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Congratulations to the first-team standouts on our 34th All-Area Softball team.
Ka’Leah Bellik
Danville junior shortstop
Why she made the first team ... Bellik backed up her All-Area First-Team season a year ago with yet another solid campaign as one of the area’s better all-around talents. She batted .507 with six home runs, 28 RBI, 35 runs scored and 22 stolen bases en route to All-Big 12 Conference First-Team honors, a Class 3A All-State Third-Team selection and a regional championship appearance.
She needs tickets to see ... a SZA concert.
Before she competes, she eats ... Jimmy John’s.
Her dream career is ... a traveling nurse.
Her favorite school subject is ... history.
Her favorite athlete is ... Jayda Coleman.
Her favorite TV show is ... “Criminal Minds.”
If she could have dinner with any three people from any time period, she would pick ... her Grandma Pam, Neenie and Mary.
Three things on her bucket list are ... parasailing, traveling the world and meeting SZA.
Timera Blackburn-Kelley
St. Joseph-Ogden sophom*ore pitcher/outfielder
Why she made the first team ... Blackburn-Kelley broke her arm last year just before the postseason, but she came back even stronger as one of the best pitchers in the area. She compiled a 15-2 record with a 1.46 ERA and 163 strikeouts, good enough to earn her 2A All-State Third-Team honors. She was at her best in the postseason, and the Spartans rode her hot pitching to their first regional title since 2019.
She needs tickets to see ... a Bryson Tiller concert.
Before she competes, she drinks ... an Alani energy drink.
Her dream career is ... a defense lawyer.
Her favorite school subject is ... math.
Her favorite athlete is ... Rachel Garcia.
Her favorite TV show is ... “One Tree Hill.”
If she could have dinner with any three people from any time period, she would pick ... Barack Obama, Stephen Curry and Addy Martinie.
Three things on her bucket list are ... going to Disneyland, attending a Golden State Warriors game and going to a USA softball game.
Alex Brown
Villa Grove senior pitcher/third baseman
Why she made the first team ... Brown was the heart and soul of a Villa Grove team that made the Class 1A Final Four for the first time in school history, making the All-State First Team. She pitched every inning for the Blue Devils in the postseason leading up to state and hit the game-tying double in the super-sectional. Brown tallied a 13-5 record with 112 strikeouts as well as a .422 batting average and seven home runs.
She needs tickets to see ... a Zach Bryan concert.
Before she competes, she drinks ... an Alani.
Her dream career is ... an elementary teacher.
Her favorite school subject is ... biology.
Her favorite athlete is ... Montana Fouts.
Her favorite movie is ... “Legally Blonde.”
If she could have dinner with any three people from any time period, she would pick ... her two grandpas and Kanye West.
Three things on her bucket list are ... visiting the Hawaiian islands, traveling Europe and owning her own softball complex.
Laila Carr
LeRoy sophom*ore catcher
Why she made the first team ... Carr was the area’s best all-around catcher this season, which landed her on the 1A All-State First Team. She batted .403 with 52 hits and 40 RBI, but it was her defense that stood out even more. Carr didn’t commit any errors while handling a pitching staff that was uncharacteristically wild at times. She caught five runners stealing and picked off another seven.
She needs tickets to see ... a Zach Bryan concert.
Before she competes, she eats ... a Nature Valley chocolate peanut butter biscuit at away games.
Her dream career is ... a pediatric nurse.
Her favorite school subject is ... English.
Her favorite athlete is ... Jayda Coleman because she loves the energy she brings.
Her favorite movie/TV show is ... “The Parent Trap.”
If she could have dinner with any three people from any time period, she would pick ... Ross Lynch, Jacob Elordi and Abby Lee Miller.
Three things on her bucket list are ... visiting Hawaii, ziplining through the mountains and traveling to a different country with a variety of cultures.
Haley Helm
Champaign Central freshman pitcher/outfielder
Why she made the first team ... Helm was a big reason why the Maroons came away with their first winning season since 1992, stepping up immediately as a freshman to earn Big 12 Conference Player of the Year honors and a 3A All-State Second-Team selection. She went 11-6 with a 3.50 ERA and 134 strikeouts in the circle and batted .500 with five home runs and 31 RBI out of the cleanup spot.
She needs tickets to see ... a Morgan Wallen concert.
Before she competes, she drinks ... a Celsius and lots of water.
Her dream career is ... a first responder.
Her favorite school subject is ... English.
Her favorite athlete is ... Kaitlyn Helm.
Her favorite TV show is ... “Young Sheldon.”
If she could have dinner with any three people from any time period, she would pick ... Jesus, Keagan Rothrock and NiJaree Canady.
Three things on her bucket list are ... going to the Bahamas, meeting Matt Olson and scuba diving in Hawaii.
Piper Kiser
Villa Grove sophom*ore third baseman/pitcher
Why she made the first team ... Kiser was the Blue Devils’ second pitching option, but her reliable bat out of the three hole was a tremendous help in their fourth-place finish at the 1A state tournament. She batted .439 with a school-record-tying 55 hits and nine home runs, including the game-winning blast in extra innings of the super-sectional. Kiser made the All-State Second Team for her performance.
She needs tickets to see ... a Zach Bryan concert.
Before she competes, she drinks ... a Reign.
Her dream career is ... a marine biologist.
Her favorite school subject is ... English.
Her favorite athlete is ... the one and only Floyd Fisher.
Her favorite TV shows are ... “Manifest” and “Outer Banks.”
If she could have dinner with any three people from any time period, she would pick ... Rudy Pankow, her Great-Grandpa Doc and Larry Behl.
Three things on her bucket list are ... going to Hawaii, getting rich and owning a giraffe.
