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By ALEC ETHEREDGE | Managing Editor

A total of 29 athletes from high schools across Shelby County have been announced as some of the best rising seniors in the state, earning them the right to participate in this summer’s North-South All-Star Sports Week.

The All-Star events will take place July 19-23 this year in Montgomery and multiple athletes from Shelby County will be competing in each sport.

None, however, will have as much representation as soccer.

Traditionally the best sport in the county with the most state champions each year, there will be nine total soccer players competing in this year’s North-South All-Star game, including five girls and four boys.

Competing for the girls will be Briarwood’s Savannah Sato, Chelsea’s Avery Burleson, Oak Mountain’s Haley Wells, Pelham’s Talor Pilcher and Spain Park’s Sydney Soehn.

For the boys, Indian Springs’ Nathan Tozzi, Oak Mountain’s Corbitt Grundhoefer, Spain Park’s Alan Melendez and Westminster at Oak Mountain’s Jackson Webster will all lace up their cleats to compete in the All-Star event.

Basketball and Tennis will have the next highest representation with four athletes from each sport participating.

In basketball, Spain Park will be represented by Camille Chase for the girls and Colin Turner for the boys, as both are set to lead their teams during the 2021-2022 season.

The defending Class 7A State Champions will also have two players participating with Oak mountain’s Evan Smith and Wilder Evers set to take the floor after a special run this past season.

In the tennis competitions, Thompson will be well represented with three different athletes.

For the girls, Ansley Brown and Hannah Vosteen will compete for the South girls, while Lebo Mashego will compete for the South boys.

On the other side of Brown and Vosteen will be Briarwood’s Kara Coleman representing the Lions for the North team.

The sports of golf and volleyball will include three local athletes in Montgomery with Oak Mountain, Spain Park and Thompson sending one for each sport.

In golf, Oak Mountain’s Eleanor Forbes and Spain Park’s Taylor Trible will compete for the girls, while Thompson’s Nicolas Lozito will compete for the boys.

Then, for volleyball, Oak Mountain’s Kathryn Smith, Spain Park’s Audrey Rothman and Thompson’s Madison Touhey will all compete in the event. Rothman will be a part of the North team, while she’ll be competing against both Smith and Touhey on the South team.

The sports of baseball, cross country and softball will all have two athletes participating as well.

Helena’s McGwire Turner and Oak Mountain’s Davis Gillespie will participate in the All-Star baseball game for the North team, while Helena’s Cam Bailey and Thompson’s Ella Pate will participate in the All-Star softball game.

Westminster at Oak Mountain was responsible for the other two athletes that will be in attendance thanks to the Knights’ stellar running program. Courtney Callahan and David Haskins will both participate in the North-South cross country races for girls and boys, respectively.