(above photo) Ladycat senior softball players (l to r) Morgan Meyer, Jena Reisenauer, Kristen Terry, Courtney Williard and Victoria Stilling.

The Glenn Ladycat softball program has an impressive history, winning the conference championship for 12 consecutive years.  Their goal this year is to keep that streak alive.

“Our goal this year, like every year here at Glenn, is to win the conference championship, we believe that we are the team to beat in the conference,” said Ladycat head softball coach Gary Payne.  “Our expectations are to do things that other teams haven’t been able to do here, we want to be playing in the last game of the season at Raleigh,” said Payne, “We know that playing in the 4A West is tough, you have to get past North Davidson, Alexander Central, Porter Ridge and so forth, it’s a tough draw.”

Payne believes that his team can compete with the top teams and is looking forward to the challenge of the upcoming season.  The Ladycats will open the season at Wilkes Central on February 28th and then play at East Wilkes and Northwest Guilford before they open their home schedule on March 7th against the North Davidson Lady Knights.

Playing the Lady Knights early in the season will be a big test for Glenn.  Payne says that if they are able to beat North Davidson it would mean a lot to the Ladycat softball program.  “Coach Lambros ( North Davidson head coach ) and North Davidson are one of the model programs not only in North Carolina, but in the country, coach Lambros is great friend of mine, he’s always there to help me and to help my kids, we just have to get over the hump and know that we can do it,” said Payne.

In his second year at the helm of the Ladycat softball program coach Payne says that he feels that he has been accepted by the Glenn family.  “My kids enjoy it because I am a high energy guy, they feed off my enthusiasm sometimes and I feed off their’s sometimes,” said coach Payne.

Payne will have five seniors returning to lead the 2012 squad.  Their expectations are also set pretty high.  Left fielder Kristen Terry, who has signed to play at Appalachian State next year, is looking forward to everyone coming out and playing hard “to continue the tradition that they have created at Glenn High School.”  Terry says her fondest memories are those of the North Davidson games and the playoff games, “the atmosphere is taken up a notch with the fans.”  Terry says that making it to Raleigh this year would be a great way to complete her career at Glenn, “it would be a rewarding experience for all of the hard work to pay off.”

Senior third baseman Morgan Meyer is also anxious to get the season started.  Meyer says that her fondest memory of her four years as a Ladycat softball player is “winning the conference every year.”  “We graduated a lot of players last year so we will need to work extra hard and come out with a passion and win another conference title,” said Meyer.

Victoria Stilling is in her third year as a Ladycat softball player.  The senior will be vying for playing time in the outfield and also in the circle.  “We still have a lot of potential to win the conference even though we did lose a lot of players from last year,” said Stilling.

“Absolutely,” said senior Courtney Williard when asked if the Ladycats could win their 13th straight conference title this year.   Williard says that it’s everyone’s goal to keep that streak alive and she sees no reason for it to end this year.

The Ladycats will depend on another senior to carry the load from the circle.  Jena Reisenauer will enter the season as the number one pitcher and welcomes that challenge. “I’m really not as nervous as I am excited, I’m really looking forward to going out with a bang in my last year,” said Reisenauer.  Reisenauer has signed to play softball at Belmont Abbey College next year.  “I set high expectations for my team, we’ve won 12 conference championships in a row and we are going to go out there this year and get our 13th in a row, not to mention that 13 is my lucky number,” she said.

When the first pitch is thrown in the 2012 Piedmont Triad 4-A Conference this spring, Glenn should be the favorite to take the crown, but it won’t be easy.  “Northwest Guilford should be good, we look for them to be strong with new head coach Teresa Fister, East Forsyth is always good, and Southwest Guilford is always tough.  This is one of the toughest conferences in the state and when you come through this conference you are battle tested and ready to go in the playoffs.” said coach Payne.

Payne says he is expecting about thirty kids to try out for the team and hopes to keep 25 on the combined JV and varsity rosters.  The expectations are high and only time will tell just how good this year’s version of the Ladycat softball team will be.  It should be exciting!!!