Oswego East Student-Athlete of the Week-Megan Leonard

For senior Megan Leonard, sports has been a family affair. Her mother and father, Theresa and Jeff Leonard, both played high school and club sports, and her brother Jake played baseball at Oswego East and is finishing up playing collegiate baseball at Iowa Wesleyan. Not only did her family’s background in sports help Megan develop an interest in softball, but it also gave her a support system, turning her into one of the best players in the area, which is one of the reasons why she is this week’s Oswego East student-athlete of the week.

Anyone who has an older sibling understands when they participate in a sport or activity, you will inevitably be brought along to watch. For Megan, this meant attending Jake’s baseball games, something that sparked an interest in her. “From a young age, Megan would attend Jake’s baseball games, and apparently she paid more attention to them than we realized,” says Theresa and Jeff. They go to add, “they started playing catch in the backyard and soon after she was hooked.”

Megan´s interest, and the support and competitive nature of her family, helped her blossom into one of the better players in the area. Head coach Sarah Davies says “Megan has grown tremendously during her time at East.” Sarah goes on to add, “Megan has come a long way from the only freshman pulled up to an older JV team, to being one of the youngest players on the varsity in 2019, to now one of the oldest and most experienced players on this year's team.”

Leadership is something that extends beyond softball for Megan. In addition to being named captain of the softball team, Megan was also a captain of the basketball team and earned recognition as the team’s defensive MVP. “As a member of both the girl’s basketball and softball teams all four years, Megan has emerged as a leader,” says Theresa and Jeff. They go on to add, “She supports, assists, and encourages her teammates in any way she can, yet remains humble and does not look for recognition. She just wants to see each of her teammates succeed.”

Helping and encouraging the success of her teammates is something Megan truly loves about softball, and sports in general. “I love the camaraderie and bond I´ve been able to form with all of my teammates over the years,” says Megan.

As much as she enjoys watching her teammates succeed, Megan does much more than hold up her end of the bargain. As a sophomore, Megan earned a place on both the Record/Ledger All-Area Team and Illinois Coaches Association All-State Team. Despite missing last high school season, Megan has continued being a standout player in the area and the state early this season, batting .526 with 20 hits, 9 of them being extra-base hits, 1 HR, 10 R.B.I´s, 18 runs scored, 3 SB, and a perfect fielding percentage.

Megan´s success up to this point helped her earn a scholarship to Western Illinois University, where she hopes her hard work will put her in a position to compete for a starting position at 3B next spring. “Megan works well with adversity and has the necessary skills to cope with setbacks,” says Sarah. She goes on to add, “I think this is her greatest strength-she doesn’t let things hold her back and she keeps moving forward. She will be incredibly successful at the next level. She already has the mentality to work hard and work through issues.”

In conjunction with playing softball, Megan is interested in studying to become an athletic trainer. Her interest in the medical field comes from her mother Theresa, who is a nurse, and Megan is hoping to combine her interest in helping others with her passion for sports. Stephanie Krzeminski, a social studies teacher at East, says, “It seems natural that Megan would want to blend her love of sports and her care for others in becoming an athletic trainer. Megan has a wonderful disposition and the kind of work ethic it takes to succeed.”

Despite having a shortened season, there will be an IHSA state tournament at the end of the season, something the Wolves are hoping they can make a deep run in and hopefully bring home some hardware. For all of Megan´s success, her advice to future Wolves is simple, saying, “Branch out and meet people at East. Everyone is so nice, and you´ll make a ton of new friends, so don't take any moments for granted.” While Megan has plenty to look forward to beyond this season, there is little doubt she will take her advice by soaking in the last month of the season and hopefully helping lead her team to school history.