Natalie Loy
LeRoy junior first baseman
Why she made the first team ... Loy took her offense to another level this season with numbers like a .515 batting average, 70 hits, four home runs, 41 RBI and 48 runs scored, and her 23 doubles put her 17th on the IHSA’s single-season leaderboard. Loy’s bat led the Panthers to a regional title and earned her a unanimous Heart of Illinois Conference First-Team nod and a spot on the 1A All-State First Team.
She needs tickets to see ... a concert.
Before she competes, she drinks ... a lot during the day.
Her dream career is ... a nurse.
Her favorite school subject is ... anatomy.
Her favorite athlete is ... Caitlin Clark.
Her favorite TV show is ... “Grey’s Anatomy.”
If she could have dinner with any three people from any time period, she would pick ... Donald Trump, Caitlin Clark and Luke Bryan.
Three things on her bucket list are ... skydiving, vacationing in Europe and going to a Zach Bryan concert.
Addison Lucht
Milford/Cissna Park sophom*ore shortstop
Why she made the first team ... Lucht went a perfect 4 for 4 on making All-Area First Teams this year, and her softball season might have been her most impressive. She broke numerous Bearcat records with her play this spring, including her .671 batting average, 55 hits, seven triples, 50 RBI and 57 runs scored. Still with two years to go, she’s already a two-time 1A All-State First-Team honoree.
She needs tickets to see ... the Women’s College World Series.
Before she competes, she eats ... something light, usually fruit.
Her dream career is ... a college softball coach.
Her favorite school subject is ... Spanish.
Her favorite athlete is ... Michael Jordan.
Her favorite TV show is ... “SportsCenter.”
If she could have dinner with any three people from any time period, she would pick ... Kobe Bryant, Jayda Coleman and her Papa Dave.
Three things on her bucket list are ... going to the Olympics, running a marathon and playing a college sport.
Addy Martinie
St. Joseph-Ogden senior shortstop
Why she made the first team ... Martinie was the next one up in a long line of great SJ-O shortstops. The Player of the Year candidate batted .515 with seven home runs, 58 RBI, 47 runs scored and 18 stolen bases. She was the Spartans’ on-field leader and paced them to a regional championship. Martinie was a unanimous All-Illini Prairie Conference First-Team selection and a 2A All-State First-Team honoree.
She needs tickets to see ... a Bryson Tiller concert.
Before she competes, she eats ... a cinnamon roll from 7 Brew.
Her dream career is ... a sports agent.
Her favorite school subject is ... history.
Her favorite athlete is ... Jocelyn Alo.
Her favorite movie is ... “Talladega Nights.”
If she could have dinner with any three people from any time period, she would pick ... Jesus, Caitlin Clark and her grandpa.
Three things on her bucket list are ... traveling throughout Europe, driving a racecar and skydiving.
Ella Myers
Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin senior shortstop
Why she made the first team ... There was a stretch in the middle of the season where fans believed Myers might hit a home run in every game she played. One of the best home run hitters in the area, her 12 round-trippers went along nicely with her .538 batting average, 54 RBI and 49 runs scored. She led the Blue Devils in almost every offensive category and made the 2A All-State Second Team.
She needs tickets to see ... a Cody Johnson concert.
Before she competes, she drinks ... a blue Gatorade.
Her dream career is ... an oncology nurse.
Her favorite school subject is ... speech.
Her favorite athlete is ... Alyssa Brito.
Her favorite TV show is ... “Grey’s Anatomy.”
If she could have dinner with any three people from any time period, she would pick ... her grandpa, Patty Gasso and Ellen Pompeo.
Three things on her bucket list are ... attending the Women’s College World Series, traveling to Greece and skydiving.
Abby Sabalaskey
Westville senior pitcher/first baseman
Why she made the first team ... Sabalaskey had herself yet another all-time season in the pitching circle, and this time, it earned her the title of News-Gazette Player of the Year. She finished the year with a 20-1 record, only 15 earned runs, 269 strikeouts to put her over 1,000 for her career, 12 shutouts, four no-hitters and two perfect games. After getting 2A All-State Second Team honors the last three years, the Northern Kentucky signee made the First Team this time around.
She needs tickets to see ... a Brad Paisley concert.
Before she competes ... Mr. Means, “one of the best subs at Westville,” comes to almost every home game and brings a big bag of bubble gum. I made sure I got one every game.
Her dream career is ... having her own photography business.
Her favorite school subject is ... history.
Her favorite athlete is ... her grandpa, John Sabalaskey.
Her favorite TV show is ... “Friends.”
If she could have dinner with any three people from any time period, she would pick ... God and her grandma and grandpa.
Three things on her bucket list are ... traveling a lot, playing in the Women’s College World Series and retiring her parents.
Ruby Tarr
Unity senior shortstop
Why she made the first team ... A four-year starter for the Rockets, Tarr contributed to more than 100 wins in her high school career, and she went out with a bang. She recorded a .460 batting average with a team-leading 41 RBI and five home runs. Tarr was often the best player on the field as both a dangerous batter and a smooth-fielding shortstop. Her efforts landed her on the 2A All-State Second Team.
She needs tickets to see ... Anne Wilson and Cody Johnson in concert.
Before she competes, she eats ... Goldfish or a granola bar.
Her dream career is ... in speech pathology.
Her favorite school subject is ... AP English.
Her favorite athlete is ... Sis Bates at the professional level but all of her teammates in general.
Her favorite movie is ... “Overcomer.”
If she could have dinner with any three people from any time period, she would pick ... Job from the Bible, her Grandpa Gary and her Great-Aunt Ruby.
Three things on her bucket list are ... visiting Symmes Chapel, going to a country music or worship music concert and traveling to Bora Bora.
Zach Piatt is a prep sports reporter at The News-Gazette. He can be reached at zpiatt@news-gazette.com.
