WDHS Female Athlete Of The Year Nominees

In an era where multiple-sport athletes seem to be dwindling by the year, a group of girls at showed that playing one sport in the winter doesn’t take away from playing another in the fall or spring. As we continue to look at the best of the best in West Deptford athletics, the girls take the spotlight.

Below are four girls that excelled in multiple sports, helping each squad in a variety of ways. Check back in a couple of days to see who is named Female Athlete of the Year. In the meantime, feel free to voice your opinions in the comments section.

Danielle McKeown: A three-sport athlete, McKeown possessed the rare mix of talent, intelligence and leadership on the soccer, basketball and softball teams. She was the leadoff hitter and shortstop for the softball squad, the shooting guard for the basketball team and a backline defender for the soccer squad.

She helped captain each team to the playoffs, finished as the second-leading scorer on the basketball team, while serving as the spark plug for the softball team.

Megan Kirschling: Widely regarded as the top high jumper in the
state, Kirschling would have earned her place on this list simply by clearing 5-10.5 last week—a height that is the second-highest in New Jersey history. Add in her ability in the hurdles, triple jump, production on the basketball court and defensive prowess on the soccer field, and it becomes abundantly clear that Kirschling had one of the best all-around seasons in the athletic program.

In the fall, Kirschling worked as a central defender, working her way into the offensive end at times. In the winter, she was the go-to player for the Eagles’ basketball team, leading the team in scoring and rebounding. In the spring, she helped lead the track team to a one-loss season, while dominating the high jump all the way to the Meet of Champions where she had a rare-second-place finish.

Sydney Ponto: The ace of the softball staff, Ponto had four games in which she struck out double-digit batters—including a nail-biting 1-0 playoff loss to Haddon Heights, where she allowed just one hit.

She mixed a powerful fastball with an occasional change-up or drop pitch to keep hitters guessing—and more often than not missing. Ponto also delivered on the offensive end, serving as a middle of the order threat.

In the fall, Ponto was a key midfield piece for the field hockey team. She took virtually all big free hits and was one of the top assisters on the team.

Morgan Brown: Dominance is a fitting word to describe Brown in terms of her performance on the bowling lanes. Brown finished in second place at the NJSIAA State Championships. For the year, Brown put up the highest average in the Olympic Conference all season, with her 215 topping the next-closest bowler by more than 50 pins.

She also had the single-highest series (761) and high game (279) in conference.

In the spring, Brown was the starting first baseman for the softball team.