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Loyola Hoopster and Hahnville Softball Star Earn Athlete of the Month Honors

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Loyola men's basketball star Ryan Brock and Hahnville High School softball pitcher Hannah Haydel are the latest Greater New Orleans Amateur Athletes of the Month. Brock is the March honoree, while Haydel was recognized for April, by the Greater New Orleans Sports Selection Committee, sponsored by the Allstate Sugar Bowl.

Greater New Orleans Amateur Athletes of the Month

Brock averaged 19 points per game in March, leading the Wolfpack to an upset win over top-seeded Lee College to reach the conference semifinals. A New Orleans product from Brother Martin High School, Brock was an NAIA Second-Team All-American after ranking fourth in the nation with 22.2 points per game. The senior was also honored as the Louisiana Small College Player of the Year and was named the West Division Player of the Year and was selected to the all-conference and all-tournament teams. He not only led Loyola in scoring, but also in rebounds (5.3), assists (3.3) and steals (1.7). He finished his illustrious career as the second-leading scorer in Wolfpack history with 1,706 points.

In April, Haydel led Hahnville to its first-ever state softball title. Just a junior, she recorded an amazing 31-3 record on the mound, allowing only two earned runs in five state playoff games. The Lady Tigers defeated Denham Springs, 6-2, in the 5A Championship Game. In a regional playoff showdown with Slidell, Haydel pitched a no-hitter with seven strikeouts in a crucial 1-0 victory. She then followed that up with a shutout in a victory over St. Thomas Moore, which had come from behind to defeat Hahnville in the 2010 state championship game.

Also nominated for the March honor was LSU baseball standout Kurt McCune from Destrehan High School. Other April nominees were Louisiana Tech track star Chelsea Hayes, Tulane's top golfer Maribel Lopez Porras and Jesuit golf standout Myles Lewis.

The Greater New Orleans Sports Selection Committee has been selecting an Amateur Athlete of the Month each month since 1958. The athlete must be a native of the greater New Orleans area or must compete for a team in the metropolitan region in order to be eligible. Each of the monthly award winners will be honored in the summer at the Greater New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Ceremony, hosted by the Allstate Sugar Bowl.

-www.AllstateSugarBowl.org-