Co-Players of the Year for 2018 are the star senior of the Dunkirk Lady Marauders, Emilee Hanlon, as well as Chautauqua Lake’s junior third baseman Cianna Braymiller. Hanlon, a commit at the University of Tennessee, hit .400 on the season in league play out of the leadoff spot for the Lady Marauders. Braymiller, one of Chautauqua Lake’s many standout juniors on the division and state champion Lady T’Birds, hit a league-leading .625 in league play.

The CCAA Division 1 West Pitcher of the Year should come as no surprise — Chautauqua Lake junior Olivia Anderson claimed the title in her fifth varsity season. Anderson had a 1.50 earned run average along with a league-leading 179 strikeouts on the year. She was also a force in the middle of the lineup, as well, with a .458 batting average. She is one of eight returning starters for Chautauqua Lake next season.

Anderson and Braymiller were each honored on the Division 1 West First Team, along with another junior, catcher Chadelynn Johnson. All three juniors were key contributors both offensively and defensively for Chautauqua Lake. Johnson, also a fifth-year junior, has been the catcher for Anderson throughout her career.

Hanlon was one of four Lady Marauders who were named to the division’s First Team. Joining Hanlon were Kaitlyn Davis, Kymi Nance and Monica Pokoj. Davis, a sophomore, led Dunkirk with a .413 batting average in 2018. Nance, also a sophomore, had a .400 batting average, while Pokoj, the Lady Marauders’ pitcher, had a .378 batting average in addition to her contributions in the circle.

Chautauqua Lake’s Olivia Anderson delivers during an April regular season game. Anderson was named the CCAA Division 1 West Pitcher of the Year.

The division honors would not be complete without Fredonia, as the Lady ‘Billies defied all the doubters this season to finish in a tie with Dunkirk for second place in the division. Despite how many departures from last season that Fredonia had to endure, the Lady ‘Billies finished just one inning shy of a division title and just one run short of Olean in the class finals. Three Lady ‘Billies were named to the division’s First Team — Kazlin Beers, Sydney Bigelow and Grace Mroczka. Beers, the sophomore leadoff hitter for Fredonia, stepped in to fill a void at shortstop this season and did everything her coach — and father — Jesse Beers asked of her. Kazlin Beers had a .450 batting average for Fredonia, and regularly used her speed to run wild on the basepaths. Bigelow, Fredonia’s junior second baseman, held down the cleanup spot in the Fredonia order, hitting for both power and average on a regular basis. Bigelow finished the year with a .353 batting average, along with a memorable home run against Dunkirk in the Class B1 semifinals. Mroczka, Fredonia’s catcher, finished her junior season with a team-leading .535 batting average. The third hitter in Fredonia’s lineup, Mroczka consistently reached base for the Lady ‘Billies. All three Lady ‘Billies will be key returners for Jesse Beers’ club next season.

Other first team selections in the division include Silver Creek’s Julia Hill, Southwestern’s Erin Radack and Maple Grove’s Meghann Nolan. All three juniors hit over .400 on the season as their respective team’s only First Team selection. Falconer’s lone selection was Alex Rivera, a sophomore, who hit .439 on the year.

Chautauqua Lake’s lone senior on their state champion roster, Cameryn Hawkins, was selected to the Second Team, along with junior teammate Kaitlyn Fardink. Hawkins finished the year with a .351 batting average, while Fardink posted a .333 average on the year. Dunkirk had a pair selected to the Second Team, as well, as sophomore catcher Jessica Beehler and junior Emma Newton each earned the honor. Beehler hit .306 on the year, while Newton hit .341 for the Lady Marauders.

Fredonia had a trio of Second Team selections, highlighting both veteran leadership and the emergence of a young ace. Seniors Grace Pucciarelli and Cassie Essek made the Second Team for Fredonia, as did freshman pitcher Maddy Marsh. Pucciarelli and Essek each hit over .300 on the year for the Lady ‘Billies in their final season on the team. Marsh established herself as the team’s go-to pitcher, finishing with a 7-1 record with a 1.75 ERA on the West 1 league season.

Similar to Fredonia, Silver Creek also had both youth and experience represent their squad on the Second Team. Freshman Bailey Watroba earned the nod for Silver Creek, along with senior Tessa Douglas, who received the honor after hitting .372 in her final year at Silver Creek.

Another Chautauqua Lake junior, Kendra Keyser, earned Honorable Mention in the league honors. Dunkirk’s Olivia Smith and Olivia Yerico-Piazza each received Honorable Mention, as well. Kelly Gullo and Maggie Mignoli earned Honorable Mention for Fredonia, while Libby Lawton and Andrea Olsen were chosen for the same honor from Silver Creek.

The state champion Chautauqua Lake Lady Thunderbirds were honored with the Team Sportsmanship Award.

Twitter: @bradencarmen