Team Illinois becomes Team USA

Team USA’s softball team consists of (from left): Lauren Seegers of Crystal Lake, Samantha Hereley of Harvard, Sarah Boyer of McHenry, coach Glenn Boyer, Taylor Dunne of Cary, Kate Martino of Wauconda, Andrea Weathersby of Wonder Lake, Connie Weathersby of Wonder Lake, Stephanie Olson of Wauconda, Lindsay Melson of Harvard, Kristina Brokner of Elgin, Nikki Greenhill of Woodstock and Brie Burgioni of Ingleside. (Lauren M. Anderson –landerson@nwherald.com)

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WOODSTOCK – When tryouts for Team Illinois were first announced, local softball players took the opportunity seriously.

Softball players around the rest of the U.S., however, did not. So what started out as a good opportunity to form an elite softball team that would travel to Florida in June to compete against other states’ select teams morphed into the opportunity of a lifetime.

Team Illinois became Team USA, and now 11 softball players from area high schools will have the chance to represent their country this weekend in Ocoee, Fla., at the first NeuEdge International Softball Cup Series.

“There were supposed to be 10 states sending teams to Orlando in June, [and] we were supposed to play one another with the winner becoming Team USA,” coach Connie Weathersby said. “But the other states didn’t submit their information on time, so we became Team USA by default. That was OK by us. It is quite the honor.”

During the high school softball season, Weathersby, the McHenry County Heatwave travel softball program director and 18U Black Heatwave coach, started sending
e-mails to local softball coaches alerting them of tryouts for Team Illinois.

Almost 40 athletes tried out for Team Illinois, Weathersby said, and she selected 11, many of whom play for other travel softball programs, to make up her final roster.

Woodstock North junior Nikki Greenhill, Prairie Ridge junior Lauren Seegers, recent McHenry graduate Sarah Boyer, Harvard sophomores Lindsay Melson and Sam Hereley and Cary-Grove sophomore Taylor Dunne will represent McHenry County.

“Our first reaction when we found out we would be Team USA was shock,” said Dunne, who will play shortstop and second base for Team USA.

“It was kind of bizarre that other states didn’t submit their stuff because we were all taking this very seriously,” Dunne said. “Then we were [excited] because we get to wear the logo of the United States on our jerseys and represent our country.”

Limousines will pick up the team at Weathersby’s house Thursday before they catch a flight to Orlando, where their meals, housing and transportation all will be provided by NeuEdge – a uniform company – and FAST Sports, which both are tournament sponsors.

Team USA, which acts as the tournament host, will face Team Brazil at
11 a.m. Saturday and Team Netherlands at 1 p.m.

The three teams will be seeded for Sunday’s final round depending on their performances Saturday.

Team USA only has practiced together and held scrimmages, so Saturday’s game against Team Brazil will be the players’ first official competition together.

“No matter the outcome, this is an awesome opportunity,” said Kate Martino, who plays high school softball for Wauconda. “We are going to play other countries and … we have no idea what they’re about, but we’re excited.”