By Derrick Smith

Athletes put in a lot of work in order to be their best. Along with all the physical work they put in, they also have to prepare themselves mentally for whatever may come their way. Merrin Evans had a moment that she could let get her down, but instead she did not give up and it turned out to be her favorite moment of her career so far. “We were playing a district game earlier this season,” she said. “I will never forget this game because I gave up my first ever home run to the opposing team. But instead of letting it affect me, the next time that girl came up to bat, I struck her out.”

Evans is a junior at Kingfisher High School, where she plays both fastpitch and slow pitch softball. When she is not in the pitching circle, she plays first base. This is her seventh season of competition and she says that her success comes from the work that she has put in. “For me to have success in softball, or any sport really, it requires a lot of dedication and time,” she said. “As a pitcher, you have to put in a lot of extra work. You not only have to work on pitching, but you also have to find time for hitting and fielding practice as well. There has to be a lot of love for the game in my opinion.”

 While Merrin has put in a lot of work, she also knows that she could not have done it alone. She says that there is an outstanding group of people that have helped shape her into the person and the athlete that she is today. “My biggest influences are my parents,” she said. “Because they are always my biggest supporters in everything I do. Also, my softball coaches have been a huge help because I know they believe in me, and because of their belief in me I have improved tremendously throughout this past year at Kingfisher.”

Outside of athletics, Evans is also a member of the National Honor Society, serves as a manager for the Kingfisher girl’s basketball team, and is also an active member of the youth group at Kingfisher First Baptist Church.