Durango High School lacrosse player Kyle Robinette and Bayfield tennis player Mavis Edwards were recognized as two of the best athletes in the state in their respective sports as 2017 First-Team All-State selections.
Robinette was a one-man wrecking crew for Durango and finished the regular season at the top of the 4A class in a number of stat categories. The senior led the state with 69 goals, 17 ahead of the next competitor. He also led the state with 108 points and was third in assists with 39. He scored a school-record nine goals March 10 against Timpview and registered 10 or more points in five of the team’s 16 games.
“The honor is really just a testament to all the hard work Kyle has put in over the years,” Durango High School head lacrosse coach John Robinette said. “Kyle is the hardest working kid on that team. He had to be first in sprints and he went 100-precent all the time in practices and games. He said he wanted to score 60 goals this year and I wasn’t sure that was possible. The hard work paid off.”
Robinette wasn’t the only Demons lacrosse player recognized by CHSAA as junior Tommy Rodgers was named to the as an All-State Honorable Mention.
Rodgers was second on the DHS team with 42 goals, 37 assists and 80 points. The 37 assists were fourth-best in the 4A class. He scored five goals and 12 points in a 25-3 win against Montrose.
“This was just the second year Tommy has played with us,” Robinette said. “He’s been getting more and more confident with each game. He hides the ball well and changes angles well which gives him a deceptive left-handed shot. Not only that, but he comes from a great family and excels in the classroom. We’re obviously excited that he’ll be back with us next year and we’ll need him after losing so many seniors.”
Edwards, a Bayfield freshman who competes for the Durango High School team, was named The Durango Herald Freshman of the Year after finishing as the runner-up in No. 1 singles at the CHSAA 4A State Girls Tennis Tournament. She lost only one match during the regular season and won the regional title by beating last year’s state runner up Sara Schoenbeck from Pueblo West.
Edwards cruised through the first few state tournament matches to land a spot in the state final match, but lost to defending state champion Josie Schaffer of Kent Denver.
“Freshman year was a bit different than playing in middle school and I didn’t know anyone on the team at first,” she said. “I just wanted to fit in and be a coachable player. It doesn’t matter how good you are if nobody likes you and it’s hard to improve if you aren’t coachable. I didn’t expect to do as well as I did, but when the season started I was just feeling it out there. I guess it was like that until the very last match.”
All-State soccer and baseball awards will be announced Wednesday.
jfries@durangoherald.com
