Kiersten Drake is a senior at Lakeland highschool. She is known for her impact on the softball team. She has been on varsity all four years.
Freshman year for Drake, she was used as a fill in spot in the outfield. She has always been used to playing infield and was a huge change for her.
“Freshamn year taught me how to be more versatile and put me in a spot I wasn’t comfortable,” Drake said.
Half way through sophomore year she put in hours of extra work in order to gain her position to be the starting third baseman for the hawks.
Meanwhile, during Drake’s sophomore year she tied the home run record which was 6 at the time.
“Sophmore year felt like a breeze and helped boost my confidence,” Drake said.
Junior started off strong for Drake. She was named as a captain and starting third baseman, while also having to show leadership to her underclassman. Drake had also set the homerun record of 9.
About half way through junior year Drake suffered from labrum, rotator cuff and glenohumeral ligament tear. She was out for two weeks then was cleared to only hit the rest of the season. She went through many different stages of recovery to speed up the process. The concluding factor was to get an injection that inflames the shoulder to help heal the shoulder quicker.
“The injury was a huge mental struggle, thinking my softball career was over,” Drake said “After talking to professionals and given a timeline of recovery I tried to stay positive.” Drake added
After the push through and many hurdles to recover, Drake was ready to come back better than ever. At the start of her fall club season she continued her recruiting process. After talking to many coaches and considering her options, she decided to stay home and continue her academic and athletic career at North Idaho College.
Drake’s goal for senior year is to break her own homerun record and set a new one no one can beat.
“I can’t wait to finish my senior year off strong and continue my athletic and academic career at NIC,” Drake said.
