Rockmart was an exciting place in 2012 for athletes. The small Polk County town featured plenty of big moments in the sporting world, including teams winning championships, individuals earning honors and parents beaming with pride as their youngsters accomplished their goals.

The following are some of the major sporting events that happened in Rockmart in 2012.

- Cassidy Faulk of Rockmart High School had a spectacular junior season for the Lady Jackets fast-pitch softball team. Faulk broke five school records, was named the Rome News-Tribune Player of the Year and then made the Georgia Athletic Association’s Class AAA All-State first team.

Faulk, who is already committed to Georgia State, had a .519 batting average with eight home runs, 11 doubles and six triples. Faulk drove in 49 runs and scored 42 times in only 34 games.

- Rockmart’s nine and 10-year-old Little League team won the District tournament last summer. The young baseball team was then able to participate in the Little League state tournament, which they hosted, advancing to the semifinals.

Members of the squad were CJ Culver, Brayden Gilreath, McDuffy Waldrop, Hayden Hughes, Brayden Cole, Bailey Atkins, Paine Culver, Ty Floyd, Ryan French, Zoryan Hendricks and Evan Ratcliff.

- Whitney Bennett and Shaina Applewhite enjoy a big day together on Jan. 18. Sitting inside the media center at Rockmart High School, Bennett and Applewhite both signed letters of intent to play fast-pitch softball at Marion Military Institute in Alabama.

“Whitney and Shaina signing is a big deal,” Rockmart head coach Steve Luke said. “They are going to get a good education. They are model students. They are two typical kids that work hard in a program. They show up every day ready to go.”

- One week after Bennett and Applewhite signed fast-pitch softball scholarships, teammate Balie Willis signed to play at East Georgia College.

“I’ve worked all my life to get a scholarship for softball,” Willis said during her special day inside the media center at Rockmart High School.

- Five Rockmart High School wrestlers competed in the Class AA state wrestling tournament last February. Dennis Wolfe (120 pounds) placed third at state, Jason Wolfe (113 pounds) came in fourth, Zach Estes (106 pounds) ended in sixth. Daniel Cook (138 pounds) and Dakota Wilson (182 pounds) also participated at state.

- The Rockmart Recreation Department ended a successful basketball season last February. According to Jeff Hulsey, recreation director, the local youth league had a total of 160 kids forming 20 teams last winter.

“This year was a great season, and we’re already looking forward to 2013,” Hulsey was quoted as saying.

- The Rockmart Takedown Club capped a successful Folkstyle wrestling season last spring. According to coaches wrestlers such as Steven Sampson, Kohl Streetman, Brent Washington, Gunner Chambers, River Durocher, Draven Smith and Braden Durocher were some of the team members who took home top honors in their respected weight classes during the season.

- A skydiving exhibition brought 57 competitors from around the world to Polk County on June 14-15 for the United States Parachuting Association’s Canopy Piloting Championships at Skydive the Farm.

The final winners for each discipline were Thomas Dellibac for speed, Nicholad Batsch for distance and Curt Bartholomew for accuracy. The overall winner was Bartholomew.

The overall winner in the advanced level was William Mitchell.

- Brady Garrett, a Rockmart High School golfer, signed on May 21 to play collegiate golf with Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College.

“Brady is the best senior golf player that I have ever coached,” Yellow Jackets head coach Doug Mullican said. “All year, he worked hard at practice and playing. He became very consistent in his match play.”

- The Southern Misses 12-and-under fast-pitch softball team proved to be the best in the state of Georgia last summer. On June 16, the Southern Misses won the GSA softball championship in Alpharetta.

Members of the team were Blair Bedford, Aubrie Wolfe, Keely Smith, Tia Covington, Maddie Bowman, Meagan Cooper, Casey Gable, Christine Bryan, Katharine Tracy, Kelsie Motes, Lexy Smith and Sydney Greenway. The team was coached by Eddy Greenway, Travis Golden, Roy Tracy and Stacey Bowman. Shawn Smith was the statistician.

- Kaycee Popham, a Rockmart High School graduate, completed an outstanding college career at Middle Tennessee State University in 2012 and then she traveled to Sweden. Popham played in Sweden for three months as a member of a team that played in the International Softball Federation.

- Charissa Moore, a Rockmart High School cheerleader, signed a scholarship with Shorter University on May 21. Moore signed with a school that routinely competes in the NCA National Cheerleading Championships.

- The football team at Rockmart High School made their city proud when they defeated the Appling County Pirates on the road in the first round of the Class AAA state playoffs. It was Rockmart’s first playoff win since 1988. Rockmart was the lower seed in the game, but scored with 2:19 left in the game to earn the upset win.

- Danny Ware, a Super Bowl winner in 2012, visited Rockmart last summer to host a football camp. The camp was for children ages eight to 14-years-old and 79 children showed up to participate in the event.

“I’ve been wanting to do this,” said Ware. “But I had to get myself together first. It’s something the kids need, I’m excited to be here and to be able to do it.”

- The Rockmart All-Star nine and 10-year-old girls fast-pitch softball team won the GRPA state championship. Members of the championship team were Kinsey Jones, Brooklyn Phillips, Lauren Carter, Cami Cruz, Emma Evans, Lexi Sharpe, Sarah Beth Frazier, Carlee Graham, Cambree Stanley, Macy McNabb, Emilee Maulding, Logan Patterson and Anna Lewis.

- Rockmart High School’s Brady Garrett and Anslee Deems represented their school at the Class AA state golf tournaments last May.

Garrett placed seventh at state with a score of 76. Deems shot 107 for the Lady Jackets, but did not place in the top 10.

- Lane Odom and Clayton Simon both signed college scholarships to play soccer at LaGrange College on May 24. Odom and Simon, best friends since the age of five, signed to play at a school that competes at the NCAA Division III level.

- The Rockmart Yellow Jackets seven-and-under football team won the Turkey Bowl in November. Playing in a tournament in Gatlinburg, Tenn., the Rockmart squad won three games in three days to win the championship.

Members of the team were Nick Stocks, Camden Ferguson, Jorian Haynes, Jatavion Stocks, Lanear McCrary, Antrell McCoy, Jaden Davis, Dennis Sims, T.J. Hutchins, Issac Hodges, Sean Molohon, Jakaylan Blackwood, Zylen Middlebrooks and Nyreon Cooper.

Editor’s note: This article is not a comprehensive list of all the sporting events in 2012, but merely a story on some of the top events that occurred this past calendar year.