Hannah Santora: Dupage County softball captain
It's a statement no knowledgeable softball fan in DuPage County would ever associate with Glenbard North.
"We were underdogs this year," said the senior Panther. "I think we surprised everybody."
Now, Glenbard North will never fly under the radar on the softball field. Not after six straight DuPage Valley Conference championships.
But the Panthers and senior pitcher Hannah Santora did have something to prove again this spring. Falling to third in a league you went 14-0 in the year prior will knock you down a peg.
Glenbard North did get back to the top of the DVC. Santora was the biggest reason why. In a pitching-rich league with the likes of West Chicago's Mary Connolly, Natalie Wunderlich of Naperville Central and Stephanie Becker of West Aurora, Santora was the best.
Santora took a 21-5 record into sectionals with a 0.52 ERA and 217 strikeouts with 15 shutouts. In the DVC she was even stingier, going 12-2 with a 0.29 ERA. As good as her numbers as a junior of 16-8 with a 1.23 ERA look on paper, this spring has shown a marked improvement.
"She even said at the end of last year, 'I didn't have a good year for you,' " second-year Glenbard North coach Josh Sanew said. "She put a ton of time and work in. She's been lights-out this year."
Leading Glenbard North back to the top of the DVC in dominating fashion, Santora is the 2009 Daily Herald DuPage County All-Area softball captain.
'A bigger hill to climb'
It is easy to see why Santora slips comfortably into the identity of underdog.
The youngest of three children, Hannah was the kid with the baby bottle watching older siblings Lenny and Melissa play for Glenbard West in the late 1990s. Growing up to stand a modest 5-foot-3 on the pitching mound didn't strike a pose of intimidation for opposing batters.
But Hannah always liked watching her sister play and always aspired to pitch. She never traded in her softball glove for another sport.
"She always had a bigger hill to climb, and still does," said Hannah's dad, Lenny Santora. "It just made her work harder. It didn't bring her down, every time she heard anyone say anything about her size."
Sanew, who played baseball with Hannah's brother at Glenbard West and grew up two blocks down the street from the Santoras, said that Hannah "carries a little bit of a chip on her shoulder in the right way."
"She's sort of overlooked, in a sense, because she is so little out there," Sanew said. "I think you have to carry that edge if you're in the pitcher's spot."
Whatever Hannah lacked in stature, she made up for in hard work.
In the winter Hannah and her dad will set up shop in the back of his Santora's Carpet business in Addison. Father and daughter routinely put in 10 hours a week practicing.
"We practiced a lot in the winter," Hannah said. "My dad pushes me."
"She works really hard at what she does, working with her dad," said Glenbard North senior catcher Bri DiGioia. "If she's struggling with something, she knows she has to work at it until she's done."
The bond of best friends
If it's not Lenny working with Hannah in the back of Santora's Carpet, it's DiGioia catching her in the cages at DuPage Training Academy.
DiGioia is the cozy security blanket that has always been there for Santora.
The two girls met in sixth grade as teammates on the Glenside Raiders.
"Right off the bat we became friends," DiGioia said. "We're both pretty goofy but have a kind heart and obviously enjoy sports."
DiGioia, from their Glenside Raiders days, has called the pitches for Hannah. DiGioia estimated that Hannah shook her off once this season - and the pitch went for a homer in a loss to Bartlett.
"She learned her lesson," DiGioia kidded.
The two girls continued on as teammates with the Glenside Raiders, advancing to the state tournament as eighth-graders and later played travel together with the DTA Thunder travel team. As freshmen at Glenbard North they made a pact to commit to the same college. Sure enough, both girls plan to play next year at Kankakee Community College before going on to Grand Valley State University in Michigan.
"I'm really lucky to have her," Santora said.
As much trust as Santora has in her catcher, DiGioia also has noticed a renewed inner confidence this season.
"She used to question herself on pitches and not have the confidence in her ability to throw them," DiGioia said. "At the beginning of the season, she wasn't as confident as she is now."
