Jays get three named to All-WDA team, Fischer earns All-State
Jun. 10—Katie Falk has got a box full of prep athletics awards and as of a few weeks ago, the three-sport, Jamestown High School athlete, added another one to the box.
Falk, a standout pitcher for the Jamestown High School softball team, was named to the All-WDA softball team following the WDA softball tournament. Falk's teammates, Makenna Nold and Jenna Fischer, were also named all-conference. Fischer was also named to the 2022 All-State Softball Team following the 2022 Class A State Softball Tournament last weekend.
"It means a lot to me to be nominated for it," Falk said of being nominated. "I was very grateful. I was shooting to get all conference but my teams success was more important.
"Everyone really came together really well this season. You could tell the work put in paid off. The state tournament went pretty good. We played hard and everyone contributed. We proved we are one of the top teams."
Falk was the Jays' primary starter, starting 18 of her 19 games played. She The junior hurler notched 100 Ks and walked just 19 batters. She allowed 70 runs on 133 total hits. Falk went 6-5 on the rubber with an ERA of 3.762. In total, she threw 102.1 innings.
She is a second-year varsity pitcher for the Blue Jays. Falk's first All-WDA softball nomination came last season.
Nold threw 91 innings. She allowed 58 runs — 37 earned — on 78 hits. She took down 122 batters in the box and walked 61. At the end of the season, Nold's ERA read 2.846. The sophomore held a record of 8-4 in the circle.
The pitching duo threw all but two innings and head coach Mike Soulis said the Jays were only one of a few teams who had more than one starting pitcher who could do some damage in the circle.
"Pitching with Kenna has been so fun," Falk said. "She's super good and you can just tell she has the 'I'm going to strike you out' attitude which is awesome.
While pair of Blue Jay pitchers are relatively young, age wise, who they were pitching to has been a fixture in Blue Jay softball for six years.
"I have been pitching to Jenna for a very long time and have loved every second of it," Falk said. "She's so good and very encouraging all the time. I'm going to miss her a lot."
Behind the plate, Fischer had 227 total chances, on which she made 200 putouts. She held a .982 fielding percentage. Fischer, Nold and Falk all had fielding percentages of at least a .982.
Fischer is one of four seniors who wrapped up their prep softball careers at the 2022 state tourney. Currently, the all-stater has no plans to play collegiate-level softball.
Falk said Nold and Fischer deserve to be a part of the All-WDA team because of all the hard work they have put in and their attitude while playing.
"They have the attitude that they are going to make the play or strike someone out or get that hit — which is a vital part of being a competitor," Falk said. "They are great teammates, always encouraging everyone and always talking. They make sure everyone is on the same page and pick everyone up."
Nold added:
"Jenna is a great teammate behind the plate. She's always willing to better Katie and I as pitchers. Katie and I both push each other to become better pitchers. We work very well together."
The combination of talent was not limited to the defensive side of the game.
In the box, Falk went .389 and held a slugging percentage of .611. She sent four over the fence and drove in 32 Blue Jay runs.
Fischer was a threat up at the plate, with a .371 batting average and a slugging percentage of .714. The senior slugger tabulated the most doubles on the team with 14 and notched six of the team's 31 dingers.
Nold's final dinger of the season came in the form of a grand slam in the Jays' state semifinal against Dickinson on June 3. The sophomore hit the most Blue Jay home runs recording seven for the stat books. Nold, a first-year solely varsity team member, was the Jays' most consistent hitter with an average of .460 at the plate — Falk was the next best hitter for the Jays. Slugging-wise, Nold ended the season at .862.
"It is my first all-conference nomination," Nold said. "It means a lot to be recognized for the hard work I put in my sport. I didn't know beforehand which made it more exciting when they called my name."
As a team, the Jays went 19-11 on the season. Six of the Jays' losses came against Dickinson with another three coming from Bismarck Legacy. Falk, Nold and Fischer all said that their favorite parts of the season were all of the comebacks and nail-biting games the Jays went through over the course of eight weeks — the most exciting of which came in the team's state qualifying game against Minot. Jamestown took the qualifier 3-2.
"This team is really special and I enjoyed every second of the season with everyone," Falk said. "To all the supporters thanks so much for all you have done for us. It really means so much to have you behind us. To my teammates thank you so much for such a fun season and always competing. Words can't express how much you guys mean to me."
