UPPER LAKE >> Left-handed hitting Janee Swaney batted at the top of the Upper Lake High School order in 2015 and did her job and then some.
While Swaney’s primary responsibility was to get on base for the big hitters in the Upper Lake batting order that followed her, the senior second baseman often took matters into her own hands. Swaney is one of three Cougars honored on the All-North Central League II softball team as selected by a vote of the league’s coaches. She is the only one to earn first-team honors.
Swaney not only led Upper Lake in hits (25), but she also had a fair amount of pop in her bat, homering twice and driving in 20 runs during the course of a season that saw the Cougars finish third in the NCL II standings behind co-champions St. Vincent and Calistoga.
Honored on the All-League second team was Upper Lake sophomore Kejhana Taylor, another potent bat for the Cougars in 2015. She amassed 21 hits, including five doubles, three home runs and a team-best 33 RBIs, which ranked her second in Lake County.
Freshman pitcher Julia Mooney earned an honorable mention after posting a 12-7 record with 98 strikeouts in 95 innings pitched.
Jenna Franquelin of Calistoga, a senior, and Haley Antonini of St. Vincent, a sophomore, were named league co-most valuable players.
Baseball
Upper Lake also landed two players on the All-NCL II baseball team. Sophomore William Santos, a catcher and pitcher for the Cougars, was named to the All-League second team while freshman Cody Rybolt, a pitcher and utility player, received an honorable mention.
League champion St. Vincent and runenr-up Sonoma Academy dominated the All-League team selections. Dominic Pederson of St. Vincent, a junior, and Dylan De La Montanya of Sonoma Academy, a junior, shared MVP honors.
