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Copper Area News
Two softball players and a baseball player from Copper Corridor high schools have been named Section Players of the Year by the AIA. San Manuel’s Lyana Waddell and Ray’s Stormee Galka were named Section VI Softball Co-Players of the Year. The Miners’ Shane Kelly earned Section VI Player of the Year honors in baseball. The trio previously earned All-Section recognition.
Waddell, a sophomore, is the ace pitcher of the Miners’ back-to-back State Championship team. She finished the season with a record of 27-2, including a win in the championship game. She made 31 appearances this year, recorded 13 complete game shutouts, pitched 167-1/3 innings, and posted a 1.51 ERA. Lyana was an offensive threat as well, hitting .317 with 21 RBI. She had eight extra-base hits, including five doubles, two triples, and a homerun.
Galka, also a sophomore, did it all for the Bearcats’ softball team. She was the ace of the pitching staff, going 18 – 7 with a 1.01 ERA. She made 26 appearances, recorded two complete game shutouts, and pitched 145-1/3 innings. As good as Stormee was on the mound, she was even better at the plate. She hit .538 with a 1.518 OPS, .583 OBP, and .935 SLG. She had 50 hits, 35 RBI, and 20 extra-base hits, including 10 doubles, three triples, and seven homeruns. The Bearcats reached the semi-finals of the state tournament this year.
Kelly, a junior, is one of the top offensive players in the state, not just in his Division. He batted an astounding .645 with a 1.590 OPS, .708 OBP, and .881 SLG. Shane recorded 49 hits, 30 RBI, and 14 extra-base hits, including 11 doubles, 2 triples, and a homerun. Kelly was a perfect 26 for 26 in stolen bases on the season. He made four pitching appearances and recorded one win in nine innings pitched. He finished with a 0.78 ERA and nine strikeouts, averaging one strikeout for every inning pitched. This year, the Miners reached the semi-finals of the state tournament for the third straight season.
Andrew Luberda began writing for Copper Area News Publishers (CANP) in February 2013 after working 15 years in Healthcare Financial Management. Andy covers sports for 11 high schools. His stories are published in Copper Basin News, San Manuel Miner and Superior Sun, in addition to the San Tan Valley Daily PRSS and CopperArea websites. Additionally, he has written human interest stories and business profiles. In May 2012, he earned an AAS in Sports Management at Central Arizona College before graduating with a BS in Communication from Arizona State University in 2014. He and his wife, Kelli, have three sons – AJ, Kyle, and Kade.
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