Miami Student

Issue date: 4/11/08 Section: Sports

Miami's five seniors set the bar high for the rest of the team to follow with their work ethic. Now, they focus on pushing towards a conference championship.

Four years ago, Miami's softball team's season came to a disappointing end with a loss to Bowling Green State University in the MAC Championship game. It was the second year in a row that Miami fell just one game short of a conference title and the national tournament.

The next year would be different. Knocking off Marshall 4-0 in the team's third straight championship appearance, the 'Hawks clinched Miami's first ever trip to the big dance.

They were only freshman then, but this year's softball senior class had already begun to leave a lasting mark on the school's program.

"The whole athletic department has done a pretty good job of forming and creating the culture of champions," senior outfielder Breanna Robinson said. "That's it in itself. We're competitive. We have heart. We have pride. There's a lot of tradition that goes along with being a Miami RedHawk softball player."

Now in their third and final season since going the distance, these seniors are set to finish their Miami careers just the way they started. After a shaky start to their final season playing for the Red and White, the seniors have rallied a team that is now on track for a truly special ending. Even though they remain focused on taking their season one game at a time, there is no denying that leaving Miami with a second title in hand is everyone's goal.

"Anything less than a MAC championship would be a disappointment," senior first baseman Halle Popson said.

There are five seniors on Miami's softball team: outfielder Christine Bills, first baseman Halle Popson, outfielder Breanna Robinson, catcher Natalie Savona and third baseman Kimberly Williams. They are truly a unique group. Coming from a diverse set of histories, they are all bound by a common sisterhood.

"We're together all the time," Robinson said. "We see each other more than we see our own families. It's pretty easy to form that bond. Coming in, you see the sisterhood. It's kind of like a tradition of Miami softball."

Robinson was not recruited to Miami, but had to walk on to the team. There was a time when she wasn't even sure if she would be able to tryout.

Continued...

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