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GIRARD —
Girard High School senior Hope McLeod inked Friday afternoon with Cowley County Community College to continue her softball career.
“Just a great campus and that awesome coach (Cowley head coach Ed Hargrove, who has over 1,000 career wins),” McLeod said. “And their winning seasons just attracted me. (My older sister) always talked great about it and she loved every minute of it. She told me I’d love it.”
In recent years, several Girard softball players have signed with Cowley — Alysha Poteat, Nikki Cuthbertson and McLeod’s older sister, Starr McLeod. Poteat finished her collegiate career at Missouri Southern and the older McLeod enters her senior season at Lincoln in Jefferson City, Mo.
“It’s been my dream since I was little,” McLeod said. “It feels like I was never up there with the great ones (at Girard) and now it feels like I can be up top with them. It feels good.”
McLeod said that she dreams of being able to play softball at a four-year university — a dream that she can make come true after Cowley.
Of course, it does not hurt to have great speed. McLeod established a Girard school record with 42 stolen bases in a single season. She’s both an effective leadoff hitter and outfielder.
“I wouldn’t have gone anywhere if it wasn’t for Coach Vinze (Jim Vinze) and Coach O’Rand (Jerry O’Rand),” McLeod said. “I wouldn’t be anywhere without them and Coach Heatherly (Randy Heatherly). Just growing up with all of them and especially my softball team. I also wouldn’t be anywhere without my mom (Denise McLeod) and dad (Mike McLeod). My dad’s my biggest supporter and my mom’s my rock.”
McLeod earned All-League and All-State recognition on the softball field — an unanimous first team selection of the Crawford-Neosho-Cherokee League.
During her time at Girard, the Trojans have gone 60-11 (.830 winning percentage) and she played on the Class 4A fourth place finisher of 2011 which posted a final record of 24-2. In a state first round win over Basehor-Linwood, 2-0, McLeod was in the middle of both Girard runs — she came home for the first run on a Kylie Kunshek sacrifice fly and drove home Leah Ruark for the final run in the sixth inning.
Last year, a younger Girard softball team started out slow (2-4 after being swept at home by Frontenac) and came on strong with a 11-game winning streak at one point in the season.
The Trojans lost in the regional final to Labette County and finished their season 17-6.
McLeod, in the middle of her senior year playing basketball, also played golf her first two years of high school (she finished 16th at regionals and 56th at state her sophomore year) and ran cross country her junior year.
McLeod scored a career-high 14 points against Parsons in December and had 12 against Galena during a recent CNC League game.
Girard High School senior Hope McLeod inked Friday afternoon with Cowley County Community College to continue her softball career.
“Just a great campus and that awesome coach (Cowley head coach Ed Hargrove, who has over 1,000 career wins),” McLeod said. “And their winning seasons just attracted me. (My older sister) always talked great about it and she loved every minute of it. She told me I’d love it.”
In recent years, several Girard softball players have signed with Cowley — Alysha Poteat, Nikki Cuthbertson and McLeod’s older sister, Starr McLeod. Poteat finished her collegiate career at Missouri Southern and the older McLeod enters her senior season at Lincoln in Jefferson City, Mo.
“It’s been my dream since I was little,” McLeod said. “It feels like I was never up there with the great ones (at Girard) and now it feels like I can be up top with them. It feels good.”
McLeod said that she dreams of being able to play softball at a four-year university — a dream that she can make come true after Cowley.
Of course, it does not hurt to have great speed. McLeod established a Girard school record with 42 stolen bases in a single season. She’s both an effective leadoff hitter and outfielder.
“I wouldn’t have gone anywhere if it wasn’t for Coach Vinze (Jim Vinze) and Coach O’Rand (Jerry O’Rand),” McLeod said. “I wouldn’t be anywhere without them and Coach Heatherly (Randy Heatherly). Just growing up with all of them and especially my softball team. I also wouldn’t be anywhere without my mom (Denise McLeod) and dad (Mike McLeod). My dad’s my biggest supporter and my mom’s my rock.”
McLeod earned All-League and All-State recognition on the softball field — an unanimous first team selection of the Crawford-Neosho-Cherokee League.
During her time at Girard, the Trojans have gone 60-11 (.830 winning percentage) and she played on the Class 4A fourth place finisher of 2011 which posted a final record of 24-2. In a state first round win over Basehor-Linwood, 2-0, McLeod was in the middle of both Girard runs — she came home for the first run on a Kylie Kunshek sacrifice fly and drove home Leah Ruark for the final run in the sixth inning.
Last year, a younger Girard softball team started out slow (2-4 after being swept at home by Frontenac) and came on strong with a 11-game winning streak at one point in the season.
The Trojans lost in the regional final to Labette County and finished their season 17-6.
McLeod, in the middle of her senior year playing basketball, also played golf her first two years of high school (she finished 16th at regionals and 56th at state her sophomore year) and ran cross country her junior year.
McLeod scored a career-high 14 points against Parsons in December and had 12 against Galena during a recent CNC League game.
