University of Northern Iowa Athletics
UNI Softball Sign Seven on National Signing Day
11/16/2020 9:43:00 AM | Softball
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – The UNI softball team has signed 7 student athletes on the annual National Signing Day. The most recent recruiting class consists of 4 student athletes from Iowa, 2 from Wisconsin, and one from Missouri.
The 2021 signees consists of 3 pitchers, 1 outfielder, 1 infielder, and 2 utility players making the class one of the most versatile in head coach Ryan Jacobs time as head coach.
"We are very excited about the class of 2021 recruits," said Jacobs. "It was important for us to sign a very talented class with everything happening around the nation and the difficulties with recruiting during this time. Although these 2021 recruits cover all positions and styles of play, it is definitely one of the most versatile classes we have ever signed. It is a great mix of speed, size, and power in this class. We certainly expect many of them to immediately help us towards another MVC Championship."
Jacobs and his staff have had to adjust to staff changes on top of monitoring the COVID-19 pandemic while recruiting. Jacobs hired assistant coach Monica Wright in early August and quickly moved to bring in the appropriate players to fit their needs.
"I want to recognize yet another tremendous job our entire staff has done recruiting this year," stated Jacobs. "It has been a different year with staff turnover and other challenges with change. But, no matter who is on our staff, we will be very dedicated and committed to the recruiting process. When student athletes see the level of passion, loyalty, and desire our staff has it is something they want to be a part of. The efforts of all our coaches, it couldn't happen this way without his dedication and passion for UNI Softball."
Kaylin Packard, P, Beloit, WI
Kaylin Packard joins the Panther softball program from the University of Missouri – Kansas city where she played two season for the Roos. Packard recorded a 2.76 ERA in her freshman season while playing in 39 games with 22 starts. Packard's sophomore season was cut short due to COVID-19 but she was able to finish with a 4.82 ERA playing 65.1 innings. Kaylin played her prep career at Beloit Turner High School were she has played 4 season for head coach Regan Peters. Packard is a 4 time 1st Team All-Conference selection while taking home 3 Conference Player of the Year awards. She earned four All-State honors including a 1st Team honor her junior year. Kaylin is the daughter of Dori Hughes and Jim Packard, she has five siblings, Laurin, Alison, Raegan, Kelsie, and Konner.
"Kaylin, a transfer from UMKC, will be a great addition to our pitching staff this spring bringing depth and versatility on the mound," said Jacobs. "She has been a workhorse and is used to the pressure of the big moments. Her experience competing against MVC opponents and regional teams will be instrumental on a young pitching staff looking to lead the team to a MVC Championship."
Kylie Sanders, Utility, Grandview, IA
Kylie Sanders played her prep career at Louisa Muscatine High School for head coach Bryan Butler. A well-rounded athlete for the Falcons, Sanders is a 3 time 1st Team All-state selection in softball, a 2nd team All-State selection in basketball, a 2 time All-Conference selection in volleyball and a two time long jump state place winner (6th and 4th). A dominant performer at the plate, Sanders recorded batting averages of .475, .490, .496, and .553 for the Falcons. Kylie is the daughter of Luke and Sara Sanders and has one sibling, Hailey.
"Kylie has continued to be one of the best players in the state as a sophomore and as a junior," said Jacobs. "She has tremendous athletic ability and natural skills that will help her adjust very quickly at the next level. Kylie has great hand-eye coordination, she is a very consistent hitter that gets on base, and has very good speed that will allow her to be very versatile in our program."
Anna Wischnowski, P/1B, Trevor, WI
Anna Wischnowski comes to the Panther softball program from Wilmot Union High School. Wischnowski has played 4 years for head coach Jenny Jacobson, where she has earned two 2nd Team All-Conference honors. She recorded batting averages of .431 as a sophomore and .394 in her junior campaign where she let the Panthers to the State Tournament Quarterfinals. Anna is the daughter of Tom and Lauren Wischnowski, she has one sibling, Cameron.
"Anna is a well-rounded pitcher with very good speed and movement," said Jacobs. "She is a great competitor on the mound and has pitched against some of the best hitters in the country playing for the Illinois Chill travel ball organization. She will add high quality depth to our pitching staff with the ability to play 1B and be a middle of the lineup hitter."
Addison McElrath, Utility, Moville, IA
Addison McElrath Joins the Panther family after Playing for shortstop and third base at Woodbury Central High School. McElrath earned honorable Mention All-State honors in 2017 after recording a .441 batting average with 34 RBIs. McElrath is a member of National Honor Society and a four year member of the Woodbury Central Honor Roll. Addison is the daughter Adam and Kelly Mcelrath, she has one sibling, Lexi.
