On my short list of high school athletes I remember as much for their personality as their talent, Sarah Herold is definitely near the top.
The 2014 Sandburg graduate always had a colorful way of explaining things.
For instance, after one softball game on a very cold day, Sarah hit me with philosophy and science all at the same time.
“You know, when it’s cold and you live in the Midwest, you kind of learn to adapt to that weather,” Herold said. “I actually did feel all right because once you start getting moving, as biology says it, the blood starts moving and you get warmer.”
Maybe it’s because she’s a lefty.
Anyway, that was four years ago. Sarah hasn’t changed a bit as she enters her senior year at Denison.
On a recent trip to Australia with the USA Athletes International softball team, Herold left a lasting impression on Team USA coach Hailey Cavanagh.
“She is one of the loudest kids I have ever met in my entire life,” Cavanagh said, laughing. “She’s just a ball of fun. Throughout the tournament she was always singing, always dancing, always joking with people. She is a very vibrant person.”
And that’s only the half of it.
Herold helped lead Team USA to a 7-0 record with her arm, glove and bat.
She earned two pitching wins and a save and struck out 16 in 11 innings. She also played a flawless center field. Out of the leadoff spot, she batted 13-for-21 for a whopping .619 average.
“Sarah was one of those kids we could rely on every game,” Cavanagh said. “She was just an incredible kid to coach. She did everything for us from hitting, to pitching, to stealing bases, to playing the outfield.”
Beyond that, she conquered the Pacific Ocean.
“We took surfing lessons from the coach who coached Mick Fanning, the guy who punched the shark,” Herold said. “Let me tell you, I could be a surfer. I totally could be. I was standing up.”
I wouldn’t doubt her.
Herold came into Sandburg as a relative unknown from a graduating class of 23 at Trinity Lutheran School. She soon stood out, though, by making the sophomore team as a freshman and gaining a starting spot on the varsity as a sophomore.
During her junior and senior seasons, Herold used a tricky screwball to help take Sandburg to two Class 4A supersectionals and one trip to the state finals. Sandburg finished second in 2014.
“Remember them? Those were my glory days,” Herold said, laughing. “I know I put in the work to be successful, and I couldn’t have asked for better teammates. To this day, I stand by it that Brooke Heimerl is the best third baseman I have ever played with.”
Herold got a scare during freshman preseason workouts at Denison when she passed out while doing sprints to first base. She was diagnosed with a mild dilation of the heart and high blood pressure. She missed almost her entire freshman season.
Almost.
Herold played in the Big Red’s final 10 games. Most of them were in the conference tournament, where she pitched back-to-back shutouts and helped lead Denison to a second-place finish.
Over the past two seasons, Herold has gone 24-11 as a pitcher, firing seven shutouts and one no-hitter. She hit a team-leading .458 as a sophomore and batted .313 as a junior.
“She has meant a lot to our program not just on the field, but off the field as well,” Denison coach Tiffany Ozbun said. “She brings a lighter side to things. She’s an energy-giver at practice and in the weight room. She’s one of those players we’ll never forget.”
Another shot at a conference title lies ahead. Meanwhile, Herold is waiting eagerly for her trophy to arrive as an international softball champion.
“We are being mailed our trophies,” she said. “Most of us were already over the 50-pound weight limit and we were like, ‘Just ship ’em.’ I mean, come on, I bought at least $300 worth of souvenirs.”
And collected memories worth their weight in gold.
Twitter @tbaranek