Softball: Huntley's Larson became an all-around player
By the time a softball player hits her senior year, asking her to switch positions and her hitting mentality is often a tough challenge for a high school coach and an even tougher adjustment for the player.
That was not the case with Huntley's Megan Larson this season.
After playing left field for the Red Raiders as a junior, this season Huntley was in need of a first baseman and coach Mark Petryniec put that position in the hands of his capable senior leader.
Offensively, Larson had to make adjustments as well, learning to become more of an all-around hitter instead of just a pull hitter.
She did all that and more, helping her team to a school record-tying 24-8 season and the program's first regional championship since 2009.
For her efforts and leadership, Larson has been selected as the honorary captain of the 2015 Daily Herald All-Area softball team. She is the first Huntley softball player to earn the award.
"Honestly, she's the blueprint of what you want in a high school player," said Petryniec. "She played left field last year and this year we needed her at first base and she just went out and did whatever she could do to contribute to us winning. She's a hard-nosed kid who wants to do every little thing correctly."
Larson did a lot of things correctly for the Red Raiders.
As a first baseman, she made only 7 errors in 236 chances, a more than respectable .971 fielding average for the position that sees more chances than any other on the field.
"I just practiced as hard as I could and always stayed focused," Larson said. "I just knew I needed to help my team."
She did an awful lot of that with her bat as well, hitting .458 with 7 home runs and a team-high 41 RBI. She added 11 doubles, 2 triples, scored 34 runs, had 11 stolen bases in 13 attempts, had a .794 slugging percentage and a .521 on-base percentage for an OPS of 1.315. And, she only struck out 12 times in 123 plate appearances.
But what set Larson apart on the offensive side was the way she became a well-rounded hitter.
"The biggest development I saw, and (assistant coach) Matt Langton worked really hard with her on this, she realized everything isn't a dead pull," Petryniec said. "She had always been a power hitter but this year if we needed a bunt, she'd bunt. If we needed a hit to the right side, she'd hit to the right side.
"Before last year she was a JV player so it was just a matter of watching her develop. We always knew she had talent but this year she caught me by surprise a little. It was just a matter of a role opening up for her."
Larson agreed her biggest improvement this year was developing into a multidimensional threat.
"My situational hitting, right side hitting and being able to perform in the right situations," she said.
The daughter of Mike and Cindy Larson, who has a younger brother, Tyler, and a younger sister, Hannah, Megan says she fell in love with softball at an early age. She was born in Milwaukee but moved to Lake in the Hills at a young age and then to Huntley when she was 7.
"I've been playing since tee ball, since I was about 5," she said. "Since I started playing travel I've been really into it and I've been on some good teams with the Huntley Red Raiders and now Wasco (Diamonds). I love the team experience, everyone working together, and having fun with my teammates. I've enjoyed it every step of the way."
Petryniec credits Larson's sense of humor as being one reason the Red Raiders had such success this season.
"She makes you laugh every single day," he said. "One of the reasons we had such success this season is we were able to play loose and a lot of that was her. But when she crossed the chalk lines she knew how to turn it up and the other girls followed.
"She's one of the highest character kids I've had. She always put the team ahead of personal. I don't think she asked me once what her batting average was. She just did whatever she could do to contribute to us winning. She was very willing to play any position and she has that ability. That versatility will really help her in college. She's willing to adapt to whatever helps the team."
That college will be Loras, a Division III school in Iowa where Larson will also study biology with aspirations of a career as a physician assistant.
But before she leaves Huntley for a new chapter in her life, one she admits she is, "very frightened about ... but also very excited," Larson gave credit to those who have helped her get to his point.
"First is my parents, for putting me in softball, pushing me to play and driving me everywhere," she said. "And my coaches for helping me get to this point and to play at a higher level."
A level that also helped Huntley reach new heights this season.
"A lot of our team had played Huntley Red Raiders together last year so we had all worked together," Larson said. "We all just clicked and we knew we had the talent to go far."
Which Huntley did, with Larson as the senior leader showing the way.