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Hawley and Jackson share prestigious honor
Submitted
McNary student-athletes Abigail Hawley (left) and Jacob Jackson were recognized as the male
and female athletes of the year by the Salem Sports and Breakfast Club.
BY MATT RAWLINGS
Of the Keizertimes
The Salem Sports and
Breakfast Club (SSBC) has been
recognizing outstanding ath-
letes in the Salem-Keizer area
since 1964. And on Friday, May
31, the club added two McNary
senior athletes to their historic
fraternity.
Abigail Hawley was honored
with the Harold Hauk Award
for Female Prep Athlete of the
Year while Jacob Jackson was
given the Oliver Huston Award
for Male Prep Athlete of the
Year.
It was the fi rst time since
1999 that two McNary athletes
won were given Athlete of the
year honors by SSBC.
“We have put in so much
work throughout our high
school career, and it was just
really nice for us to get recog-
nized,” Hawley said. “It’s also
great for McNary to get the
recognition because there are a
lot of talented athletes here.”
“I want to thank all my past
coaches for the competitive
mentality they put in my head.”
Hawley was a four-year var-
sity player for the girls soccer
squad and took home fi rst-team
all-Mountain Valley Conference
honors in 2018. It was the sec-
ond straight season she received
the fi rst-team all-conference
nod.
Despite playing a litany of
different positions over the
course of her career, Hawley
was the leading goal-scorer for
the Celtics in each of the last
three years.
“Abbie in a born leader.
Since her freshman year she
has been a team player, accept-
ing any role and position our
coaching staff asked her to play,”
McNary girls soccer coach A.J.
Nash said.
“On and off the fi eld, her
competitive mentality was one
of the best assets she brought
to the team. Her effort was al-
ways 110 percent. Abbie was a
leader by example on the fi eld,
and was our go-to player for big
goals in big games.”
Hawley was also a four-year
varsity player for the girls bas-
ketball team and helped the
Celtics reach the playoffs in all
four years of her career.
This season, Hawley was the
unquestioned leader of a very
young team. Despite starting
the season with a 1-8 record,
McNary was able to go on a
seven-game win streak and
eventually earned a spot in the
postseason. She led the team in
scoring with 13.3 points per
game and was named fi rst-team
all-league.
“It was really humbling to
see the kind of progress that we
made,” Hawley said. “We were
the underdogs all season, but
just being able to put the idea
in the younger girls’ heads that
anything is possible … I’m just
really proud of that.”
Jackson was also a two-sport
star for McNary over his four
years of high school, competing
in football and baseball — he
also played basketball for the
Celtics until this season.
As one of the most versatile
athletes in the state, Jackson re-
ceived three different all-con-
ference honors in football last
fall.
As a free safety Jackson had
62 tackles, fi ve interceptions
and was named fi rst-team all-
league. On the other side of the
ball, he caught 31 passes for 354
yards and earned an honorable
mention nod at receiver. He
also was recognized as a honor-
able mention kicker.
Jackson was able to do this
all while playing with injuries
to his wrist, elbow and knee.
“It’s my senior year. I wasn’t
at 100 percent, but I’m going to
fi ght every minute just to make
sure that I can make this the
greatest experience I can have.”
But what was most special to
Jackson was not his individual
accolades, it was that his team
clinched their fi rst conference
title in 13 years with a 40-33
win over South Salem in their
regular season fi nale.
“I got really really emotional
after that game. It was probably
one of the happiest moments
that I have had in high school.”
However, the injury bug bit
Jackson once again during the
spring, forcing the star shortstop
to miss the last chunk of the
season. But Jackson refused to
get discouraged about the sit-
uation.
“Injuries kind of altered the
season, but you learn as an ath-
lete growing up that things are
going to happen and not always
go your way,” Jackson said.
Despite being banged up,
Jackson still batted .316 with
a .443 on-base percentage and
nine extra-base hits. He also
stepped up as a leader accord-
ing to head coach Larry Keeker,
and helped the Celtics reach the
postseason for the second time
in three years.
Please see AWARDS, Page A11
8 Celtics receive all-conference recognition
File
File
Taylor Ebbs was recognized as the Mountain Valley Conference player of the year. The sopho-
more shortstop batted .628 this season with seven homers and 60 RBIs.
McNary pitcher Faith Danner was named the Mountain Vallley Conference pitcher of the year
after fi nishing the year with a 17-8 record with a 3.62 ERA.
BY MATT RAWLINGS
Of the Keizertimes
The McNary softball team
had eight players receive
all-Mountain Valley Conference
recognition for their excellent
play throughout the 2019 sea-
son.
Taylor Ebbs- (sophomore)
shortstop: Player of the Year.
Ebbs stood out for this Mc-
Nary team as not only the best
player in the league, but one of
the best players in the state. She
batted an incredible .628 with
seven homers and 60 RBIs. She
also had 22 extra-base hits on
the year and only struck out
three times. Despite only being
a sophomore, Ebbs excelled in a
leadership role the Celtics this
season.
What her coach (Kevin Wise
says):
“Taylor is a natural leader
on and off the fi eld, and prob-
ably one of the best I have had
the opportunity to coach.That
is impressive considering she is
a sophomore. The greatest as-
set for Taylor, is that she is very
humble. I have seen athletes
who are very good at that they
do, but you can’t stand to be
around them because they let
you know how great they are.
Taylor is the exact opposite of
that.”
Faith Danner- (senior) pitch-
er: Pitcher of the year.
Danner has been a four-year
starter in the circle for the Celt-
ics and has received all-confer-
ence recognition in each season.
But she saved her best for last
during her senior campaign,
going 17-8 on the season with
a 3.62 ERA over 135.1 in-
nings, with only 32 walks and
65 strikeouts. Danner also had
a marvelous season at the plate,
hitting .434 with 38 RBIs,
which was second on the team.
What her coach says:
“I can’t put into words what
Faith has meant to the program
over the course of her four years
here. She has brought a lot of
joy and laughter, a great attitude,
hard work, and is one of the
most consistent pitchers in the
state. I think it would be hard to
fi nd a pitcher who hits spots as
well as Faith does, and she has
great movement.”
Alexa Cepeda- (junior) out-
fi elder: First-team all-league
As the top leadoff hitter in
the league, Cepeda led the team
in runs scored (48), and was
second on the team in batting
average (.495), on-base percent-
age (.560) and in doubles (10).
She also proved to be one of the
top defensive center fi elders in
the MVC.
What her coach says:
“When you have your lead-
off hitter getting on base a ma-
jority of the time, it sets the
tone for the rest of the team.
The great thing is, even when
we had the innings where she
was not leading off, she was
putting balls in play and moving
and scoring runners.”
Abbi Covalt- (sophomore) in-
fi elder: Second-team all-league
Covalt was third on the team
with 40 runs scored and batted
.404 on the season with seven
extra-base hits and 27 RBIs.
She also proved to be a leader in
the infi eld as one of the scrappi-
est players on the team.
What her coach says:
“Abbi is a true competitor.
She absolutely loves the game
and has more passion for it than
anyone I have coached. She is
the player who will go work for
a couple of hours after a prac-
tice or game to fi x a weakness
in her swing or defense.”
Kate Ronning- (sophomore)
infi elder: Second-team all-
league
Ronning controlled the hot
corner (third base) all season for
the Celtics and was arguable the
best infi elder on the squad. At
the plate, she batted .466 and
was tied for the team lead in
doubles (11). She also scored 26
runs on the season and knocked
in 22 runs.
What her coach says:
“Kate is one of the smartest
Please see CELTS, Page A10