SPORTS
STORM CENTER: SOTX recognizes Saint Jo’s Martin
Back when she was a student at Holliday High School, Laurie Martin developed a passion for working with classmates with special needs.
“It was something I wanted to do with my life,” said Martin, who lives these days in Saint Jo.
And now Martin will be rewarded for her work with children with disabilities.
Special Olympics Texas named Martin trainer of the year, and she will be formally recognized during an awards ceremony on Oct. 14 at College Station High School – site of the SOTX Fall Classic.
“It’s an honor,” Martin said. “Special Olympics Texas is a passion for me. I am thankful to work the kids.”
Mike Strickland, with SOTX, gave plaudits to Martin for her work.
“Laurie is passionate about our athletes,” Strickland said. “Working with her as a trainer the last three years has helped not only increase our coaching numbers, but also our reach in the Montague County area.”
Martin was a former two-sport athlete at Holliday back in the 1980s, playing outside hitter for the Lady Eagles’ volleyball team and she was a post in basketball.
After Holliday, Martin earned her bachelor’s degree in physical therapy from Texas Tech University.
These days, Martin works as a physical therapist for the Montague County Special Classes Coop, helping students with disabilities at Bowie, Nocona, Forestburg and Saint Jo.
Martin began her journey when she was contracted with the Wichita Falls Independent School District. She was working in sports medicine and orthopedic outpatient care for a clinic that’s now defunct.
“That introduced me to a school setting, and I was there for five years,” she said.
After working in Wichita Falls, she spent four years working in Mesquite ISD, which at the time actually had a special budget for Special Olympics.
In 2002, Martin moved to Montague County and she’s lived here ever since.
Martin said her job is richly rewarding.
“It’s rewarding,” she said. “I help a disabled kid be more successful in a school setting. In physical education, I help them learn how to kick a ball and catch a ball.” Read more from this column in the Oct. 8 Bowie News.
Editor’s Note: The Storm Center column is the expressed written views of sports editor Eric Viccaro and not The Bowie News.
Laurie Martin (left) has been honored by Special Olympics Texas as the Trainer of the Year. Martin will be honored at a special reception on Oct. 14 in College Station. (Courtesy photo from Special Olympics Texas)
The Nocona Lady Indians beat Saint Jo at home on Saturday morning.
The Lady Indians won 16-1 after four innings due to run-rule against the smaller school.
Nocona was coming off a competitive loss at Collinsville earlier in the week while the Lady Panthers were hoping to compete after a busy week of their athletes doing everything else besides just softball.
The Lady Indians easily won the first matchup between the teams in March, 19-2 and it was more of the same on Saturday.
Saint Jo struck first to start the game off well. Jordyn O’Neal hit a one out single. Krista Reeves followed with a walk after O’Neal had stolen second base and had advanced to third thanks to an error trying to throw her out. A wild pitch then allowed her to score to put the Lady Panthers up 1-0.
The lead did not last long. Nocona’s first two batters drew walks which set up Abby Hill to drive them both in with a single to right field.
Despite giving up a single and a walk later in the inning, Saint Jo’s defense did not allow another run. A line out and groundout to the shortstop while picking off a runner attempting to steal got the Lady Panthers out of the inning unscarred.
The Lady Indians led 2-1.
That was about as competitive as it got. In the second inning, Nocona’s bats got going. Two singles and a hit batter loaded the bases up with no outs.
Reagan Phipps drew a walk that drove in a run. Hill hit another two RBI single. Skye Kirby followed with a two RBI double.
After the first out, Allie Sutton drove in one run with a single. There was a fly out for out two, before a runner came in to score after a passed ball. Finally, an error allowed two more runs to score on the base paths.
Nocona had scored nine runs and led 11-1 to break the game open heading into the third inning.
Taylor Patrick hit a double, with O’Neal and Reeves following with singles. Unfortunately for Saint Jo, Patrick was thrown out before the hits attempting to steal a base so the Lady Panthers scored no runs from this.
The Lady Indians kept pouring on the runs. Two singles and a walk loaded the bases up with no outs. Tinley Cable then hit an RBI single. Shelby Swell was hit by a pitch that drove in another run.
After two strikeouts, Evelyn Marquez drove in two more runs on a double to put Nocona up 15-1, coming up one run short of ending the game early.
The Lady Indians scored that one run in the fourth inning. After Phipps drew a leadoff walk, Hill hit a triple that drove her in to end the game.
Nocona won 16-1.
To read the full story, pick up a copy of the mid-week edition of the Bowie News.
-
NEWS1 year ago2 hurt, 1 jailed after shooting incident north of Nocona
-
NEWS5 months agoSuspect indicted, jailed in Tia Hutson murder
-
NEWS12 months agoSO investigating possible murder/suicide
-
NEWS1 year agoWreck takes the life of BHS teen, 16
-
NEWS9 months agoMurder unsolved – 1 year later Tia Hutson’s family angry, frustrated with no arrest
-
NEWS12 months ago
Sheriff’s office called out to infant’s death
-
NEWS1 year agoBowie Police face three-hour standoff after possible domestic fight
-
NEWS1 year ago
Driver stopped by a man running into the street, robbed at knifepoint