Las Vegas athletes give University of Southern Colorado a boost

Three local high school graduates and former Las Vegas softball standouts played crucial roles in leading their college team to a conference championship this season.

The University of Southern Colorado won the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference softball tournament and championship in Grand Junction, Colo. Although the Thunderwolves did not advance to nationals, coach Marty Blowers called the season a success.

Much of the credit for that success goes to the Thunderwolves trio of Las Vegas natives -- Kerri Chase, Sarah Hirsch and Amber Aragon.

Chase, who finished her senior campaign at Southern Colorado, was third in the nation in Division II in strikeouts and wins and was chosen as the RMAC's pitcher of the year.

"She's just a great kid," Blowers said. "Kerri lead us all season, through the postseason. We really leaned on her a lot. She's definitely the rock of our team."

Chase, who graduated from Durango High School, said the team worked hard in preparation for the season and expected success.

"I worked harder than I had before, and I had a great team backing me up," she said. "This was the first year we have been nationally ranked, and we got up to No. 7 in the country."

Hirsch, a junior from Las Vegas High playing first base, had pitched previously for the Thunderwolves but moved to a different spot in the infield this season. The change proved to be a good one as she received an honorable mention as an all-conference infielder.

"Sarah came in to hit at the fifth or six position for us, a real power hitter," Blowers said. "She can also play the short game, and she is elusive in her speed. We really look for her to be a rock for us providing leadership next year."

Hirsch said the team's success was not surprising, but it was a big step up.

"It would be nice to come in and repeat next year, but we're losing a lot of key players," she said. "I don't think we can fill Kerri's shoes."

Chase and Hirsch had played against each other in local Bobby Sox leagues as kids, but the competitive nature between them turned to friendship when they landed on the same team.

Their third roommate, freshman Amber Aragon from Cimarron-Memorial High, was one of the top newcomers in the RMAC this season.

"She was also named an all-region player, so that speaks volumes about where she's headed," Blowers said. "She hit lead off for us, and she's a switch hitter. She's probably the fastest baserunner on our team and maybe in the league. She's finding a great love for baserunning."

With Chase graduating in December with a dual degree in criminology and psychology -- but maybe returning as a graduate assistant coach -- the Thunderwolves will have to make some adjustments to duplicate their success next season. But with Hirsch and Aragon returning, the team already has a strong foundation.