Spring Garden softball coach Ann Welsh is more than comfortable handing the ball to Bree Blevins in the circle. There’s good reason for that confidence.

As a freshman last season, Blevins helped guide the Lady Panthers to a 25-11 record and a third-place finish in the Class 1A state tournament. While it’s yet to be determined if Spring Garden will make another trip to Montgomery this year, Blevins has proven she isn’t suffering from a sophomore slump.

Blevins has 202 strikeouts this season through the end of last week. Coupled with the 259 Ks she had in 2008, Blevins is just 30 strikeouts away from the school record of 491 set by Jessica Barnes in 2007.

What’s impressive about Blevins getting close to the school record in strikeouts is that it comes in less than two seasons. Barnes set the record from seventh grade through her senior year. Barnes sat out her sophomore year.

“It’s amazing for her (Blevins) to come in and do it in two years,” Welsh said. “She’s such a young player, and what she adds to that (record) will be magnified from there. I don’t know if her mark will ever be broken.”

Welsh said the Lady Panthers’ defense has played its part in Blevins’ soon-to-be record. She said the Lady Panthers who back Blevins up give her confidence to go right after hitters.

“Since she strikes out so many, they have to be prepared when the other team does get a hit,” Welsh said. “They do a good job of that. She’s got a good defense behind her, and I think that helps her. She knows they’ll back her up.

“I know we depend on her hitting her spots and being strong on the mound. It makes it easy for us at times to know she’s going to be strong.”

Blevins still has a way to go for the state record in strikeouts in fast pitch. That mark is held by former Grissom pitcher Anna Thompson, who recorded 2,322 strikeouts from 2003-06.

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Tyler Shugarts of Cullman High School and Thomas Corley (T.C.) Brown of Lineville High School were the big winners at the 24th annual Bryant-Jordan Student Athlete Awards Banquet last Monday in Birmingham.

Shugarts was named the state’s overall Scholar-Athlete Award winner while Brown was the state’s overall Achievement Award winner.

Cherokee County’s Kris Parker earned the Class 4A Achievement Award. Also honored for their achievements at the banquet was Spring Garden’s Zack Porter and Sand Rock’s Justin Mackey.

The program recognized 48 regional scholar-athlete winners, selected for their excellence in athletics and academics, and 48 achievement winners, chosen for the student-athlete's ability to overcome major obstacles during their high school careers.

The student athlete program is named in honor of the late coaches Paul "Bear" Bryant of Alabama and Ralph "Shug" Jordan of Auburn. The overall scholar athlete award is named for Larry D. Striplin Jr., who founded the scholarship program that annually recognizes the state’s outstanding senior student athletes.

The awards to the overall winner and the six class winners in each award category were presented at the banquet sponsored by the Bryant-Jordan Foundation in conjunction with the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame and the Alabama High School Athletic Association. All of the scholarships awarded may be used at the school of each recipient’s choice.

In both award categories, each of eight region winners per class received a $1,500 scholarship. The overall winner in each class received an additional $3,000 scholarship.

From that select group in each category came the overall winner, who received an additional $3,000 scholarship.

In addition to the individual awards, the school of each class winner will receive $2,000 and the school of each overall winner will receive an additional $1,000.

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The Fort Payne Parks and Recreation Department began registration for the Fort Payne swim team on April 1. The registration fee is $40 for the first person, $35 for the second and $25 for any additional. A birth certificate is required to register.

The swim season will be in June and July. Practices will start in late May. For more info call 844-6571.