by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC
Sophomores Albert (L.A.) Woodard and Kimberly Martinez have been named the male and female athletes of the year for 2016-2017 at Kansas City Kansas Community College.
Martinez started every game as the Libero on this year’s Lady Blue Devil volleyball tem after being a defensive specialist on the 2014 KCKCC team that qualified for the NJCAA National Tournament while Woodard was a two-year starter at shortstop on Blue Devil baseball teams that won 40 or more games in both 2016 and 2017.
Both will be continuing their educations at four-year universities. A mid-term graduate, Martinez enrolled at Kansas State University in January and is a walk-on member of the Wildcat volleyball team while Woodard will be continuing his baseball career this fall at Middle Tennessee State, an NCAA Division I university located in Murfreesboro.
“L.A. was our sparkplug,” said KCKCC head baseball coach Matt Goldbeck. “The scouting report on our team this spring was that ‘He made us good.’ We were very fortunate to get him from Tennessee. He brought us a lot of success. Not only a good player, he was a good person who helped our program both on and off the field.”
A graduate of John Overton High School in Nashville, Tenn., Woodard hit .372 from the leadoff position this past season. The team leader in runs scored with 58, he was also second in stolen bases with 25 while driving in 32 runs. Woodard delivered one of the season’s biggest hits, a run-scoring double in the bottom of the ninth inning that gave KCKCC a 7-6 win over Garden City in the district playoffs.
A 5-4 libero from Guayama, Puerto Rico, Martinez was named to the NJCAA All-Region VI (District N) first team and the All-Jayhawk second team. After being a defensive starter in 2014 when the Blue Devils won the consolation bracket of the NJCAA national tournament, Martinez sat out the entire 2015 season with a concussion. In addition to earning post-season honors this past season, Martinez had a 4.0 grade point average her final semester.
“Kimberly is one of the best defensive players I’ve had in my six years in the program,” said KCKCC head volleyball coach Mary Bruno. “An incredibly hard worker and wonderful team player, she was truly an outstanding student athlete.”