Aurora Gibson was thrilled to make another trip to Hawk Point this summer.

The Jonesburg resident competed in the Lincoln County Athletic Association All-Star Game for the fourth time on June 13. She played in the 16 and under softball game that included three of her Jonesburg teammates – Khloe Thomas, Carmen Stille and Jaidyn Milligan – at the Hawk Point Athletic Complex.

Aurora, who will be a sophomore at Montgomery County High School this fall, has played in the annual all-star showcase every year since it first started in 2023. She said she always looks forward to playing in an all-star event that is held in a complex that has four fields.

“You can just go watch games whenever. If I could be up here for years, I could sit up here and watch games,” Aurora said.

Aurora was one of many Montgomery County residents who competed in the LCAA All-Star Game. There were 43 Montgomery City players and 22 Jonesburg players who participated in the event that had games that started at 8:30 a.m. and ended after sundown.

Aurora played in an all-star game that ended in an 11-11 tie. She played on the Red team that included Carmen, while Khloe and Jaidyn were on the Blue team. After the game, all of the players received medals.

Aurora said she enjoyed playing in a contest that had 20 players from Troy, Silex and Jonesburg.

“It’s so fun,” she said. “Even if you win or lose, even if you tie like we did today, it’s a whole bunch of fun to play, play against your teammates and play with them. You would never really know who you’re going to meet and who will become your lifelong best friends.”

Also, Levi Wolfe played in the all-star game for the third year in a row. He competed in the 12-and-under baseball contest that included three of his Montgomery City teammates.

Seraya Martinka of Montgomery City played in her second LCAA all-star game and it was a memorable one as she won Most Valuable Player honors after hitting a home run in the 8 and under softball game. She received a trophy for her strong efforts.

“Very, very exciting,” the 9-year-old Seraya said.

There were nine baseball divisions and six softball divisions in the all-star game. Among the local sponsors were the City of Montgomery, the Jonesburg Optimist Club, State Senator candidate Mike Deering and State Rep. Jeff Myers, who serves part of Montgomery County.

The LCAA, which was formed in 1993, also has teams from Elsberry, Hawk Point, Warrenton, Old Monroe, Troy, Moscow Mills, Winfield, Silex and Wright City. Montgomery City, which joined the league last year, has five baseball teams and three softball teams and all of them play their home games at Kiwanis Fields, near Montgomery County High School. Jonesburg, which joined the league in 2023, has three baseball teams and two softball teams and they play their home games nearby Jonesburg Elementary School.

Three years ago, Aurora was one of 25 Jonesburg players who participated in the first LCAA all-star game. She played in the 12 and under softball contest.

“I was nervous about meeting new people,” Aurora said. “You never really know who you’re going to meet when you actually come here. You just never really know what you’re going to do and where you’re going to play. They’re really flexible about where you’re going to play and who you do want to play, so it’s really nice.”

This year, Aurora was happy that she didn’t play under blazing hot conditions like she did in last year’s contest.

“It was so hot last year. It felt like 100 degrees,” said Aurora, who plans to compete with the MCHS softball team again this fall.