Wayne State College head softball coach Shelli Manson has announced the signings of three student-athletes for the 2022-23 academic year.  Joining the Wildcat softball program are Kyndal Colon of Lincoln, Annika Manzanares (awn – e – kuh / manz – uh – nar – is) from Broomfield, Colorado and Sophie Stuart of Kirksville, Missouri.    
            Colon (kuh – lohn)  is a 5-8 catcher from Lincoln East High School where she was a four year letter winner in softball.  This season, she posted a .426 batting average with 12 home runs and 37 RBI, helping Lincoln East to a 35-10 record and Class A State Runner-Up finish.   Colon was named Class A All-State honorable mention and has been selected to play in next summer's Nebraska Coaches Association All-Star Game.  She is a three-time All-Heartland Conference Academic selection and finished her career with 25 home runs.
            "Kyndal is an in-state talent that we are proud to add to our Wildcat family," said Coach Manson.  "She is a very strong athlete who can hit for power and defensively is a great battery-mate and controls the game well.  Kyndal is a competitor on the field and in the classroom and we are looking forward to seeing her develop over the next four years."
            Manzanares (awn – e – kuh / manz – uh – nar – is)is a 5-7 outfielder from Holy Family High School in Broomfield, Colorado where she was a three year starter in softball.  This season, Manzanares batted .500 with eight home runs and 48 RBI, helping her team to a 25-4 record and the Colorado Class 4A State Championship for the second straight year and third time in four seasons.  She was named Class 4A First Team All-State and First Team All-Northern Colorado Athletic Conference this season.  Manzanares closed her high school career with a .434 batting average that included 14 home runs and 86 RBI.
            "Annika is a driven athlete who knows what it takes to win," commented Manson.  "She is a great teammate who is willing to play multiple defensive positions.  Annika is a smooth defender whether at shortstop or in the outfield and has a great bat that can hit for average and power.  We are anxious to see what she can do in a Wildcat uniform."
            Stuart is a 5-9 pitcher from Kirksville, Missouri was a four year starter in softball.  As a senior, Stuart was 19-4 in the circle with a 1.18 ERA while recording 241 strikeouts leading her team to a 22-6-1 record.  She was a Missouri Class 3A First Team All-State selection and was also a First Team All-Region, All-District and All-North Central Missouri Conference honoree.  As a batter during her senior season, Stuart hit .350 with 27 hits, one home run and 20 RBI.  Stuart closed her high school career as a four-time First Team All-District selection and was First Team All-Conference as a junior and senior. 
            "We are excited Sophie chose Wayne State," remarked Manson.  "She is a fierce competitor with great mound presence who will make an immediate impact for us. Sophie has a lot of experience at the high school and travel ball levels which will ease her transition to the collegiate level.  She has a lot of talent and we can't wait to see how she progresses under our training program."
            Wayne State College is an NCAA Division II school located in Wayne, Nebraska and competes in the 16-team Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.