All-ESD softball team released; Watertown, Aberdeen athletes fill the list

Seniors Jade Lund and Kinsley Van Gilder of Watertown have been named to the 2024 All-Eastern South Dakota Conference softball team.

Lund is a repeat selection from 2023.

State AA Softball: State Class AA softball tournament closes with four games Saturday in Aberdeen.

Juniors Lauryn Hirsch and Aleia Johnston each received honorable mentionon the team, which is selected by the league's coaches.

The Arrows recently completed a 12-11 season with a seventh-place finish in the state Class AA tournament.

• Lund — The third baseman batted .410 for the Arrows this spring with 13 doubles, two triples and two homers. She also scored 23 runs and drove in 18.
• Van Gilder — The center fielder-pitcher capped her Arrow career by batting .314 with two doubles, two triples and a home run. She scored 21 runs and also worked as a reliever in many games for the Arrows.
• Hirsch — A right fielder who also saw action on the mound, Hirsch led the Arrows with 25 RBIs. She batted .284 with a double, two triples and three homers.
• Johnston — The first baseman batted .342 this spring with four doubles, a homer, 21 runs scored and 17 RBIs.

Other All-ESD Selections

Other honorees are juniors Macy Lembcke and DJ Schoby and sophomores Peyton Amdahl and Alexa Harms of Brandon Valley; juniors Tess Burns, Kymber Buys and Morgan Norgaard of Brookings; seniors Peyton Bennett and Hailey Boer, junior Madelyn Ducheneaux and sophomores Macy Bryant, Jayci Olson and Cora Payne of Harrisburg; freshman Matteah Graves of Mitchell; and seniors Camryn Koletzky and Payton Moser of Yankton.

2023 All-ESD Softball Team: Seven area players named to South Dakota Softball Coaches Association's Academic All-State team

Buys, Norgaard, Boer, Ducheneaux and Bryant are also repeat honorees from last spring. Koletzky and Harms each received honorable mention in 2023.

Other Honorable Mention

Senior Ayrlie Waldo of Aberdeen Central, freshman Ganiyah Daniel of Brandon Valley and juniors Elly Broers and Noel Kist also received honorable mention.

Follow Watertown Public Opinion sports reporter Roger Merriam on X (formerly known as Twitter) @PO_Sports or email: rmerriam@thepublicopinion.com

This article originally appeared on Watertown Public Opinion: All-ESD softball team released; Watertown, Aberdeen athletes fill the list