Underclassmen will lead Colfax softball team during 2022 season
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By Marlys Kruger
Sports Correspondent
COLFAX — With only one senior on the roster this year, Colfax softball coach John Dickinsen, now in his fifth season at the helm, will need his younger players to step up if the Vikings are going to be competitive this year.
Two Second Team All Conference picks from a year ago are gone via graduation including Bailey Bradford who was also a WFSCA All Star game participant, and starting pitcher Anna Geissler. Marissa Harmon also departed after starting at second base her senior year. All of them were three year varsity players.
Returning letter winners are the lone senior Jenna Goodell along with sophomore Jada Anderson, a Second Team AC selection as a freshman. Other juniors include Paige Jensen, Mallory Field and Ella Peterson along with sophomores Jaida Riley, Alexis Schindler, McKenna Shipman and Ashley Solberg.
Other players looking for varsity time on the 14 person roster are Mackenzi Loback, Audrey Ebert, Emma Medin, Hannah Peterson and Olivia Runowski.
Colfax finished 4-12 overall a year ago and 3-11 in conference play. Dickinsen sees a lot of positives this season as four of his top five hitters from last season are back.
“This is an area we made major growth in as a young team and we hit with much better confidence as the year progressed,” he said.
The Vikings will have to replace Geissler who did the majority of the pitching, and the middle infield positions this year, relying on younger players to step up.
Dickinsen expects Mondovi and Elk Mound to be the top two teams in the conference based on their returning pitchers and quality offenses. He also believes the conference will be very competitive with Boyceville, Durand, Elmwood/Plum City and Glenwood City, who always play well but have to replace some players this year.
Assistant coaches for the Vikings are Rick Geissler, Lori Buchanan, Bailey Bradford and Scott Bradford.
2022 Roster
Senior: Jenna Goodell
Juniors: Mallory Field, Paige Jensen, Ella Peterson
Sophomores: Jada Anderson, Mackenzi Loback, Jaida Riley, Alexis Schindler, McKenna Shipman, Ashley Solberg
Freshmen: Audrey Ebert, Emma Medin, Hannah Peterson, Olivia Runowski
2022 COLFAX SOFTBALL TEAM — Front row (Lto R): Audrey Ebert, Hannah Peterson, Emma Medin, Paige Jensen, Jaida Riley, Jenna Goodell and Mackenzi Loback. Back row (L to R): Olivia Runowski, Ashley Solberg, Ella Peterson, Mallory Field, Alexis Schindler, Jada Anderson and McKenna Shipman. —photo by Shawn DeWitt