"Addi is a hardnosed player with tremendous strength," said Jacobs. "Defensively she has great quickness, plus arm, and fantastic glove. At the plate, she is very discipline hitter with great power to all fields."
McKenna Kuper, Utility, Ackley, IA
McKenna Kuper has played her prep career for the AGWSR Cougars and head coach Brenda Drake. Kuper earned 1st team All-State honors in 2017, 2019, and 2020 while taking home 2nd team All-State honors in 2018. Kuper's junior season saw the standout utility player record a .460 batting average with a .597 slugging percentage. Kuper in the Studetn Body President at AGWSR and a consistent member of the schools Honor Roll. McKenna is the daughter of Brent and Stacie Kuper, she has one sibling, Kelsey.
"McKenna is a tremendous all-around athlete," said Jacobs. "She has helped many of the sports succeed at AGWSR High School. She has been a local standout since she came on the scene as an 8th grader. We have been able to follow her growth as an athlete all the way. Her athleticism, speed, and natural strength will help her make the transition to the D1 level well."
Mya Dodge, OF, Cedar Rapids, IA
Mya Dodge has played 1 year for head coach Maddison LeClere at Cedar Rapids Kennedy. Dodge earned 2nd Team All-State honors and made the 2020 All-Tournament Team after leading the Cougars to a state title as a junior. Dodge finished her junior year with a .383 batting average with 9 homeruns and 36 RBIs. Mya is the daughter of Shane and Aubury Dodge and has 1 sibling, Reece.
"Energy & Competitiveness, those are two words that describe Mya perfectly," said Jacobs. "She is oozing with athleticism and has a great 'team first' attitude. This is why she led their high school team, CR Kennedy to the 2020 state championship in July. We are very excited what Mya will bring to our program on and off the field."
Kaylyn Jones, P, Kansas City, MO
Kaylyn Jones will join the Panther softball team following an impressive career at Park Hill High School under head coach Jackie Qualls. Jones is a 2 time 1st team All-State selection for the Trojans. A dominant pitcher for Park Hill, Jones set school records with a 1.47 ERA in her junior season, and recorded a school record with 176 strikeouts. Kaylyn is the daughter of Brian and Marion Jones.
"KJ brings a different look to our staff that really compliments the talent we have," said Jacobs. "Her ability to spin a ball and keep hitters off balance along with her strong softball and pitching IQ makes her a competitive addition to our staff."
The 2021 signees consists of 3 pitchers, 1 outfielder, 1 infielder, and 2 utility players making the class one of the most versatile in head coach Ryan Jacobs time as head coach.
"We are very excited about the class of 2021 recruits," said Jacobs. "It was important for us to sign a very talented class with everything happening around the nation and the difficulties with recruiting during this time. Although these 2021 recruits cover all positions and styles of play, it is definitely one of the most versatile classes we have ever signed. It is a great mix of speed, size, and power in this class. We certainly expect many of them to immediately help us towards another MVC Championship."
Jacobs and his staff have had to adjust to staff changes on top of monitoring the COVID-19 pandemic while recruiting. Jacobs hired assistant coach Monica Wright in early August and quickly moved to bring in the appropriate players to fit their needs.
"I want to recognize yet another tremendous job our entire staff has done recruiting this year," stated Jacobs. "It has been a different year with staff turnover and other challenges with change. But, no matter who is on our staff, we will be very dedicated and committed to the recruiting process. When student athletes see the level of passion, loyalty, and desire our staff has it is something they want to be a part of. The efforts of all our coaches, it couldn't happen this way without his dedication and passion for UNI Softball."
Kaylin Packard, P, Beloit, WI
Kaylin Packard joins the Panther softball program from the University of Missouri – Kansas city where she played two season for the Roos. Packard recorded a 2.76 ERA in her freshman season while playing in 39 games with 22 starts. Packard's sophomore season was cut short due to COVID-19 but she was able to finish with a 4.82 ERA playing 65.1 innings. Kaylin played her prep career at Beloit Turner High School were she has played 4 season for head coach Regan Peters. Packard is a 4 time 1st Team All-Conference selection while taking home 3 Conference Player of the Year awards. She earned four All-State honors including a 1st Team honor her junior year. Kaylin is the daughter of Dori Hughes and Jim Packard, she has five siblings, Laurin, Alison, Raegan, Kelsie, and Konner.
"Kaylin, a transfer from UMKC, will be a great addition to our pitching staff this spring bringing depth and versatility on the mound," said Jacobs. "She has been a workhorse and is used to the pressure of the big moments. Her experience competing against MVC opponents and regional teams will be instrumental on a young pitching staff looking to lead the team to a MVC Championship."
