ATHLETES OF THE WEEK

Justin McAlister

School: Oran

Class: Senior

Sport: Baseball

Position: Pitcher-Shortstop

Coach: Mitch Wood

Week report: McAlister started the week on a wild streak, but recovered in time to pitch Oran to its first state semifinal appearance since 1981. McAlister started Wednesday's 4-2 sectional win over Holcomb, but was removed in the second inning after walking the bases loaded. Teammate Dustin Dannenmueller pitched out of the jam and McAlister added two hits in the win. In Saturday's 4-2 quarterfinal victory over Eminence, McAlister finished what he started by pitching all seven innings to advance the Eagles to Columbia with 22-3 record.

On the season: A four-year starter, McAlister took an undefeated pitching record into Columbia. The right-hander is 8-0 with a 2.03 earned run average. Offensively, McAlister's one of only two Oran players with at least a .400 batting average.

Coach's comments: "He's our leadoff man and our ace on the mound. He's swinging the bat a lot better than he has in the past. He's got good speed, a good arm and he's probably one of our best infielders. He's an all-around good athlete."

Amy Harris

School: Cape Central

Class: Senior

Sport: Soccer

Position: Goalie

Coach: Tom Doyle

Week report: Central closed a remarkable season with a 2-0 loss to St. Joseph's in a sectional game in St. Louis. The Lady Tigers, with Harris in the net all season, finished with a 20-1-1 record. Against St. Joseph's, the No. 1 team in St. Louis, Harris stopped 25 of 27 shots.

On the season: Harris set a school record with 15 shutouts her senior season. She allowed just 10 goals in the 22 games. A three-year starter, Harris had 13 shutouts as a junior and accumulated over 30 in her career at Cape Central. She was named all-conference for the third straight year. She was also all-conference in softball and basketball her senior season. As a senior, she was a team captain in all three sports.

Coach's comments: "Amy was a very good player for us. She was a leader even as a sophomore. Obviously she has good ability and it has been recognized be her peers also. She has a good knowledge of the game and pretty good size. She could cover almost the entire goal. She has very good punting ability, kicking the ball to midfield and beyond on a regular basis. She had good hands and didn't give up a lot of rebounds."