Four from county named to state All-Star teams

Published 12:00 am Tuesday, July 2, 2002

Four Shelby County residents have been named to teams for the sixth annual Alabama All-Stars Sports Week July 15-20 in Montgomery.

Katie Cooley of Oak Mountain High School will play for the North volleyball squad, while Chris Vines of Pelham High School will play for the North baseball team.

Erin Shanks and Jenny Fennell of Pelham High School will play for the South volleyball squad.

Oak Mountain head volleyball coach Valeria Hackett has been chosen to be one of the coaches for the North team.

&uot;I don’t know all of the players on the team yet, but we should have a very talented one,&uot; Hackett said. &uot;All of the teams in the North section of the state are well-developed and have a lot of talent.

&uot;We should be evenly matched with the South team so it should be a pretty close game.&uot;

The team will depart for Montgomery on July 16 and play Thursday, July 18 at Montgomery Academy.

Cooley, a 5-foot, 6-inch setter, also plays for the Eagle softball team.

She was named to the 5A All-State team, as well as an All-County and All-Metro volleyball selection.

A rising senior, she hopes to be playing college softball when she graduates next May.

&uot;Katie is very excited about being selected to the North team,&uot; Hackett said. &uot;It is odd that she was selected as a junior. Most of the time only seniors are selected. We are very lucky to have her back next season at OMHS.&uot;

Cooley is the first OMHS volleyball player to be selected in the school’s history.

Vines, a rising senior pitcher, also plays for the Panther football team.

He was named to the 6A All-State team, as well as an All-County and All-Metro selection.

He hopes to be playing baseball when he graduates next May.

Shanks, a 5-foot, 8-inch setter, has played volleyball for six years. The senior was named to the 6A All-State team as well as an All-County volleyball selection.

She will be playing for Smith College in Massachusetts this fall.

Fennell, a 5-foot, 7-inch setter, has been playing volleyball for six years.

She was named to the 2001 All-County and All-Metro volleyball teams.

She hopes to be playing college volleyball when she graduates next May.

The sports week will include in-state All-Star games in volleyball, boys and girls basketball, football, baseball and softball. The event will also include clinics and sessions for coaches, athletic directors, cheerleader coaches and officials.

A product exposition and other related activities will be held throughout the week