For all the athletic success Courtney Colosimo has had during her four years at River Hill, the senior three-sport athlete came into this spring with a few things still left to check off on her bucket list.
She had the cross country county, region and state championships — having helped the Hawks to a sweep of those titles last fall — and she even won a region championship her sophomore year with River Hill's softball team.
But Colosimo, who lists softball as her favorite sport, wanted even more in her final season on the diamond. And, with the Hawks putting the finishing touches last week on the program's first county championship since 2001, she and her teammates are certainly well on their way to going out on a high note.
Colosimo recently sat down with sports editor Brent Kennedy to talk about what has gone into making this season so special so far, the keys to a potential playoff run, her interests outside of athletics and what her plans are for college next fall.
Having just wrapped up an undefeated county season and the county championship, what does that mean to you to finally get that as a senior?
"It's been kind of a long time coming for our team, because we started out freshman year rebuilding and starting to get better, and then the last two years we've been really close to that county title. So finally getting it after four years of going for it is really exciting for our team and for the program. But as good as it feels, we aren't ready to just settle for that. We are going for more this year."
What was it like going from being the hunter to the hunted this season?
"After starting fast like we did, it definitely put a target on our backs and we had to work even harder to make sure we came out ready every single game. Everyone wanted to be the first team to beat River Hill this year, and it was up to us to make sure that didn't happen. And that was probably the biggest difference from the previous couple years, where we would have that letdown game or two that cost us in the end."
So now that you have been a part of teams that have won county championships in both cross country and softball, which one is more special to you?
"The thing about cross country is that it's more individual than any other sport I've ever been a part of. So we were all really excited and worked really hard to get that team championship, but it is so dependent on what you can do on that one day individually. We had a great bond with that group and we came together to do some amazing things, but that said, with softball, I think we have an even stronger bond. Chemistry wise, our softball team's chemistry can not be beaten. I really think that's what makes this team so special."
You guys have a reputation for being one of the loudest teams in the county in terms of dugout chatter. How did that start?
"For the travel team I play for (Western Howard County Fever), we've always done chants and cheers since we started with the program, so for those of us coming from that team it is very natural to be so loud. So as we got to high school, we just kind of use them there too. It really helps to motivate our team and keep everyone in the game. I think that energy is a big part of who we are as a team."
So do you guys have to have practices to get them down, because there seem to be a lot of them?
"Most of them are call and repeat chants, so they are pretty easy. You just repeat what the first person says. Kinsey (Johnson) is kind of the one who leads the way a lot of the time and everyone follows. So no, there are no practices."
You have hit leadoff the last two years, but before that you hit closer to the bottom of the line-up. Is there a big difference between the two spots in the order?
"Honestly, it's really a very similar mentality no matter where you are in the line-up. At leadoff it's my job to see some pitches and get on base to show my team that we're going to be able to hit whoever the pitcher is. But when you're down at the bottom, it's still the same sort of thing because you are still looking for your pitch to move the runners and turn the line-up over. It's still just you against the pitcher."
Going back, has softball always been your favorite sport?
"I played softball since I was seven, so that definitely has always kind of been my sport. I never started cross country or was even really exposed to running until I was in eighth grade and did Howard County Striders. I was always running around the house when I was young because I had so much energy, so I think eventually my parents were like 'Maybe you should try running.' So I tried Striders and I enjoyed it, but didn't really know what I was doing. But when I started freshman year at River Hill, I was like 'Why not just join the team as a great way to meet people?' I had no idea if I had any skill at it, but I did pretty well my first race and from that moment on I think started to really think I could do something with it. But, at the end of the day, softball has always been my true love. When I'm in softball season I don't really think about cross country, but when I'm in cross country or track I am definitely thinking about softball. I play softball year-round."
You mentioned indoor track, tell me about that a little.
"The thing about me is that I do distance in cross country, but I also sprint pretty well because of softball. So after doing the distance events my first couple years, I actually started focusing on running the 500. And, I found out pretty quickly that, it's a really awkward distance because it's more like a sprint, but you can't sprint the whole race because it's too long for that. That was definitely a challenge. I also did the relays, the 4x800, the 4x400 and the 4x200 ... giving me a chance to do some team events, which I really enjoy."
Outside of sports, what kind of other interests do you have?
"I actually am part of the Envirothon team at school because I've always been interested in the environment and being outside. I want to be an engineer when I grow up, probably an environmental engineer at that. Last year was actually the first year that River Hill won counties as a team and we got to make states for the first time ever, which was very fun."
Have you made your college decision yet, and how does softball fit into your plans?
"I am going to Purdue (University) and the plan is to walk on there. I was originally committed to play at Delaware, but then the coach got fired and the whole change in the program there wasn't something that I was ready to deal with. It just didn't feel like the best situation for me anymore. So I kind of started looking again, and the interesting thing about me is that both my parents went to Penn State so I grew up almost never missing a tailgate. I guess you could say I'm used to the Big 10 experience. So between that and people saying I should look at Purdue for engineering, I eventually went there for a visit and really fell in love with the school and the atmosphere. So once things happened with Delaware, that was kind of my sign that Purdue was for me."
You've mentioned that you guys still have some unfinished business as a team. Talk to me about that and maybe some of the things you guys learned from losing in the second round of the playoffs last year.
"I think that game against Reservoir that we lost in last year's playoffs has made us the team that we are, because all season any game that could have been an easy game in theory we have played it like it was going to be tight game from the very beginning. We are just going to keep that same approach in the playoffs and treat every game like it's the state championship game. As we always say, 'one game, one inning and one pitch at a time.'"