Brenna Mahoney was a member of the Dance Team and the Softball team at Frazee-Vergas High School. She plans on attending the University of Minnesota – Morris to get her undergraduate in Exercise Science and Human Biology and then go on to become a Pediatrics/Sports Physical Therapist. She plans on playing softball for the Cougars.
“My favorite memory from dance was becoming a double state champion my sophomore year, but also getting third in both jazz and high kick this year,” shared Mahoney. “We were very young and it was rewarding to see how far our team had come. My favorite memory from softball was playing a high-scoring, 10-inning playoff game against New York Mills.”
“Brenna knows exactly what it takes to be a team player, a leader to others, and a role model to all,” explained Dance Coach Ta Fett. “Brenna works so hard, trusts her coaches and teammates, and she is completely loyal to the program and team. Every challenge we faced, Brenna was part of the solution; I know that we would not have been as successful as a team these last four years without her calm and focused leadership. It was an honor to coach such an incredible athlete and watch her grow and succeed. I can honestly say one of my dream jobs would be to coach with her.”
While she really likes Algebra, Mahoney says her favorite subject is definitely Chemistry.
“Athletics has taught me many different life lessons, including time management, leadership, and perseverance,” noted Mahoney. “Sports have also indirectly helped me decide what I want to do after college. Because of an overuse injury, I have spent a lot of time with chiropractors and physical therapists and I have decided that I want to go into one of those fields. No one every wants to be injured but without my injury from sports I don’t know if I would have considered PT as a career.”
Dealing with no school or spring sport this year has been tough, but, “I am fortunate enough to have three sisters at home that also play softball so I am still spending a lot of time playing. We come up with our own little competitions against each other.”
Softball Coach Matt Bauer had this to say about Mahoney, “Brenna is a smart, versatile softball player. She has been roaming the outfield for us for the last 3 years and has great judgement of the ball off the bat. She also has a good eye at the plate and makes good contact. Last year she was a very consistent hitter and was clutch for us, especially in the playoffs. It's been a lot of fun watching her grow up and become an outstanding young woman. I know she is going to do great things at Morris and I'm looking forward to watching her take her game to the next level. She is going to be missed.”
Brenna has this advice for underclassmen, “My advice goes along with the quote ‘Always earned, never given’. Work hard because you only have a short amount of time with your sport and in your final season you want to be the best you can be.”
