Softball players earn scholarships at Showcase
Twelve standout softball players earned college scholarships at the Sunflower Bank Softball Showcase Kick-Off Banquet on Friday, August 8.
Sanctioned by the North American Fastpitch Association and sponsored by Sunflower Bank, the Softball Showcase offers softball players the chance to play against other standout players – and perhaps attract the attention of college coaches. The scholarship winners received the awards after entering an essay contest in conjunction with the Softball Showcase.
Janessa Putney of Pomona, Kan., and Lindsey Williams of Valley Center, Kan., each earned a grand-prize $500 scholarship to the eventual college of their choice, administered by NAFA and Sunflower Bank. Ten runners-up earned $200 scholarships: Bre Beckerman (Inman, Kan.), Shawna Borger (Overland Park, Kan.), Hannah Buenger (Osage City, Kan.), Hannah Crowe (Anthony, Kan.), Hannah Hansen (Silver Lake, Kan.), Milan Piva (Parsons, Kan.), Kaley Rodriguez (Gypsum, Kan.), Cassie Schlesener (Gypsum), Katie Traffas (Medicine Lodge, Kan.), and Lenae Wells (Emporia, Kan.).
More than 180 girls from five states attended Sunflower Bank’s 10th annual Softball Showcase on August 8 and 10. A unique event, the Showcase is an affordable tournament featuring the chance for players to play in a round-robin tournament in front of more than 30 college coaches, with hopes of earning a scholarship or college attention well before their senior seasons.
“These scholarships are a testament to the work ethic and commitment to softball by these players,” said Ed Kimminau, director of the Kansas NAFA. “It’s a treat to meet and work with all of these players. We’re extremely proud of the winners, and all players in attendance. It’s truly a great event for the sport of softball.”
Sunflower Bank and NAFA selected two grand-prize scholarship winners and runners-up from a pool of more than 100 essay entries, submitted by choice upon entry into the Showcase in July. Each girl was given the opportunity to explain what role softball plays in their current life and in their future goals.
Scholarship winners received their awards at the Showcase Kick-Off Banquet on Friday night, Aug. 8. During the banquet, players and families have a chance to visit with college coaches and players in attendance – the event attracts coaches from most community college and Div. III schools in Kansas.
Rain delayed the Showcase tournament until August 10, and the girls played three games with randomly-selected teams under tutelage of a college softball coach as scheduled. The round-robin tournament is a chance for players to test themselves against incoming seniors from all over the state, with teaching and improving as the focus. During the last decade, the showcase has grown into a premier softball recruiting event in Kansas. Several girls each year have earned scholarships as a result of contacts made at the Showcase.
