Ryman, Garner make NFCA second, third team for softball

Western Nebraska Community College’s Kara Ryman and Kelsey Garner continue to earn honors after helping the Cougar softball team to a 54-10 overall record and a Region IX championship. This time, the two players received recognition from the coaches in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association.

Both players earned first-team NFCA All-West honors — Garner for pitching and Ryman for her play at second base. There were three all-region teams and then those selections were pared down to an overall first, second and third team national NFCA all-American selection.

In the overall selection process, Ryman earned second team NFCA honors, while Garner took third team honors overall. The selections were voted on by member coaches of the NFCA. Ryman said receiving All-American honors in both the NJCAA and NFCA, was surprising.

“It is definitely an honor and something that I had never thought I would be,” Ryman said. “It wouldn’t have been possible [without the other players]. There are nine players on the field for a reason and without one we wouldn’t have made it as far as we would did. The other 13 players supported me everyday and some have supported me for two years. Another thing is that we all learn new things from each other, whether it was offense or defense, we were always there to help each other out.”

Ryman said that in her two years at WNCC, she has became a better player as well as person going through head coach Maria Winn-Ratliff’s program.

“I have grown a lot on the softball field. I think that my skills have improved immensely, especially my hitting,” she siad. “I also think that I have grown more knowledge about the game then I knew before.

“ I knew that I was going to learn new things from Coach Winn that would help me to move onto a four year school, but I never imagined that it would have turned out as well as it did. When I first came, she was in the process of building a winning program and it’s a great feeling to know that I was apart of two great teams that had winning seasons.”

While Garner is only a freshman and is slated to return next year after earning Region IX Freshman and Player of the Year honors, Ryman will be headed to the NCAA Division One level and the University of Northern Colorado. Ryman hopes to continue her outstanding softball playing at that level.

“I hope to continue developing my skills and learning new things,” she said. “I also hope to be a part of a new tradition and hopefully a winning one. I hope to make new friendships just like the many friendships that I made in my past two years at WNCC.

“A big reason as to why I chose UNC was because it was close to home and I was offered an opportunity to play Division 1 softball, something that I have always dreamed of doing since I was younger.”

A lot of the success to the season not only lies with the goal the players had at the beginning of the season, but also the head coach.

“This team was so good because when we needed to we worked together as a team on the field and no team is good unless they work well together on the field,” she said. “I also think that this team all had one goal in mind and that was to win regional’s and when everyone is on the same page then it all clicks together. Coach Winn pushed us to be the best that we could be and the ending result shows how good we were.”

In two years at WNCC, Ryman has gained plenty of special bonds and memories. It is two years that she will remember for a long time, including a national tournament appearance in Plant City, Fla.

“It was very different from the teams that we play in our region, but it was a once in a lifetime experience, that I was glad to be a part of,” she said. “It was a great experience to get to play against teams from different regions and different parts of the United States.”

Even though the team lost two games at nationals — the opener to the national champions Wallace State 4-1, Ryman will remember this season.

“Probably the biggest memory from this year that I will always remember is winning Region 9 for the first time in school history,” she said. “I will also remember the numerous fans that supported us the entire tournament. Lastly I just want to thank the community for all of their support and all of the support that I received the past two years from the dorm parents that were there supporting us at all of our home games."