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SMCC Softball Announces Four-Year Transfers
Posted: Jul 21, 2022

SMCC Softball Announces Four-Year Transfers

PHOENIX ---

South Mountain Community College softball head coach Brittney Matta announced the program's four-year transfers after a stellar 2022 season that saw the Cougars advance to the Region Division II tournament for a second-consecutive season. Rylie Atherton (Concordia-Irvine), Jaudrey Ah Quin (Lake Forest College), Lauren Russell (Park-Gilbert), Tara Lorona (Park-Gilbert), Taylor Mount (Park-Gilbert), Christian Smith (Park-Gilbert), Carolina Olivas (Park-Gilbert), Mariah Martinez (Park-Gilbert) and Monica Chon (Park-Gilbert) represented SMCC with honor throughout their careers. The Cougars are proud to see them continue their intercollegiate softball careers at their respective institutions. 

Atherton, a 5-8 right-handed pitcher, heads to NCAA Division II Concordia University-Irvine (CA). The Eagles compete in the PacWest Conference and finished 46-10 overall and 29-3 in conference action in 2022. She appeared in 31 games, made 23 starts in the circle for SMCC in 2022 and finished 10-7 with an 8.04 ERA and a team-high 120 strikeouts in 105.1 innings. She posted conference victories over Mesa CC (twice), Paradise Valley CC (twice), Chandler-Gilbert CC, Pima CC and Scottsdale CC. 

Ah Quin, a 5-8 outfielder from Chandler, Ariz., transfers to NCAA Division II Lake Forest College in Lake Forest, Ill. The Foresters compete in the Midwest Conference and finished 24-15 overall and 15-1 in conference play in 2022. Ah Quin appeared in 85 games for SMCC in two seasons, batting .354 with 18 home runs, 10 doubles, three triples, 62 RBIs and 74 runs scored.  

Smith, Russell, Lorona, Mount, Olivas, Chon and Martinez will compete for NAIA Park-Gilbert University in Gilbert, Ariz. The Buccaneers compete in the California Pacific Conference, and former SMCC associate head coach Brandon Telesco takes over as head coach for the 2023 season. 

Smith, a 5-3 pitcher from Mesa, Ariz., earned All-ACCAC and Division II All-Region I honors the past two seasons. In 2022, Smith went 17-8 with three saves, 64 strikeouts and a 6.54 ERA in 132.2 innings. She posted conference wins over Mesa CC (twice), Glendale CC (twice), Paradise Valley CC (twice), Chandler-Gilbert CC, Arizona Western (three times), Pima CC (three times) and Scottsdale CC (twice). In all, Smith appeared in 69 games, made 53 starts during her Cougar career, and finished 30-17 with a 5.71 ERA and 149 K's in 276 innings. 

Russell is a 5-6 outfielder from Erie, Colo., who batted .388 with 38 hits and 34 runs in 40 games for SMCC in 2022. She added 11 doubles, 10 home runs, 38 RBIs, four stolen bases and produced a .500 on-base and a .806 slugging percentage. She scored a season-high three runs twice, had a season-high three hits twice and doubled twice in victories against Mesa CC and Scottsdale CC. 

Lorona is a 5-7 catcher from Kearny, Ariz., who earned 2022 Division II All-Region I honors after she batted .414 with 67 hits and 58 runs. She added 17 doubles, three triples, nine home runs, 57 RBIs, seven stolen bases and produced a .470 on-base and a .722 slugging percentage. In her two seasons for the Cougars, Kearny totaled 13 home runs, 27 doubles, eight triples, 98 RBIs and 82 runs scored. 

Martinez is a 5-5 pitcher/designated player from Mesa, Ariz., who also earned 2022 Division II All-Region I honors for her play in the circle and at the plate. As a batter, Martinez finished the 2022 season with a .451 batting average, 64 hits and 53 runs. She added nine doubles, a team-high 18 home runs, 61 RBIs and four stolen bases. In the circle, she went 7-6 with five saves, 30 strikeouts and a 5.97 ERA in 88 innings. 

Mount is a 5-2 infielder from Apple Valley, Calif., who spent two seasons (2021 and 2022) at SMCC. She batted .367 in 90 games and totaled four home runs, 16 doubles, 82 runs, 58 RBIs and 35 stolen bases. In 2022, Mount batted .377 with 61 hits and 56 runs and added 10 doubles, a triple, a home run, 35 RBIs and 19 stolen bases. 

Olivas is a 5-6 infielder from Glendale, Ariz., who batted .408 with 64 hits and 55 runs in 2022. She added 16 doubles, a triple, three home runs, 32 RBIs and a team-high 22 stolen bases and posted a .475 on-base percentage and a .580 slugging percentage. Olivas had a season-high four hits twice, scored a season-high three runs six times and had a pair of doubles three times. 

Chon is a 5-4 infielder from Glendale, Ariz., who batted .267 with 28 hits and 29 runs in 2022. She added four doubles, three home runs and 22 RBIs to go with a .370 on-base percentage and a .390 slugging percentage. She homered against Arizona Western, Yavapai College and Paradise Valley CC, and drove in a season-high four RBIs in a win at Chandler-Gilbert CC.