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Lapeer West's Alyssa Sharrard and Bridgett Miller were both named First Team All-State in Division 2 this week. It is the second straight year that Miller has been selected while this is the first selection for Sharrard.

Both players were extremely instrumental in Lapeer West winning the Flint Metro League title this spring. West advanced to the state semifinals this year and built a record of 34-9 on the season.

Sharrard had an outstanding junior season on the mound. The junior had a record of 23-4 with an ERA of 0.91. She recorded over 230 strikeouts in over 160 innings pitched and was clocked consistently in the 51-52 mph range by college coaches.

"Alyssa is a rare athlete," Lapeer West coach Brad Walker said. "In softball, pitching is huge, especially when you have a pitcher who can throw in the 55-60 mph range and can throw those pitches for strikes. She throws for speed and she really improved her accuracy over the last season.

"This year, she was just overpowering on the mound."

Sharrard also hit .381 on the season.

For Miller, it was her bat that earned the junior second baseman a second straight All State nomination. Miller, also just a junior, led the Panthers this past season with a .541 batting average while also breaking the school record for hits (85) in a season, breaking the old record of 76 set by Tracy Carr in 1991. At the time, Carr's school record was also the national record for hits in a season.

"Bridgett is the real deal at the plate," Walker said. "She is one the best hitters I have ever coached in all my years here at Lapeer West. She hits in the leadoff position and she is not a slap hitter. She hits for power, which is pretty rare for a leadoff hitter.

"Miller and Sharrard give us a great nucleus and a reason to be excited about next season as well."

Of Miller's 85 hits this season, 21 were doubles while she also had eight triples and five homeruns. Her 85 hits in a season is the fourth best single-season total in MHSAA girls softball history, with the record of 92 being set in 1993 by Kelly Kennedy of Taylor Light & Life Christian.

Joining Sharrard and Miller on the first team in Division 2 is Goodrich's Kortni Elsworth. Elsworth led her team in both hitting and homeruns.

This caps off a spectacular career for Elsworth in Goodrich. The three-sport star was named First Team All-State in Class B in basketball after her junior year and garnered Special Mention honors in Class this past winter after her senior season. Elsworth won the state long jump title in Division 3 in 2006 with a leap of 17-0.50. This year, she came in second place in Division 2 in the long jump and now capped off her senior season with a First Team All-State selection in softball.

Lapeer West's Emily Jones and North Branch's Tonya Calkins were both selected Honorable Mention All-State in Division 2. Jones, a junior catcher, hit .492 for the Metro League-champion Panthers this past spring. Calkins was the catalyst behind the Broncos winning the Tri-Valley East title this season. The Broncos leading hitter, Calkins led her team with a .491 batting average and a .714 slugging percentage. Calkins led her team in seven different offensive categories this season.

The only area player honored in Division 3 was LakeVille's Sarah Wright, a freshman pitcher who helped the Falcons win over 30 games in the 2008 season.

Andrew Selich is Sports Editor at The County Press. He can be reached at (810) 664-0811 ext. 8124 or andrew.selich@lapeergroup.com.