Better than ever
Wheaton North coach Karen Calabrese recalled that last year her team could score off Santora.
"This year we couldn't touch her," Calabrese said.
Another DVC coach called the movement on Santora's pitches this year "mind boggling."
One thing for certain - she's a different pitcher.
Santora switched pitching coaches 10 months ago, going to All In One Softball Academy. There she worked with West Chicago graduate Jennifer Silks.
Silks shut Santora down for two months, then put her in speed and agility sessions. She helped tighten Santora's pitches, revamping her changeup. They reviewed detailed video.
"I saw her at the end of the fall season," Silks said, "and she couldn't hit her targets with her fastball to save her life. That was the first thing to accomplish, was to fix the fastball. After that we went to the change. We wanted to give her some truer movement on her pitches. That's going back to basics."
Silks further helped Santora develop a curveball and screwball.
"As a junior she really relied on one pitch, the rise," Silks said.
Santora thinks she has taken opponents by surprise with an expanded repertoire. She has also added 3-4 mph.
"I overthrew a lot last year," Santora said. "I'm pitching smoother this year - I'm not trying to throw the ball so hard."
Calabrese marveled at Santora's improved command. She hits locations - and if batters swing and miss on the corner she'll tease them a little further off.
"She just hits spot after spot after spot with all her pitches," Sanew said, "and with a little bit more pop on the ball."
Santora's ultimate goal, what she puts in all the long hours for, is to take Glenbard North back downstate.
She has come a long way since Sanew's first memory of Hannah as "a little baby." He also grew up with DiGioia's older brother Joe.
"I definitely have a bond with her and Bri," Sanew said. "I wanted to coach those two personally and thought it would be a fun opportunity. Hannah almost is like a sister. Coaching her has been nothing but a blessing from my standpoint."
<div class="infoBox"> <h1>All-Area Teams</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Cook County</h2> <ul class="links"> <li><a href="/story/?id=298406"><B>Softball</B></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298405">Softball captain: Nikki Goranson</a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298398"><B>Baseball</B></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298397">Baseball captain: Jon Carlson</a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298403"><B>Girls soccer</B></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298402">Soccer captains: Laura Mayer, Mary Kubiuk</a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298401"><B>Boys volleyball</B></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298400">Volleyball captain: Chris Falknor</a></li> </ul> <h2>DuPage County</h2> <ul class="links"> <li><a href="/story/?id=298388"><B>Softball</B></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298392">Softball captain: Hannah Santora</a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298388"><B>Baseball</B></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298582">Baseball captain: Jack DeAno</a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298391"><B>Girls soccer</B></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298394">Soccer captain: Leah Fortune</a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298390"><B>Boys volleyball</B></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298393">Volleyball captain: Joe Kelly</a></li> </ul> <h2>Fox Valley</h2> <ul class="links"> <li><a href="/story/?id=298676"><B>Softball</B></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298362">Softball captain: Kimberly Pierce</a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298660"><B>Baseball</B></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298356">Baseball co-captain: Brian Brauer</a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298355">Baseball co-captain: Craig Lipp</a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298658"><B>Girls soccer</B></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298361">Soccer captain: Cori Wronski</a></li> </ul> <h2>Lake County</h2> <ul class="links"> <li><a href="/story/?id=298410"><B>Softball</B></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298408">Softball captain: Olivia Duehr</a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298407"><B>Baseball</B></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298396">Baseball captain: Chas Evans</a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298404"><B>Girls soccer</B></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298409">Soccer captain: Courtney Levy</a></li> </ul> <h2>Tri-Cities</h2> <ul class="links"> <li><a href="/story/?id=298385"><B>Softball</B></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298379">Softball captain:Stephanie Becker</a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298383"><B>Baseball</B></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298380">Baseball captain: Matt Milroy</a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298382"><B>Girls soccer</B></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298378">Soccer captain: Emily Hinchman</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>