The Aplington-Parkersburg softball team recently completed a season where it experienced exponential growth.
Head Coach Emily Williamson says at 10-14, the team bounced back from consecutive 3-21 seasons to bring the team closer to prominence.
“Best we’ve done record-wide since 2013, so just real proud of the girls,” Williamson says. “Best batting average as a team that we’ve had in a long time, most wins that we’ve had in a long time, putting together some good games against some really good teams and just building that confidence. And like I said, just trying to create that softball culture at AP is something that we’re still striving for.”
The win total was the most since 2013, and the .306 batting average was the best since a 12-game season in 2020.
Williamson says the future is optimistic.
“Next year’s junior and senior class, so excited to have them back. Younger kids coming up, Sophie Junker, I told her just the difference in her from the beginning of the season to the end of the season, is just great growth there as an eighth grader coming in on the varsity team. I’m excited about the core that we have coming back for AP softball next year. Kendall Riherd is gonna be tough to replace at shortstop. I mean, just her presence as a teammate, her presence on the field, and knowledge of the game, knowledge of where runners are, and position, I mean, just unmatched. We’re gonna miss Lauren Carney, just again, another great teammate, always positive, always picking people up, great person to have around. So our two seniors are gonna be greatly missed, but I’m real excited about what we have coming back for next year.”
The team will lose two seniors, shortstop Kendall Riherd and second baseman Lauren Carney.
