March 16, 2017
By Mike Gilbert, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Playing a college sport on the opposite side of the country with no family close by can be difficult for a student-athlete. But for one Nittany Lion, the opportunity to return home and receive a hero's welcome last week allowed her journey to come full circle.
Sam Shanahan is a native of Seattle, Washington, where the Penn State softball team played in the Husky Classic last Friday. With a large softball alumni base in Washington, the alumni committee, including president of the Seattle alumni chapter Chrysty Laske, and vice president Elizabeth King, greeted the team with a warm welcome to say the least. The girls had personalized signs waiting for them upon their arrival, and were able to enjoy plenty of experiences that the area had to offer during their visit. In addition, the alumni presented the team with a sizeable donation.
"It was the coolest experience ever. It had been my dream ever since I committed to Penn State to play against the University of Washington just because I live less than a mile from the stadium. So, being there in front of my family and friends was a dream come true," said Shanahan.
The team didn't just play softball in Seattle; the trip was about much more. On the first off-day, the squad headed on a duck tour of the Emerald City with alumni, followed by a family dinner at the Shanahan's house.
On the second off day, the girls had a golden opportunity: a day in the famed space needle, followed by an alumni networking meet-and-greet event with alums working and living in the area. The trip was not only designed to make the team better off the field, it also utilized Penn State's massive reach to try and help the team with their future careers as well.
"[The Seattle chapter] made us feel at home. They gave us an evening in the space needle... It was pretty phenomenal to have that love and support... It's something the girls will never forget," said head coach Amanda Lehotak.
As for the games themselves, there was such a home-field advantage for the Blue & White that it felt like they were playing at Beard Field, not 2,500 plus miles away.
"It was probably the first time all season that we felt like we had a home crowd because so many of the Penn Staters came out," said Lehotak.
As for Shanahan, she enjoyed playing in front of familiar faces.
"At first, I was a little nervous. My brother has never seen me play before so I'd better do well! But once the game actually started, it was very calm and I was just very excited to be able to play."
Shanahan's mother and grandparents have seen her play at Penn State, but the rest of her family has not seen her play in person, until this past week.
"It's a far trip [to State College] and it's expensive," Shanahan said. "Plus, all of my brothers and sisters are either in college or working, so it's very hard for them to get time off. But to have them all there was very nice."
The Lions split their two games in the tournament, beating South Dakota but falling to the host Huskies. Looking ahead, the Nittany Lions get set to take part in the George Washington Capital Classic this weekend, with two games apiece against both Niagara and George Washington.
Win or lose, Shanahan and her teammates will be riding high after a productive trip both on the field and off.