmyWatson6.
PREVIOUS WINNERS
Week 1: Elena Pizarro, Caddo Magnet swimming
Week 2: Claire Allen, Benton cross country
Week 3: Brody Hutchison, Benton cross country
Week 4: Josiah Dang, Parkway swimming
Week 5: Sidney Hicks, Natchitoches Central volleyball
Week 6: Raylon Bailey, Airline volleyball
Week 7: Jackson Burney, Calvary cross country
Week 8: Alexandra Campanella, Calvary volleyball
Week 9: Ava Frith, Airline volleyball
Week 10: Zachary Seaton, Caddo Magnet cross country
Week 11: Analyse Fuqua, Northwood cheerleading
Week 12: Audrey Jordan, Caddo Magnet soccer
Week 13: Logan Olsen, Airline wrestling
Week 14: Blake Guin, Providence Academy basketball
Week 15: Danon Walker, Airline wrestling
Week 16: Abbie Hooper, Haughton basketball
Week 17: Mikey Washington, North DeSoto wrestling
Week 18: Kingston Charles, Airline wrestling
Week 19: Caden Robison, North DeSoto wrestling
Week 20: Jackson Larkins, Airline wrestling
Week 21: Abigail Jacobs, Benton soccer
Week 22: Natalie Davis, Haughton wrestling
Week 23: Ethan Plunkett, Parkway wrestling
Week 24: John Rushing, Byrd soccer
Week 25: Kalli Cosse, Byrd soccer
Week 26: Rodrieon Dillard, BTW basketball
Week 27: Abby Friday, Converse softball
Preseason Fan’s Choice POY: Sicily Fontaine, Airline volleyball
This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Converse’s Abby Friday tops Week 27 Times Athlete of the Week voting
