Ryans, Burrows selected as Athletes of the Week

It’s the final countdown for Graham High School students as they have entered the final month of the school year. Graduation is just a few weeks away for seniors and summer break awaits the rest of the students.

But before that time comes, sports carry on. This week, Mayci Ryans of the Lady Blues softball team and Hayden Burrows of the Steers tennis team earned selections as athletes of the week.

Ryans and her team are in the midst of a playoff run while Burrows is gearing up for the regional tennis tournament next week.

Mayci Ryans, outfielder, Lady Blues softball

In her team’s final regular season game on the road against Mineral Wells, Ryans narrowly missed hitting her first home run of the season by a few feet as the ball hit the fence more than halfway up the outfield wall.

Last week in the bi-district round of the playoffs against Lubbock Estacado, the sophomore left no doubt with her hit in the top of the fifth inning. After she had worked a full count, Ryans rocked a high fastball over the fence in left field for her first career high school home run.

Her solo shot was the first run in an eight-run inning for the Lady Blues as they went on to shut down the Lady Mats and claim the bi-district championship. In the series, Ryans went 2-for-7 with three runs scored, two RBIs and a walk.

The homer was the culmination of a season of hard work for Ryans, who had taken a break from softball before coming back to it this year. She’s developed in all facets of the game, as the team’s primary left fielder and one of the speedy options at the plate. As a sophomore, she’ll have plenty of time to continue to grow, and hopefully, she will hit more home runs and contribute to wins along the way.

“She used to play softball but then went strictly basketball for a year, and we are glad to have her back out on the field,” head coach Adam Arrington said. “She has great speed and is getting more comfortable on defense in left field, but more importantly, she is starting to be more comfortable and confident at the plate.  She sees the ball well out of the pitcher’s hand and is a great teammate to have on the field.”

Hayden Burrows, boys singles, Steers tennis

Head tennis coach Matt Birdwell knew Burrows was a talented player as a junior and No. 1 boys singles player for the Graham team. But it wasn’t until midway through the season he recognized how good Burrows was playing.

Burrows recently qualified for the regional tennis tournament in Lubbock after he finished second place in the boys singles competition at district a few weeks ago. His play had been trending upwards all season and it paid off with another opportunity to compete.

“He’s been very consistent, and he’s been winning a lot of matches and just really coming along,” Birdwell said. “... He has a really good serve. He’s really strong forehands, backhands, and he gets everything back in play. He pushes the point and he pushes that other player until they can’t do anything.”

While the team does have a number of seniors who fill leadership roles, Burrows has a way of keeping things light and entertaining while still maintaining focused on his goals. Tennis requires a great deal of concentration and mental effort, so his ability to loosen the team up when necessary is a welcome one.

“He’s usually one who’s going to keep it a little loose, he always has something that he’s doing on the courts to kind of lighten everything up,” Birdwell said. “He just keeps everyone light and kind of laughing… keeps everyone from going insane because (there’s) a lot of repetition in tennis.”

While his hard work has already earned him a trip to regionals, he’ll look to keep the momentum going in that tournament and beyond. He’ll be a major part of the Graham tennis team through the remainder of this year and into his final year after that.