![Sophomore Lily Bell posing as a player in the senior assassin game. Seniors participating in the game eliminate others by squirting them with a water gun, and can wear goggles for immunity against others. “People did have to go out and buy [water] guns, but most people have the googles at home, but you don’t even have to use a gun, you can use water of any sort,” senior Gwyn Christensen said.](https://ahstalonnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/unnamed-1-1-900x1200.jpg)
![The shadows against a captivating blue are a nod to the “Catch Me If You Can” musical poster, both for this performance and the blue from the Broadway show. The detectives in this scene are at shooting practice, in preparation for when they finally encounter Frank Abagnale Jr. “We always say our motto is ‘theater is a team sport,’ and really just emphasizing to our students that everyone is welcome in the drama department. There's always a role for you, whether or not, on stage or behind the scenes, in the costume shop, in the scene shop. [There are] all sorts of different things that go into bringing a show to life. So we love our drama hawks and welcome everyone to drama,” Drama Director Mollie Jo Blahunka said.](https://ahstalonnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/cmiyc-1200x800.jpg)
![Henry, Emily (2021). People we meet on vacation [Book cover]. Berkley Books. Image used under fair use for purposes of commentary and review. Haley, Brett (2026). People we meet on vacation [Movie poster]. Movie poster courtesy of 3000 Pictures and Temple Hill Entertainment. Made by Adilyn Hoop using Canva.](https://ahstalonnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/vacay1.png)
![Lockhart, E. (2025). We fell apart [Book cover]. Delacorte Press. Image used under fair use for purposes of commentary and review. The newest book in the “We were liars” collection was released Nov. 4.](https://ahstalonnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/wefell1.png)
![A Group of PEOPEL PE students and helpers set up an obstacle course during class. The “Amazing Race” unit had started in PEOPEL PE where the students and helpers got to compete in a variety of different activities and games. “We try our best to make [inclusion] a school-wide event, but it's just so much more different when you actually engage with the students hands-on and actually get to know them as people.” Sophomore Bree Christensen said. Photo Taken by Ada McNulty.](https://ahstalonnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/unnamed-12-1200x900.jpg)
The Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) golden tickets were delivered, and recipients were drafted, leaving fans disappointed. As fans pick a team to root for, they also select which players to cheer for, both old and young, within the league.
College softball season starts in February and goes through the beginning of June. The AUSL season starts at the beginning of June and goes through the end of July. Having consecutive seasons was a smart decision because viewers can bring World Series energy into the professional season.
The AUSL gave out 17 golden tickets in 2026. For those 17 players, they are guaranteed to be drafted; they just don’t know which team they’ll be drafted to. The 2026 AUSL draft took place on Monday, May 4th, 2026.
Golden tickets are a new revolution that the AUSL brought to professional sports. While I enjoy getting to see who will be drafted during the college softball season, I miss the surprise that drafts typically bring.
The AUSL is a small league with only 6 teams thus far, so there are not going to be many players drafted. The 17 college seniors who received a golden ticket are the only drafties of the 2026 draft. I think the AUSL either needs to get rid of the draft entirely or limit the number of golden tickets they’re giving out because the only people getting drafted are the players getting golden tickets.
The AUSL is going into its second season this summer, and it added two new teams this year. With a total of six teams, I haven’t been able to pick which team I want to cheer for. When I watch college softball, I cheer for teams that have players that I like. Last AUSL season, I cheered for the Talons because Montana Fouts was playing for them. This season, I don’t think I can cheer for just one team because of the multitude of players that I enjoy watching in the league.
I enjoyed watching some of my favorite players currently playing college softball, such as Ailana Agbayani, receive a golden ticket during the college season. However, I didn’t pay attention to which team she was drafted to during the draft, because I know that no matter which team she’s drafted to, I will watch her play this summer.
This season, I’m excited to watch the Carolina Blaze specifically because Karlyn Pickens and Reese Atwood were drafted as their battery. Pickens is by far my favorite college pitcher of this senior class, and Atwood has a fire that’s enjoyable to watch. However, I am very sad that the Texas battery will be split up after this college season.
While watching the draft, I liked seeing which 2026 seniors will now be on the same professional roster, but I was also disappointed that there were only 17 drafties, each having already received a golden ticket. Before the draft, I knew those 17 were going to play professionally, and I was excited to see who else would get the opportunity. This is why I was very disappointed when the only 17 players drafted were those who received golden tickets.
One way I think the AUSL could restructure its drafting process is to have each of the six teams get one golden ticket to hand out. Each team can hand theirs out during the college season, and the selected players would know right away which team they were drafted by. Towards the beginning of May, the AUSL would then hold a draft for teams to fill the rest of their roster, just like any other professional sport. Which players are being drafted would be a complete surprise to players and fans, adding incentive for softball fans to watch the draft.
