Editor’s note: Below is the second part of a two-part series looking back at the top sports stories of 2013. This installment covers June through December.

June

Wilson wins rodeo national championship

With a 9.9 time in the final go-around on June 15, University of West Alabama freshman Zach Wilson won the national championship in tie-down roping at the College National Finals Rodeo at the Casper Events Center.

From Billingsley, Wilson posted an average of 38.1 and scored 185 points. Runner-up Clayton Shaw of Tarleton State finished with a 39.1 average, followed by Bryce Runyan of New Mexico State with a 39.4.

“This is obviously the biggest win of my career and my goal from the beginning of the season,” Wilson said in a press release. “I am proud to bring home a national title to the University of West Alabama.”

CCHS golfer wins Dixie Junior Championship

Clanton’s Madison Sanders shot a tournament best 3-over-par 74 on June 18 to win the overall girls’ competition at the 52nd Annual Bud Burns Dixie Junior Championship.

Sanders had a one-shot lead after Round 1 and was able to widen that lead with two birdies and limited mistakes in her second round. Sanders, the only girl on the Chilton County High School golf team, shot 77-74 for an overall total of 8-over, 151. She won the 13-15 age group, as well as the overall girls’ competition.

For winning, she took home the trophy and an autographed picture from 2012 Masters champion Bubba Watson, a previous winner of the Bud Burns Championship.

“It was really fun, and I just want to thank my mom and dad for making it all possible and bringing me up here,” said Sanders, who birdied holes five and eight during the final round.

July

CCHS’s Crowson doesn’t skip beat after year off

Tiffany Crowson regrets not playing softball her junior season.

After being a part of the Chilton County High School program since her eighth grade year, Crowson sat out in 2012 to focus on school and travel ball.

She often attended CCHS games and found herself wishing she could be on the field helping a group of players she had known for much of her career.

“I was heartbroken last year,” she said. “That was the group I had grown up with.”

But Crowson played in 2013 and made the most of her senior campaign, leading the Tigers both at the plate and behind the plate as a young group grew up fast and built momentum for the future.

Crowson won’t be part of that future, but she said she is happy with the foundation she helped build—a foundation strong enough that Crowson has been named The Clanton Advertiser’s Softball Player of the Year.

North Chilton youth baseball team wins World Series

The North Chilton Elite 10-and-under all-star youth baseball team made history in winning a World Series championship, and they did it in dominating fashion.

The Elite, the first Chilton County team in any age group to win a Dizzy Dean World Series, defeated Levy Park, Fla., 14-3 on July 24 in the championship game.

“They really worked hard for it,” said Todd Stephens, whose son plays on the team. “A lot of these guys played together in all-stars in previous years. They’ve really meshed.”

Though the 14-3 score in the title game would usually be considered a blowout, it was one of the Elite’s closest games of the year.

The team won all five World Series games by a combined score of 63-3. The championship game was the only World Series game the Elite even allowed to last the full six innings. The North Chilton squad ended the other games early via mercy rule. The tournament was played at Southaven, Miss.

The team won all 27 all-star games it played by a combined score of 236-15.

Tanner Jones was named World Series Most Valuable Player.