All-State player in eighth grade

By Van Wade

The Orange Leader

It is always quite a feat when high school players pick up All-State honors in their respective sports.

Many of them pick up All-District awards along the way but most of your All-State teams generally consists of seniors.

That is what makes Orange native Wendy Gillet, who just finished eighth grade at Starks High School in Starks, seem even more impressive.

Gillet, the daughter of Orange’s Wade and Janice Gillet, was just recently named to the 2011 Louisiana High School Athletic Association Class B-C First Team All-State Softball Team.

Eighth graders can play varsity sports at Starks and Gillet certainly took advantage of it in a big way.

Gillet, a first baseman, was the only middle school player chosen from any classification in Louisiana from Class 5A to Class C and was one of only three players picked from Class C for the infield.

Gillet’s numbers were simply amazing in helping lead Starks to the Class C state semifinals.

Gillet amassed a stunning .535 batting average over the course of 23 games. She notched 38 hits. She notched nine doubles, six triples and drove in 26 runs. She was stout at fielding her position as well, making just one error out of 136 chances.

Gillet wasn’t just a gem on the diamond either, she was also a member of the Lady Panthers’ Class C State Champions basketball team and also found time to place fifth overall in the high jump at the Class C State Track & Field Championships held at Louisiana State University.