ST. GEORGE — The City of St. George will once again be the host city for the 2015 National Junior College Athletic Association Division I Softball National Championship Tournament Wednesday through Saturday.
The 16 best Division I Junior College women’s softball teams in the nation will come together at the Canyons Complex to compete for top honors in NJCAA Division I Softball. The tournament takes place at the Canyons Complex and marks the seventh year that St. George has hosted the championships. The tournament includes the championship team of the Scenic West Athletic Conference.
Salt Lake Community College is currently ranked first in the national poll. Salt Lake Community missed the tournament last year when the College of Southern Idaho ranked No. 5 nationally this year, edged out Salt Lake Community. Salt Lake took second place in 2013 and returns to the national tournament for the sixth time in the seven years that the City of St. George has hosted the championship.
“We are very excited to once again host this athletic event which showcases such accomplished women athletes,” said Steve Bingham, NJCAA tournament director and manager of the St. George Recreation Division. “The fact that local athletes have made it to the championship will help inspire our high school athletes interested in playing at the collegiate level. We know they will especially enjoy watching the techniques and high caliber competition of these very accomplished athletes.”
Sophomore Kirsten Anderson, a St. George native and Pine View alum, has a .277 batting average, including 28 runs scored, 10 RBI’s and 26 stolen bases is on the Salt Lake Community College team. Salt Lake Community enters the tournament ranked and seeded No. 1 in the nation having moved into the No. 1 spot the week of April 15. Salt Lake Community enters the tournament with a 47-7 record.
Kenzie Sawyer, from Cedar City, a graduate of Canyon View, is on Western Nebraska Community College’s team, whose record stands at 51-12. Sawyer is third in the nation with 23 home runs, has a .439 batting average with 66 RBI, 69 runs scored and 16 stolen bases. Sawyer also ranks 50th in batting average, 22nd in RBI’s and 15th in runs scored. Western Nebraska enters the tournament as the 16th seed and will face Salt Lake Community Wednesday at 4 p.m. to open the tournament on field 2.
Local athletes interested in playing at the collegiate level will especially enjoy watching the techniques and high caliber competition of these very accomplished athletes.
Youth clinic
Festivities begin with a youth clinic on Tuesday at 4 p.m. at Canyons Complex led by the NJCAA athletes and Amanda Freed, four-time Olympian, three-time Olympic gold medalist.
A banquet follows at the Dixie Center at 7 p.m. to welcome all of the teams with Amanda Freed as the featured guest speaker.
Event details
- What: 2015 National Junior College Athletic Association Division I Softball National Championship Tournament
- When: May 13-16
- Where: Canyons Softball complex, 1890 W 2000 North, St. George
- 2015 National Junior College Athletic Association Division I Softball National Championship Tournament
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