By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Hayden sophomore baseball standout Cooper Grace and Wildcat junior track and field standout Natalie Hillebert have been selected by the Dan Key Farmers Insurance Agency as the Rising Stars of the Week.
The Dan Key Agency will recognize top Shawnee County underclassmen throughout the bulk of the 2022-2023 school year.
Here’s a brief look at the accomplishments of Grace and Hillebert over the past week:
Hayden sophomore Cooper Grace finished off a complete-game pitching victory Monday at Washburn Rural. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
COOPER GRACE, Hayden
Grace helped Hayden close out a Centennial League sweep over Class 6A Washburn Rural on Monday with a 15-4 second-game victory that began last Friday.
After Hayden rallied for a 4-3 win in last Friday's first game, the second game was tied at 2-2 in the top of the third inning before lightning pushed the completion of the nightcap back to Monday. Grace posted a complete-game, five-hit victory while striking out seven batters.
Offensively Grace contributed two hits, including a double, and scored three runs.
Junior Natalie Hillebert eclipsed a Hayden girls 400-meter dash school record that had stood for 37 years in last weekend's Kansas Relays. [Twitter]
NATALIE HILLEBERT, Hayden
Hillebert ran a 58.65-second 400-meter dash in last Friday's Kansas Relays preliminaries at Rock Chalk Park, breaking a Hayden school record that had stood since 1986.
A two-time All-Shawnee County selection, Hillebert broke the Hayden school 400 record of 58.9 set by Laura Sargent
HIllebert, who placed third in the Class 4A state meet in the 400 as a sophomore, went on to finish seventh in Saturday's Kansas Relays final of the 400.
