HUNTINGTON -- It has been a wonderful year for Huntington High softball standout Kiara Chappelle.
And, the good news for the Highlanders' softball program is she has two more wonderful years ahead of her.
Chappelle was recently invited to play in the Queen of Diamonds Showcase South on Aug 30-31 at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, S.C., adding another notch on her growing list of accomplishments.
One of her tools for success is staying focused on her future goals instead of fixating on the accolades she receives.
"I try not to think about (accolades) too much -- just go out there and play," Chappelle said. "This year has been a big year. I just want to keep working more and more and see what I can do."
The Queen of Diamonds Showcase South is the nation's largest college showcase for high school softball players, drawing 2,500 applicants from 33 states and Canada to participate in the weekend event in front of dozens of college coaches.
Perhaps the biggest compliment Chappelle has received is being selected for the national showcase despite not being eligible to be contacted by college coaches until September, the first month of her junior year.
"It's great to be able to do this right before my junior year because it will be the biggest year as far as visibility," Chappelle said. "I'm going to try and get my name out there and keep working more and more."
Chappelle has enjoyed a successful three-month stretch that began in May with her helping the Highlanders win a state championship at Vienna Park in Parkersburg.
In June, she was named as the West Virginia Gatorade Softball Player of the Year after batting .500 during her sophomore season with three home runs, 45 RBIs and 35 runs scored. She also had a 4.11 GPA in the classroom.
During the middle of June and into July, she has traveled around the nation with the West Virginia Dusters (Blue) playing in high-profile tournaments in Colorado, South Carolina and North Carolina.
In Denver, Colo., she was a main cog in leading the Dusters to a 13th place finish out of 275 teams at the Sparkler Classic.
The Dusters finished with an undefeated record in pool play, placing them in the Platinum Bracket which was for teams eligible to play for first place. Overall, the team finished 6-2 playing against teams made up of collegiate players and even one team led by the Chinese National Team coach.
"It was pretty cool going up against the college girls because I'm just 16 and I got to see exactly how I measure up against them," Chappelle said.
Chappelle's Dusters team finishes up the ASA season this weekend in Raleigh (N.C.) before she prepares for the showcase, which features the top 260 players out of 2,500 applicants.
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