Four Raider players named to IGCA all-state softball teams

Class 3A state champion Williamsburg landed four players on the 2023 Iowa Girls Coaches Association all-state softball teams.

Seniors Peyton Driscoll and Elle Ridgeway, and junior Shannon Finn were first-team selections for the Raiders in Class 3A, and senior Jenna Thurm made the second team.

English Valleys junior Kennedy Axmear was a second-team all-state pick in Class 1A, and EV senior Addy Westfall and Iowa Valley sophomore Lydia Kriegel received honorable mention.

This is Driscoll’s fourth straight year on the first team and fifth time overall she’s been an all-stater, making the third team as an 8th-grader.

Finn was a first-team pick for the second year in a row after garnering second-team honors in 2021. Ridgeway made the top team for the first time, improving upon her second-team selection from a year ago, and Thurm, a third-team choice last year, moved up to the second team.

Driscoll enjoyed another big year for the 3A state champion Raiders, posting a 20-3 pitching record with 185 strikeouts in 141 innings and a stingy 0.84 ERA. She set school records for most career strikeouts (929), most career no-hitters (8) and lowest single-season ERA (0.84). Her 90 career wins rank second all-time in program history, one behind Kim Folkmann.

Finn batted .363 this season with three doubles, five triples and one home run. The left-handed slap-hitter led the team in runs scored (45) and stolen bases (34). She walked 17 times, drove in 19 runs and in 66 chances playing centerfield, committed just one error. With one season still ahead of her, she already owns the school record for most career stolen bases with 117.

Ridgeway batted .405 this season with 12 home runs and 54 RBI — all team bests. She leaves the program as the school-record holder for most career hits (225), most home runs in a season (13) and career (41), and most RBI in a season (58) and career (219).

Thurm hit .395 this season with 10 doubles, two home runs, 38 RBI and 24 walks. Her doubles and walks led the team, and she ranked second to Ridgeway in batting average and RBI.

Axmear’s all-state selection was her second, having made the third team as a sophomore. She boasted a .567 batting average with 10 doubles, 11 home runs and 40 RBI. She broke her own single-season school record of 10 home runs and her 29th round tripper overall surpassed Audrey Grove as the school’s career record holder.

Westfall, EV’s lone senior, batted .392 with seven doubles, one home run and 16 RBI, and Kriegel hit .338 with four doubles, four triples, one home run and 14 RBI. She also had six pitching wins with 103 strikeouts.

Williamsburg coach Adam Berte was named 3A Coach of the Year. He guided the Raiders to a 36-9 record and the school’s first state softball championship in program history. Berte also was named 3A Coach of the Year in 2020 when Williamsburg was the state runner-up to Albia. His career record in seven seasons at the Raiders’ helm is 203-83.