ACADEMICS
3 Razorbacks make all-district
University of Arkansas All-American outfielder Heston Kjerstad and softball standouts Braxton Burnside and Sydney Parr were voted by the College Sports Information Directors of America to the organization's All-District 6 first team it was announced Thursday.
First-team selections have the opportunity to be recognized on the CoSIDA All-America squads, which will be announced June 8-11.
Kjerstad, a junior from Amarillo, Texas, majoring in recreation and sports management, was a unanimous preseason All-America choice. He was hitting .448 with a .791 slugging percentage at the time of the coronavirus suspension, with 6 home runs, 5 doubles, 20 RBI and 19 runs. Kjerstad, considered a top prospect for this summer's Major League Baseball amateur draft, was named Collegiate Baseball's national player of the week after hitting .538 with 4 home runs and 10 RBI during an opening weekend sweep of Eastern Illinois.
Burnside, a career .307 hitter, started all 25 games at shortstop and led the Razorbacks in hits (31) and slugging percentage (.620). The junior from Paragould and transfer from Missouri was hitting .392 this season with 5 home runs, 20 RBI and 16 runs scored.
Burnside graduated in December 2019 with an undergraduate degree in communication with a 3.94 grade-point average. She is pursuing a master's degree in human resource and workforce development.
Parr, a senior from North Little Rock, has a .321 batting average and .402 on-base percentage in four seasons. She ranked fourth on the team with a .338 batting average and a .439 on-base percentage.
A May graduate in journalism, Parr holds a 3.78 grade-point average. She has expressed an interest in returning to the Razorbacks next season.
GOLF
New date, site for state amateur
The Arkansas Amateur Championship has been rescheduled for June 26-28 at Hot Springs Country Club's Arlington Course, the Arkansas State Golf Association announced Thursday.
The event was originally supposed to be played May 28-30 at Hardscrabble Country Club in Fort Smith, but the ASGA was forced to postpone due to the coronavirus pandemic. Hardscrabble is now expected to host the event in 2022.
The Women's State Amateur is set for June 16-17 at Chenal Country Club's Founders Course in Little Rock. The Junior State Amateur is scheduled for either June 22-23 or 23-24 at DeSoto Golf Course in Hot Springs Village.
-- Trenton Daeschner
HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL
Koerdt takes over at Russellville
Ryan Koerdt was approved at a school board meeting Thursday to become the next head coach of the Russellville girls basketball team.
Koerdt, who guided the White County Central boys team to a 25-12 record and an appearance in the quarterfinals of the Class 2A state tournament this season, takes over for Sherry White, who retired.
Russellville went 9-16 this season.
-- Erick Taylor
Recommendation madefor Southwest coaching job
The Little Rock School District has recommended Christopher Threatt to become the new boys head basketball coach at Little Rock Southwest, according to a document obtained by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette through a Freedom of Information Act request.
Southwest, which is set to open this summer with students from Little Rock Fair, Little Rock McClellan and Little Rock Hall, hired Daryl Patton as the school's football coach in January and now appears set to have Threatt in place to lead the Gryphons' basketball team in their inaugural season.
Threatt led McClellan to two state titles during his tenure, the last of which came in 2015. The Lions finished 9-17 this season, but seven of those losses were by eight points or less.
-- Erick Taylor
HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL
England coach leaves
Andrew Roberson has left his post as England's head coach after two seasons to become an assistant coach in football and baseball at Greenbrier.
Roberson spent two seasons at England and went 9-13 with two playoff appearances. The Lions went 5-6 last season, losing to Carlisle in the first round of the Class 2A playoffs.
England will be searching for its fourth coach in five seasons. Terry Farmer resigned after the 2016 season, then Matt Garrett coached the Lions for one season in 2017 before leaving for Two Rivers.
-- Jeremy Muck
Sports on 05/15/2020