Curve balls were thrown before the season this year, especially to those who will never get the season back. Senior Aniya Holt was looking forward to finishing out her high school softball career when the pandemic took that all away from her. Holt will be attending Easter Illinois University to further her softball career.

Not knowing what the future holds right now,

“My biggest focus with all this time… is working on building myself up and preparing myself for playing at the next level,” Holt said.

Holt hoped to be preparing with one last season on the field, as well as senior Jaden Zimmerman, who is furthering his baseball career at Benedictine College.

“I thought it was a joke at first but then it hit me and I realized the season was over,” Zimmerman said.

Senior Abi Ostenson was especially devastated , with hopes of having an unforgettable track season to catch the attention of many scouts. With Ostenson’s junior year being her first season she had little time to show colleges her potential.

“Now I have to reach out to schools instead of them seeing my running first hand,” Ostenson said.

But quarantine doesn’t mean these student athletes aren’t getting creative and getting active at home.

“ I have a weight bar and a batting cage that I use everyday,” Zimmerman said “Now, I see this as a time to prepare for what’s next.”

Holt and Ostenson are not wasting time either.

“I hit every day for at least an hour and do tons of conditioning to mentally prepare myself for college ball,” Holt said.

Along with seniors losing their season, one coach lost their last season too. Coach Bradley Nicks was the head track coach at Shawnee Heights for seventeen years. Nicks is leaving to be the head football coach at Abilene high school.

Ostenson said, “It was especially hard because it was Nick’s last year and it would’ve been a memorable season.”

Nicks leaves us with an encouraging message, to every senior who lost their season,

He says