Bits and pieces from the local sports scene.
Former Burbank football player is named all-conference: Jesse Ayers, a former Burbank High football standout, earned All-Great Plains Athletic Conference honors as a wide receiver for Dakota Wesleyan University.
Ayers, who also played at Glendale Community College, earned his second All-GPAC honor and was among 10 players honored from the team.
He was also an honorable-mention selection in 2007 before missing 2008 with an injury. This season, the senior was fourth in the league in receptions with 47 and fifth in receiving yards with 712. In addition, he tied for the team lead with seven total touchdowns.
Ayers finished his two-year career with 81 catches, and his 1,231 receiving yards is the fifth-best career total in Tiger history.
This is the fourth-straight season Dakota Wesleyan has had at least 10 players receive All-GPAC honors. DWU, finished 4-6 to equal its second-best win total in the GPAC era.
Burbank Heat win softball tournament: The local squad captured the championship of the American Softball Assn. 18-and-under Minor Softball Tournament last weekend.
The tournament featured 27 teams from all across the San Fernando Valley.
The Burbank Heat is a team made up of varsity and junior varsity players from Burbank High. Burbank had to play six games to win the title.
The team included Kristi Hale, Katie Hooper, Kassi Smith, Ashley Ortiz, Megan Schafer, Jenny Millo, Kassy Uchida, Laina Do, Alyssa Meredith, Lena Romaszweski, Codey Corso, Regina Riojas, Katrina Whaley, Valerie Galvan, Alexis Amaya, Michelle Gutierrez, Julia Slater, Crystal Diaz, Molly Holt, Stephanie Eskander, Talia Cassandra, Kayla Oakley, Jessica Murphy, Laura Viebahn, Ashley Sarquiz and Lysette Perez. The team is coached by Nicole Drabecki.
Local youth volleyball team captures league crown: The St. Robert Bellarmine varsity girls’ volleyball team won the NAC League championship recently.
The squad posted a 12-2 record and were lead by Daniela Gonzalez and Amanda Malouf, who are headed to Bellarmine-Jefferson High next year.
The team also featured Briana Heillo, Isabella Panggot, Isabella Delindo, Elena Villagran, Jenny Nardoni, and Lorena Ubillus. The coaches were Marina Perez, and Anna Malouf.
It was St. Roberts’ first league title since 2005.