Kylie Sanders, Utility, Grandview, IA
Kylie Sanders played her prep career at Louisa Muscatine High School for head coach Bryan Butler. A well-rounded athlete for the Falcons, Sanders is a 3 time 1st Team All-state selection in softball, a 2nd team All-State selection in basketball, a 2 time All-Conference selection in volleyball and a two time long jump state place winner (6th and 4th). A dominant performer at the plate, Sanders recorded batting averages of .475, .490, .496, and .553 for the Falcons. Kylie is the daughter of Luke and Sara Sanders and has one sibling, Hailey.
"Kylie has continued to be one of the best players in the state as a sophomore and as a junior," said Jacobs. "She has tremendous athletic ability and natural skills that will help her adjust very quickly at the next level. Kylie has great hand-eye coordination, she is a very consistent hitter that gets on base, and has very good speed that will allow her to be very versatile in our program."
Anna Wischnowski, P/1B, Trevor, WI
Anna Wischnowski comes to the Panther softball program from Wilmot Union High School. Wischnowski has played 4 years for head coach Jenny Jacobson, where she has earned two 2nd Team All-Conference honors. She recorded batting averages of .431 as a sophomore and .394 in her junior campaign where she let the Panthers to the State Tournament Quarterfinals. Anna is the daughter of Tom and Lauren Wischnowski, she has one sibling, Cameron.
"Anna is a well-rounded pitcher with very good speed and movement," said Jacobs. "She is a great competitor on the mound and has pitched against some of the best hitters in the country playing for the Illinois Chill travel ball organization. She will add high quality depth to our pitching staff with the ability to play 1B and be a middle of the lineup hitter."
Addison McElrath, Utility, Moville, IA
Addison McElrath Joins the Panther family after Playing for shortstop and third base at Woodbury Central High School. McElrath earned honorable Mention All-State honors in 2017 after recording a .441 batting average with 34 RBIs. McElrath is a member of National Honor Society and a four year member of the Woodbury Central Honor Roll. Addison is the daughter Adam and Kelly Mcelrath, she has one sibling, Lexi.
"Addi is a hardnosed player with tremendous strength," said Jacobs. "Defensively she has great quickness, plus arm, and fantastic glove. At the plate, she is very discipline hitter with great power to all fields."
McKenna Kuper, Utility, Ackley, IA
McKenna Kuper has played her prep career for the AGWSR Cougars and head coach Brenda Drake. Kuper earned 1st team All-State honors in 2017, 2019, and 2020 while taking home 2nd team All-State honors in 2018. Kuper's junior season saw the standout utility player record a .460 batting average with a .597 slugging percentage. Kuper in the Studetn Body President at AGWSR and a consistent member of the schools Honor Roll. McKenna is the daughter of Brent and Stacie Kuper, she has one sibling, Kelsey.
"McKenna is a tremendous all-around athlete," said Jacobs. "She has helped many of the sports succeed at AGWSR High School. She has been a local standout since she came on the scene as an 8th grader. We have been able to follow her growth as an athlete all the way. Her athleticism, speed, and natural strength will help her make the transition to the D1 level well."
Mya Dodge, OF, Cedar Rapids, IA
Mya Dodge has played 1 year for head coach Maddison LeClere at Cedar Rapids Kennedy. Dodge earned 2nd Team All-State honors and made the 2020 All-Tournament Team after leading the Cougars to a state title as a junior. Dodge finished her junior year with a .383 batting average with 9 homeruns and 36 RBIs. Mya is the daughter of Shane and Aubury Dodge and has 1 sibling, Reece.
"Energy & Competitiveness, those are two words that describe Mya perfectly," said Jacobs. "She is oozing with athleticism and has a great 'team first' attitude. This is why she led their high school team, CR Kennedy to the 2020 state championship in July. We are very excited what Mya will bring to our program on and off the field."
Kaylyn Jones, P, Kansas City, MO
Kaylyn Jones will join the Panther softball team following an impressive career at Park Hill High School under head coach Jackie Qualls. Jones is a 2 time 1st team All-State selection for the Trojans. A dominant pitcher for Park Hill, Jones set school records with a 1.47 ERA in her junior season, and recorded a school record with 176 strikeouts. Kaylyn is the daughter of Brian and Marion Jones.
"KJ brings a different look to our staff that really compliments the talent we have," said Jacobs. "Her ability to spin a ball and keep hitters off balance along with her strong softball and pitching IQ makes her a competitive addition to our staff."
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