Allison Cunningham is one of three area girls who have been invited to participate in an annual sports week-end at Blackford High School in Hartford City, Ind.

The 2009 Indiana East-West All-Star Class Games will be held in Hartford City this Thursday, Friday and Saturday. They will be held during the Blackford Festival and have been officially endorsed by the mayor and city council of Hartford City and the Blackford County commissioners. Games being contested include girls and boys basketball, golf, baseball, softball and soccer.

Senior boys and girls from all over Indiana will be honored as All-Stars.

in classes 1A, 2A, 3A and 4A.

Eight players per sport receive mental attitude awards and additional

competition awards!.

Player participation is dependent on coaches. The coach may nominate up to four seniors per sport and nominations were accepted through June 6. The players were reviewed by a committee of high school and Postyourt.org officials and selections were announced on or before June 13.

In prior years coaches from Indiana Wesleyan College, Franklin College, Danville Junior College, Southwestern Illinois College, University of South Carolina Upstate in Spartansburg, S.C., Kaskaskia College (Illinois) Junior College, Ancilla Junior College, Manchester College, Taylor University and Marian College.

Cunningham will be joining Kristen Hicks and Valerie Wagner when the team meets for its only practice at 3:30 p.m. Friday. After practice the squad will eat together to get better acquainted.

Cunningham was notified of her selection by the coach of the 1A East squad, P. J. O’Malley, from Southwestern (Shelby County). After receiving the word, she got in touch with Rachel Allen, a 2006 graduate of South Decatur who previously represented the Cougars in this game.

“When O’Malley called, it was a total surprise. I never expected it,” she said.

Cunningham will be showcasing her talents this weekend although she has already selected IUPUC, a school that has no athletic programs, for her post-secondary education.”

“This winter I’ll be a varsity assistant for South Decatur,” she said. “I’ll miss the competition, especially when I’m here. But I hope I can get other girls to feel the same way about basketball as I do.”

The coaching should stand her in good stead for her future.

I’ll be going to IUPUC to major in education. I wan to teach high school and later become a varsity coach.,” she said.