By Kory CarpenterRecord Sports EditorFive Warrenton softball players were named to the Class 3 All-State team after leading the Warriors to the first team championship in school history.The Warriors (28-2) won 27 of their final 28 games, routinely beating opponents by double digits.Starting pitcher Taylor Nordwald, the lone senior honored, was a first-team selection after earning second-team honors in 2014.Nordwald started 19 games for the Warriors, tossing 119.7 innings while striking out 85 and posting a 0.88 earned-run average. The Warrenton ace walked just 20 of the 405 batters she faced this season and compiled an 18-1 record.“She’s not going to overpower hitters, but she hits her spots,” Warrenton Head Coach Trevor Hibbs said. “She did everything I asked of her and her defense behind her had her back.”With the bat in her hand, Nordwald had a .442 batting average and collected 29 RBIs with a pair of home runs. Junior infielder Jenny Jansen and junior utility player Kaylee Anderson rounded out the first-team honors for the Warriors.Jansen led the team in batting average (.581), on-base percentage (.632), slugging percentage (.871), hits (54) and runs scored (51).She added three home runs, 42 RBIs, 14 doubles and a pair of triples as well.“Jenny is off the charts,” Hibbs said. “She is way advanced in her thinking.”This season marked the third consectuive all-state selection for Jansen.Anderson hit .462 on the season with 25 RBIs, 11 doubles and 41 runs scored.“She’s a smart softball player, and her bat came alive this year with a lot of power,” Hibbs said. “She put together a nice season and finished really strong. When your two-hole hitter is hitting with the power she was, it’s really nice.”A pair of sophomores — infielder Destinee Frost and outfielder Kelsey Huenefeld ­— were second-team selections.Frost led the team with six home runs and 50 RBIs, and added 12 doubles while hitting .484.“She can play about anywhere for us,” Hibbs said. “She just has a great knowledge of the game.”Huenefeld terrorized opposing pitchers and catchers on the bases, leading the Warriors with 21 stolen bases on 22 attempts.She was one of nine Warriors to hit over .400.“I knew she had a lot of potential last year as a freshman,” Hibbs said. “And this year her defense was tremendous.”All five players were also all-region first-team selections.Nordwald and Anderson were named to the all-state team for the second straight year.Erica Rugh, a senior outfielder, joined the all-state quintet on the All-GAC first team.Rugh hit .500 in league play with eight RBIs.Norwald, Jansen, Anderson, Frost, Huenefeld and Rugh were also named to the all-district first team.Senior outfielder Amanda Lafaver, sophomore third baseman Amanda Vehlewald and senior catcher Abby Meyers were named to the all-conference second teams. All three players were praised for their defense this season.“Lafaver’s defense was incredible,” Hibbs said. “She made some nice catches against Helias.”Of Vehlewald, Hibbs added, “Amanda’s defense got better as the season went on. She was big in the championship game with her defensive plays against Notre Dame.”And anytime the shutdown pitching staff was brought up, Hibbs credited his catcher, who was also named to the all-region second team.“Abby did a tremendous job,” Hibbs said. “Without her I don’t know how good we would have been. We’re really going to miss her defense and leadership.”

Junior Kaylee Anderson played all over the field for the Warriors this seaosn, and was an all-state first team selection. She was joined by teammates Jenny Jansen and Taylor Nordwald