College spring sports updates for Bartow County athletes competing for collegiate softball, tennis, and track & field programs. This edition includes updates for the week ending Sunday, April 29.
SOFTBALL
Sierrah Gani (Georgia Highlands CC Fr,. Cass) — Gani came up huge during the final weekend of the regular season. She went 5-for-5 with a double, five runs scored and an RBI in a doubleheader sweep of West Georgia Tech on Saturday. A day later, she hit the go-ahead, run-scoring double that helped the Chargers seal a spot in the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association tournament, which GHC will host. The No. 3 seed Chargers open with a first-round game against second-seeded South Georgia State at 1:30 p.m. Friday.
Cassidy Howren (Reinhardt Sr., Adairsville) — Howren finished 3-for-10 with a walk and three runs scored in the Appalachian Athletic Conference tournament. She went 2-for-2 with a walk and a run scored in Reinhardt's final game. The Eagles finished 2-2 in the double-elimination event.
Annalyn Yantis (Samford Jr., Cartersville) — Yantis pitched two innings in relief of a loss to Furman on Sunday. She entered with her team trailing 6-0 and allowed one run on a hit and a single with one strikeout.
TENNIS
Peyton Gollhofer (Ball State Jr., Cartersville native) — Gollhofer was by far the most successful player for the Cardinals in their 4-0 quarterfinal loss to Toledo in the MAC tournament last Friday. Her and Victoria Sec won the Line 2 doubles match, 7-6 (7-1), but it wasn't enough to secure the overall team doubles point. Gollhofer was leading on Line 1 singles — 7-5, 5-7, 4-0 — before the match was halted after the Rockets had secured the win.
TRACK AND FIELD
Anna Hightower (Georgia Tech Jr., Cartersville) — Hightower finished fifth in the pole vault at the North Florida invitational, clearing 3.85 meters.
NOTE: The baseball update for the week ending Sunday, April 29 was published in a separate article.