All four Arctic Storm teams included girls from the Chugiak-Eagle River area, said U18 Storm coach Cameron VanRyn, of Eagle River.

The U12 team included Maggie Watzke and Teagan Mergen, the U14 squad had Kenzie Matthis and Destinie Rainer, the U16 program included Mollie Matthis, Darion Gobert and Jessica Tramp, with the U18 sporting the largest local contingent, of seven players, namely Ashley VanRyn, Morgan Payovich, Brooke Dunlap, Ally Anson, Angela Hartford, Carley Grant and Victoria Warwick.

The first seven of the last group were part of the Chugiak High School softball program, while Warwick, a foreign exchange student at Eagle River High School, was denied playing softball on the school’s junior varsity team as she was senior.

Coach VanRyn was complimentary of the girls’ play at all levels.

“The girls played phenomenal. They were playing against the best teams in the nation - teams from Texas, California - everyone was there,” he said.

The U12 Storm placed third in the tune-up Classic, while the older group won two and lost three. The U12 team matched their finish in the larger Sparkler tournament, as well.

“There were 600 teams total in the tournament - and some 300-plus college scouts,” said VanRyn.

The U18 Storm was placed in one of 34 five-team pools, and finished 0-4 in pool play.

Once seeded for bracket play, the team went 3-2, reported the coach.

Between the two tournaments, the coach said the U18 team won 5 of 13 games - a vast improvement over the team’s two victories at the U16 level of the same tournament two years ago.

Last year, members of the team traveled to a tournament in Pennsylvania.

“But this tournament is far superior to that one - this one is the biggest tournaments in the U.S,” said coach VanRyn.

Among his team, the coach said that Dunlap and Anson commanded the greatest notice, with both named to the All-American level, after standing out in All-Star games toward the end of the week.

This article published in The Alaska Star on Thursday, July 9, 2009.