Trish Bennett, Editor
ASHVILLE – The Teays Valley community came together Saturday night to welcome home its state champion girls’ softball team.
“It’s a great day to be a Viking,” said John Keel, Teays Valley High School principal, as the cheering crowd showed their appreciation to the girls after their 1-0 win over Lebanon in the Division 1 state softball championship on Saturday.
Senior Alyssa Rothwell scored the only point in the game with a home run in the eighth inning.
The team upset top-ranked Holland Springfield in a semi-final game Friday with a score of 4-1.
The team’s charter bus was escorted into town by police and fire vehicles Saturday night before the celebration moved inside the school. The original plan was to welcome the team in the auxiliary gym, but plans changed to the main gym when organizers saw the size of the crowd that showed up to cheer them on.
The team consists of Hayden Ellis, Hannah Giammarino, Cailey Grier, Shayna Harmon, Raelynn Hastings, Meredith Keel, Sarah Klein, Katelyn Loughman, Kayla Meadows, Logann Rickards, Alyssa Rothwell, Sydney Salyards, Hanna Skellett, Hope Skellett, Hannah Waddell and Courtney Wilburn.
This is the first time in the school’s history a team has brought home a state championship title.
This article originally appeared on The Pickaway News Journal
