Most Memorable Sports Moments of 2007

El Campo

5. Bard swims in state meet

Meredith Bard (right) became El Campo's first swimmer to qualify for the state meet since the Ricebirds started swimming in 1995.

She broke her previous school record in the 500-yard freestyle at the state meet in Austin with her time of 5:52.51.

4. Ricebird football team tops Bay City by one point

Though the Ricebirds' greatest accomplishment was probably qualifying for the playoffs, this game will be talked about for years to come. El Campo came back from an 18-12 deficit at halftime for a 19-18 victory.

A failed Blackcat 2-point conversion coupled with a smothering Ricebird defense made the 101st match between the two rivals one of the greatest.

3. Solomon throws discus at 4-A state track meet

Shae Solomon (right) hurled the discus 121-07 feet at the UIL State Track and Field Meet. She finished sixth out of eight of the state's eight best throwers in her junior year.

It was her first appearance at the state meet and she said she plans on returning in 2008.

2. Softball Seniors finish one game away from World Series

In the Southwest Regional Tournament at San Antonio, the El Campo Seniors split in a double header for the chance to compete in the World Series.

The girls lost to Alamo Heights earlier in the tournament and took revenge in their next meeting. Later that night, Alamo Heights ended El Campo's amazing push. The seniors finished as regional runners up. It was the only challenge for this deep squad all Summer long.

1. Dominguez claims state powerlifting championship

In his senior year, Abel Dominguez (top right) broke through as the state's top lifter in the heavy weight category. He squatted 700 pounds, bench pressed 415 pounds and deadlifted 660 pounds for a 1,775-lbs. total.

Louise

5. Softball new sport at LHS

2007 was the inaugural year for the Lady Hornets softball team. Louise competed on the junior varsity level, but still had a few seniors on the team.

4. Boys basketball defeats Moulton in district play

After several attempts, the Hornets finally turned the corner on a seemingly unbeatable Moulton Bobkatz basketball team Feb. 2 with a 57-44 win.

3. Volleyball team goes 10-0, gets playoff victory

The Lady Hornets made a great comeback in the regional quarterfinals for a 3-2 win over Thrall.

Louise won the match in five games with scores of 25-20, 16-25, 22-25, 25-22 and 16-14.

Throughout the season, the Lady Hornets dominated their opponents and even finished with a perfect 10- 0 district record. The second-round playoff win was the highlight of the 2007 season.

2. Football team earns firstround win in playoffs

Making the post season was quite an accomplishment for this Hornets team considering several injuries and other obstacles they had to overcome.

On top of all the success of a 7-3 regular season record, Louise earned a win in the first round of the playoffs in an emotional game.

The Hornets shut out the Bruni Badgers for a 14-0 win. The win was the perfect result to a season filled with great spirit and heart.

1. Pulliam claims state titles in shot put and powerlifting.

Kiara Pulliam (right) brought home state championships in powerlifting and shot put. She set a record with a total lift of 1,095 pounds and through the shot put a record-breaking 44 feet, 2 inches.

*The most memorable sports moments list represents the opinion of the Leader-News' sports department.

Disagree or have your own list? Let us know at sports@leader-news.com. We'll publish some of the best arguments.