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CHEROKEE —
Southeast senior Tori Colvin signed her letter of intent Thursday afternoon to both play softball and be a basketball cheerleader at Labette Community College.
“It’s exciting,” Colvin said. “I don’t know how to take it all in. It just happened all at once. Softball will come first and cheer will come second. Cheer helps me relax.”
Colvin joins 13 other 2013-2014 softball recruits for Labette — including Sam Bonner, Nayna Fields and Libby Warrick from Crawford-Neosho-Cherokee League rival Frontenac and Chelsea LaPee from Chetopa.
“With the Frontenac girls, I’ve known them and played softball against them the past four years,” Colvin said. “I’ve always played sports against them. It will be fun to play with them because we’ve always been rivals with them. It will be fun to come together.”
The Cardinals’ current roster features several area products — Kenzie Dunlap of Girard, Chaney Fox of Southeast, Morgan Gilmore of St. Mary’s Colgan, Jessica O’Daniel of St. Paul, Sierra and Taylor Kemp of Parsons, and Shelbie Foister and Kelsie Goins of Labette County. Dunlap, Fox and O’Daniel are sophomores and Gilmore, the Kemps, Foister and Goins freshmen.
Colvin, a starting center fielder for the Lancers since her sophomore year, played on a Southeast team last year which denied Frontenac an undefeated regular season in Game No. 20. Colvin scored three runs and drove home a pair of runs in the 9-5 victory.
“That was the best feeling ever,” Colvin said of the win over Frontenac. “I could do that game all over again.”
Colvin was voted Team MVP last season — her statistics included a .420 batting average, 15 runs scored, nine stolen bases, six doubles, two triples and 14 RBI.
Several players return for Southeast this season, including battery mates Olivia Powell and Amy Martin, as well as Fort Scott Community College signee Kalee Ewbank.
“We have high hopes for this season,” Colvin said. “We’re super-pumped and we think it’s going to be a successful season.”
Colvin and several of her Southeast teammates also played on the SE Adrenaline 18U softball team which claimed the Kansas Amateur Softball Association Girls’ 18C Fast Pitch State Championship and qualified for the national tournament in Bowling Green, Ky. The SE Adrenaline finished 3-2 on the national stage.
The Southeast girls have been maintaining their hitting form at PlayMakers in Joplin, an indoor baseball and softball training facility which includes six batting cages and three adjustable machines.
“It’s been fun,” Colvin said. “The girls have been coming out hard and Coach (Denny) Vilela, from Missouri Southern, he’s been our hitting coach and he knows a lot. We’ve benefited from it.”
Southeast opens its 2013 season Mar. 28 with a home doubleheader against Cherryvale, a traditional early-season opponent for the Lancers.
Southeast senior Tori Colvin signed her letter of intent Thursday afternoon to both play softball and be a basketball cheerleader at Labette Community College.
“It’s exciting,” Colvin said. “I don’t know how to take it all in. It just happened all at once. Softball will come first and cheer will come second. Cheer helps me relax.”
Colvin joins 13 other 2013-2014 softball recruits for Labette — including Sam Bonner, Nayna Fields and Libby Warrick from Crawford-Neosho-Cherokee League rival Frontenac and Chelsea LaPee from Chetopa.
“With the Frontenac girls, I’ve known them and played softball against them the past four years,” Colvin said. “I’ve always played sports against them. It will be fun to play with them because we’ve always been rivals with them. It will be fun to come together.”
The Cardinals’ current roster features several area products — Kenzie Dunlap of Girard, Chaney Fox of Southeast, Morgan Gilmore of St. Mary’s Colgan, Jessica O’Daniel of St. Paul, Sierra and Taylor Kemp of Parsons, and Shelbie Foister and Kelsie Goins of Labette County. Dunlap, Fox and O’Daniel are sophomores and Gilmore, the Kemps, Foister and Goins freshmen.
Colvin, a starting center fielder for the Lancers since her sophomore year, played on a Southeast team last year which denied Frontenac an undefeated regular season in Game No. 20. Colvin scored three runs and drove home a pair of runs in the 9-5 victory.
“That was the best feeling ever,” Colvin said of the win over Frontenac. “I could do that game all over again.”
Colvin was voted Team MVP last season — her statistics included a .420 batting average, 15 runs scored, nine stolen bases, six doubles, two triples and 14 RBI.
Several players return for Southeast this season, including battery mates Olivia Powell and Amy Martin, as well as Fort Scott Community College signee Kalee Ewbank.
“We have high hopes for this season,” Colvin said. “We’re super-pumped and we think it’s going to be a successful season.”
Colvin and several of her Southeast teammates also played on the SE Adrenaline 18U softball team which claimed the Kansas Amateur Softball Association Girls’ 18C Fast Pitch State Championship and qualified for the national tournament in Bowling Green, Ky. The SE Adrenaline finished 3-2 on the national stage.
The Southeast girls have been maintaining their hitting form at PlayMakers in Joplin, an indoor baseball and softball training facility which includes six batting cages and three adjustable machines.
“It’s been fun,” Colvin said. “The girls have been coming out hard and Coach (Denny) Vilela, from Missouri Southern, he’s been our hitting coach and he knows a lot. We’ve benefited from it.”
Southeast opens its 2013 season Mar. 28 with a home doubleheader against Cherryvale, a traditional early-season opponent for the Lancers.
