Local athletes set for North-South battles

MADISON – Some of the top rising senior high school athletes are about to invade the Alabama Capitol City of Montgomery July 21-25 for the 29th annual AHSAA North-South All-Star Week. The always fun and competitive event will showcase the top athletes in several sports for both boys and girls.

Madison area schools are well represented within the expected rosters for All-Star Week: Baseball- Brenner Van DeWynckel (Sparkman); Softball- Cataryna Schreiber (Madison Academy), Golf-Hana Crockatt (Bob Jones), Lora Prince (James Clemens), Ava Solley (Sparkman); Volleyball- Kendall Buckley (Bob Jones), Mya Lacey (Bob Jones); Basketball- Khloe Bradley (Sparkman). Additional sports without local participants include Cross Country, Boys Golf, Boys Tennis, Girls Tennis, Girls Soccer and Boys Soccer.

“I’m excited to represent my school and the chance to have others see my efforts as my volleyball play is my second home for me,” said Kend- all Buckley, a six-foot outside hitter, who had 498 kills, 52 blocks and 144 digs last season for Bob Jones volleyball.

“Kendall has made an impact on our program as soon as she moved here from Arizona as a sophomore as she has a big presence on the pin and helped us both offensively and defensively,” said Jenny Jarrett head coach of Bob Jones volleyball.

“Mya has been one of the hardest working athletes since she entered our program as a freshman,” added Jarrett. “She was team captain as a junior on our team which featured seven seniors.”

“I’m grateful and blessed to have the opportunity as I feel like it will be great to be playing alongside and against great players from across the state,” said Mya Lacey, a 5-9 hitter who posted 44 aces, 384 kills, 96 blocks and 89 digs a season ago as the Patriots finished state runner- up. “I feel I’m energetic, I get hyped-up if we’re struggling and I’m very competitive on the court. I love the big moments and the All-Star Game is a big moment for me.”

The most celebrated of the local athletes who will venture to Montgomery for the competition is Cat Schreiber (P, 5-9, 170, Sr.), a three-time First-Team All-State pitcher for the Madison Academy Mustangs softball program and also plays on the school’s volleyball team. She is an early commit to UAB and has spent a good part of her summer playing for the Impact Gold travel team, which has traveled the country facing the top teams from the U.S. in fierce competition.

“The All-Star Week games is an awesome honor to be a part of and I’m excited to be playing as I’ll get to see many of my friends and teammates from several teams I’ve played on,” said Schreiber, who carries a 4.0 grade point average in the classroom away from the playing field. “Besides playing travel ball, I’ve been training for the All-Star Week going through agility workouts, lifting weights and going through numerous cardio programs. This is a new experience for me and I’m happy my 15-year old sister, Elaina, and my parents will be making the trip with me.”

Lora Prince of James Clemens is one of three golfers from local schools to be invited to play in the North-South competition. Prince will be joined on the North squad by Hana Crockatt of Bob Jones and Ava Solley of Sparkman.

At 5-6 and 120 pounds, Prince has a thin build that suits her smooth swing on the links. She once played tennis and archery, but her older sister, Gracee, who currently plays for the University of North Alabama golf team as a rising junior, would play high school golf and Prince would watch her play and decided it would be fun to try the sport on a for size, which she did while in the sixth grade. “I found out I have a love for golf,” said Prince, who carries a 4.1 grade point average in the classroom.

Prince has posted rounds of 72 as her lowest competitive rounds at both Sunset Landing and at Athens’ Canebrake. She currently carries a 6-handicap and averages rounds of 75-76. “I would consider myself a conservative golfer who doesn’t take many chances,” Prince said. “My driver is consistent off the tee, I’m most accurate with my iron play, while average with my chipping and very good on the greens with my putter.”

She works part-time as a pro shop attendant at Sunset Landing, which allows her to play all the free rounds of golf she can muster. For the last six months she has taken lessons from Sunset Landing head professional and golf course owner Mike Parrish. She also uses a swing coach, Jason Vaughn, of Florence.

The North baseball squad roster has one lone local school participant in Sparkman’s Brenner Van DeWynckel. The left-handed pitcher- outfielder is 6-2 and weighs in at 185 pounds and is coming off a junior season of play for the Senators where he was named the team’s Pitcher MVP with a 1-4 record, 60-percent pitching strike mark, a 3.60 ERA with 71 strikeouts. At the plate, he batted .319 with 25 RBIs and scored 19 runs.

“Making the roster for the All-Star Week is a big accomplishment and pretty special,” said Van DeWynckel, who has a 4.1 grade point average and is looking to attend either Vanderbilt or Duke once he graduates as part of the Class of 2026. “I don’t know any of the players in the game, but I do know they are good and I have played against some of them in my high school games and my play in summer travel ball with the Southeast Scouts of Carrolton, Ga. I’m excited about this opportunity.”

Van DeWynckel works as a cook at Mo Bay Restaurant located on Jeff Road near Sparkman High. He has an unusual gift of being able to use both hands almost perfectly. To understand how, he explained, “I was born right handed, but at age one I was dropped on a changing table while at a Daycare Center, which caused an injury to where I had surgery and doctors inserted pins in my right elbow and shoulder. I began using my left hand and that continued as I began to play both hockey and baseball while at Monrovia Middle School. I began playing baseball at age eight and soon made the All-Star teams, which has helped lead me to where I am today.”

Fellow Sparkman classmate Khloe Bradley will suit up for the girls basketball All-Star Week game. The 6-foot combo guard for the Lady Senators was her team’s leading scorer last season with 17 points per game and grabbed 8 rebounds per outing. She’s also a member of the school’s track team. “I did dance, tennis, swimming and volleyball, but fell in love with basketball starting at age six and I’m blessed, as God put me in this position,” said Bradley.

She is a three-year varsity player for the Lady Senators and was the Most Valuable Player at the Class 7A Championship in 2024. With a 3.5 grade point average and member of the A-B Honor Roll, the part time model is ready, willing and able for the All-Star competition.

“I’m really excited to play in the North-South All-Star Game with all the hard work I’ve put in,” said Bradley. “It’s a great chance to show my skills and what I can do. I am very competitive and I’m a very kind player, too.”