Elon Softball Welcomes Five in 2014 Class

ELON, N.C. – Elon University head softball coach Kathy Bocock and her staff announced the addition of five future student-athletes to the Phoenix program for the 2015 season on Monday, Dec. 23.

“The 2014 recruiting class brings a wide variety of great qualities we strive for at Elon,” said Bocock. “They all are coming in with excellent game knowledge as well as skill level. They have that competitive edge that will help them against our opponents and that extra edge will also help with pushing their teammates to be better. They have bought into our philosophies here and are all in to build a championship team. We are very excited for this class.”

The 2014 signing class of Madison Kadlic (Olentangy Liberty High School, Powell, Ohio), Morgan Oldham (Northwood High School, Pittsboro, N.C.), Hannah Olson (Grafton High School, Yorktown, Va.) Kara Shutt (Southeast Guilford, Greensboro, N.C.) and Ashley Wilson (Freedom High School, Tampa, Fla.) are slated to join the Phoenix next fall.

Madison Kadlic | 5’8” | Middle Infielder | Powell, Ohio | Olentangy Liberty High School
Kadlic has received numerous accolades throughout her career at Olentangy High School under head coach Bob Lee where she helped the Patriots to a pair of Ohio Capital Conference championships (OCC) in 2012 and 2013. A three-year letter winner and a scholar-athlete, Kadlic made the Central Ohio Underclassmen All-Star team in 2012 as well as receiving second team All-OCC honors. As a junior in 2013, she was named team captain and was selected as the Most Valuable Player while earning first team All-OCC laurels. She was also second team honorable mention All-District in 2013.

“I have been very impressed with Madison’s determination as an athlete and a person,” said Bocock. “She has continued to show her love for our softball program and the university. In coming back to our camps here, she had shown an extreme amount of improvement each time. We are looking forward to seeing her growth as a competitor and as a leader.”

The daughter of John and Christine Kadlic, Madison plans to pursue a major in exercise science at Elon.

Why Madison chose Elon:
“As soon as I stepped foot on Elon’s campus, I fell in love. Elon had all of the qualities I wanted in a university. It will provide me with a good education, a safe and beautiful environment, and a great softball program.”

Morgan Oldham | 5’7” | First base/outfield | Pittsboro, N.C. | Northwood High School
A first basemen and outfielder, Oldham arrives from Northwood High School where she played under head coach Butch Edenfield. A team captain for the Chargers, Oldham was named All-Conference in 2011 and 2013 while leading the squad to the North Carolina State Region 5 games in 2011, 2012 and a gold medalist finish in 2013. Oldham is also a member of the National Honor Society, Tri-M Music Society and DECA while being an Honor Roll student throughout her career.

The daughter of Scott and Mary Oldham and the younger sister of current Elon senior Lauren Oldham, Morgan intends to major in exercise science at Elon.

“I had the fortune of working with Morgan at camps and clinics as a young player, and I’ve watched her grow not only as a softball player, but as a person,” said Bocock. “Seeing her progress really makes me eager to have her here at Elon and start working with her. She’s only going to continue to blossom in the Elon softball environment.”

Why Morgan chose Elon:
“I have gotten to know the university over the past couple of years through my older sister, and I feel that Elon strives to helps its students succeed in the classroom, as well as in their future endeavors and is overall a great place to be. I know I will be in an environment that will help me excel both in the classroom and on the field, and I am excited about starting a new chapter in my life as a Phoenix.”

Hannah Olson | 5’8” | Shortstop | Yorktown, Va., | Grafton High School
Olson arrives after earning 11 varsity letters in three different sports at Grafton High School. Under head coach Vanessa Young, Olson has been a two-year team captain and a first team All-District and All-Region selection for the Clippers. As a sophomore, Olson was selected as the Daily Press All-Star and Player of the Year runner-up while garnering second team All-State honors. During her junior campaign, she was named the District Player of the Year after batting .500 with an on-base percentage of .554, along with 24 runs batted in and 21 runs scored. She was also named the Grafton High School Female Athlete of the Year and was the number three female “Athletes to Watch” in 2012-13 by the Daily Press.

The daughter of Eric and Kristen Olson, Hannah is planning to pursue a career in sport and event management at Elon. Her father played football at the United States Air Force Academy while brother Alex plays basketball at Carroll University.

“Hannah brings a lot of athletic ability to this program as well as a lead-by-example mentality,” said Bocock. “She shows similar defensive strengths as Danielle Lafferty, a former Elon softball player who was one of the top defensive players to ever come through here. Hannah comes from a travel ball team that plays at the highest level, and we are so happy to have her on board.”

Why Hannah chose Elon:
“I chose Elon because it had everything I wanted and more. Elon is giving me the opportunity to do what I love and get a high quality education. I could not have asked for a better place to call home for the next four years of my life.”

Kara Shutt | 5’8” | Outfield | Greensboro, N.C. | Southeast Guilford High School
An outfielder at Southeast Guilford High School under head coach Shannon Cowart, Shutt has received numerous honors during her career. As a freshman, she was named the conference Freshman of the Year while earning All-Conference, All-Area, All-District and All-State accolades. She repeated those selections during her sophomore and junior campaigns and was also the Greensboro News Record and conference Player of the Year. Shutt has also performed at a high level in the classroom, making the “A” Honor Roll every semester and being inducted into the National Honor Society. She also lettered in volleyball and basketball.

The daughter of Danny and Cindy Shutt, Kara will major in sport and event management at Elon. Her father played football at Catawba College while her brother Dusty was a member of the baseball team at North Carolina A&T.

“Kara is a very successful 3-sport athlete at her high school,” said Bocock. “That speaks volumes for her athletic ability and love for competition. She is a very talented local student-athlete and we love how great of a teammate she is. She will bring lefty power to the line up as well as speed. We are excited to have Kara in our family!”

Why Kara chose Elon:
“I chose Elon because I fell in love with the campus on my first visit. The coaching staff and I really clicked and I knew the new facility was going to be amazing, so that’s a plus. Also, Elon isn’t that far away from my house so my family can come watch me play!”

Ashley Wilson | 5’9” | Outfield | Tampa, Fla. | Freedom High School
A member of the Freedom High School softball program under head coach Autum Hernandez, Wilson has earned All-County Softball recognition throughout her career, receiving first team honors as a junior in 2013. She was also a second team All-State pick last season and helped the Patriots to a FHSAA Class 7A runner-up finish at the state finals. Wilson has also been a member of the National Honor Society and an All-County Volleyball selection.

The daughter of Mark and Stephanie Wilson, Ashley intends to major in biology at Elon.

“Ashley has so much love for the game of softball,” said Bocock. “She is an extremely strong and smart athlete. She has unbelievable work ethic and always has a positive attitude. We are looking forward to all the strengths she’ll bring to this program.”

Why Ashley chose Elon:
“I chose Elon because I felt right at home. Everything from the amazing academics to the gorgeous campus drew me in. I can’t wait to finally get up there and start the next four years of my life as an Elon Phoenix.”

One thought on “Elon Softball Welcomes Five in 2014 Class

  1. These five girls are very good players and will help the Elon softball program reach their goals. Looking forward to watching them play.

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