Many softball teams in and around the Collar City had outstanding years in 2008. Cohoes went to the New York State final four for the second straight season. Troy won its third straight Big 10 title. Lansingburgh held off Mechanicville to win its first Colonial Council championship since 2002, when they split it with Mechanicville. Waterford-Halfmoon won a co-championship in the CHVL - their third straight season winning at least a share of the CHVL.

A number of individual players also had great success in 2008, including three league MVPs from the Collar City. And all three are juniors - so expect even more from this trio in 2009.

Shannon Jones of Troy was the Big 10 MVP and was the best pure hitter in the section - when opposing pitchers actually gave her anything to hit. Jones drew 29 walks and had a .690 on-base percentage.

Colonial Council MVP Erin Glikes.

Erin Glikes of Lansingburgh picked up the Colonial Council MVP, leading the Lady Knights to 18 victories and a 15-1 run through the Colonial - including foes like Class C state champion Mechanicville and Cohoes, one of the top four Class B teams in New York.

Jamie VanBramer of Waterford-Halfmoon was a tremendous power hitter, slugging nine home runs and ten doubles for 41 RBI. She led the Lady Fordians to their third straight season atop the CHVL.

Cohoes catcher Jess Dearstyne tags out Canton pitcher Kacie Wentworth trying to steal home in the state regionals at Queensbury.

Three Cohoes seniors are bound for collegiate softball. Jessica Dearstyne will play at Saint Peter's College, pitcher Courtney Galuski will play at the College of Saint Rose in Albany and second baseman-shortstop Steph LaDue will play at SUNY-Cortland.

Lansingburgh's Molly McDonough owns the school record in career hits and freshman catcher Meg Volz had a monster year (.441, 25 RBI) after transferring from Catholic High.

Catholic High starter Nikki Hedrick will play at Alfred University next year.

The All-Area softball team will run in Saturday's Record and look for Lacrosse teams on Friday and the Baseball team on Sunday.

The 2008 All-City Softball Team

Pos.	Name/School	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BA
C	Jess Dearstyne, Sr. Cohoes	69	20	27	3	0	2	24	.391
1B	Carissa Maloney, Sr. Lansingburgh	59	8	15	1	2	0	3	.254
2B	Molly McDonough, Sr. Lansingburgh	78	33	35	2	3	3	19	.449
3B	Jamie VanBramer, Jr. Waterford	70	34	33	10	0	9	41	.471
SS	Jenn Ahearn, Sr. Cohoes	96	17	28	7	2	2	22	.292
OF	Amanda Lupi, Sr. Lansingburgh	78	14	25	1	0	0	12	.321
OF	Mary Kellogg, Jr. Cohoes	83	18	22	2	0	0	10	.265
OF	Shannon Jones, Jr. Troy	55	32	29	4	0	6	21	.527
DH	Meg Volz, Fr. Lansingburgh	68	20	30	5	4	3	25	.441
U	Steph LaDue, Sr. Cohoes	94	18	26	8	2	0	11	.265
		W	L	ERA	IP	BB	SO	CG	SHO
P	Erin Glikes, Jr. Lansingburgh	18	3	1.05	141	48	211	18	9
P	Courtney Galuski, Sr. Cohoes	15	8	1.82	169	NA	146	21	NA
P	Katie Cahrenger, Jr. Waterford	15	4	2.35	113	28	132	12	2
P	Nikki Hedrick, Sr. Catholic Central	12	7	2.30	NA	32	160	19	NA

Honorable mention: Liz Belleville P-1b (Fr., Troy); Sam Rivet P-1b (Sr., Troy); Meg Beditz SS (Sr., Troy); Emily Jones C (Jr., Troy); Sarah Cipperly SS (So., Lansingburgh); Kayla Cole (So., Lansingburgh); Meg Fitzgerald P (Sr., Tamarac); Katie McGreevy OF-P (Fr., Waterford); Aimee Lefebvre OF (So., Waterford); Amanda Case SS (So., Catholic Central).

Teams considered include: Troy, Lansingburgh, Catholic Central, Emma Willard, Waterford, Cohoes, Watervliet and Tamarac.

--- Will Montgomery