For what is believed to be the only second time in the history Shawano Community High School, a student has committed to play softball for a Division 2 college.
Kadence Meyers, daughter of Jeremy and Nicki Meyers, will compete for a starting pitcher role at the University of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, in the 2026-27 school year.
She signed her commitment letter in a ceremony Nov. 12 in the school library.
Meyers said visited the South Dakota campus twice before deciding to sign with the Cougars.
“The first time I was kind of iffy about it,” she said. “Then, I liked it way better the second time. I just knew.”
She said the school offers a homey feeling, and there is a good culture surrounding the team.
In 2024, the Cougars finished 20-28 overall and 11-15 in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.
Nicki Myers thanked all of her daughter’s coaches over the years, noting she started playing at age 7.
“This has been her sport,” Nicki Meyers said. “She gave up on basketball in seventh grade and put her head to the ground and just worked on softball.”
She said she has mixed emotions.
“This is exciting for us … even though it makes me sad to have her so far away,” she said.
Kadence Meyers puts in extra practice with Impact Sports Academy, south of De Pere. She works a lot with Tanner Gussert, strength coach and player development, and coach Jenna Woepse.
Gusset has worked with Meyers the last four years.
“I’ve worked with her one-on-one individually, hitting lessons, practice setting, coached her in the fall, winter, so I’ve really gotten to know Kadence,” he said. “I’ve seen her progress physically, mentally over the last four years, and she’s really matured as an athlete. Her demeanor on the mound, how she responds to failure, all that has just grown tremendously, as well as her skill set obviously, which is why she has a rare opportunity to play Division 2 softball.”
He said he really just understood her commitment to practice, noting he only lives five minutes from ISA, but Meyers had a 45-minute drive each way.
“She was willing to put in the time,” he said. “I’m confident she will excel when she gets to Sioux Falls.”
Meyers, a senior, has one more season left to play for the Hawks. Her goal is to break the single season record for strikeouts, which she said is 140-plus.
She’s always been a pitcher, and her signature pitch is her change-up.
“I like being able to lead my team,” Meyers said. “Working this hard and then seeing it all pay off, this feels really good.”
She couldn’t cite just one favorite thing about softball. Instead, she noted the friendships she created, the teammates she played with and the coaches who helped her improve.
Meyers has been the Hawks’ starting varsity pitcher the past two years. She earned two team MVP awards and a pair of second-team all-conference awards.
kpasson@newmedia-wi.com
