MaeleeSmith

“Earned, not given.” This is the motto for Marian’s softball program this year. In her first year as head coach, Abby Russell ’21 focuses on preparing her players for college softball by holding them to high, college-level standards.

As a Marian alumna who went on to play college softball, Russell knows how to best prepare the girls for the next level. Russell played for Southwest Minnesota State University and started for her team all four years. Russell’s favorite college softball memory is “going on a 14-game winning streak in Florida over spring break.”

During her time at Marian, Russell was a three-time district champion and three-time state qualifier. Her senior year season ended with a winning record of 26-9.

“I am still close with my old teammates and cherish all the lessons and memories I gained from Marian softball,” Russell said.

This year, one of the team’s traditions is reading someone’s reason why they play the sport before practice every day. The reason they do this is to encourage players to play for their teammates on days they are struggling to play for themselves.

“My favorite part of coaching this team is seeing girls play for something bigger than themselves,” Russell said.

The Crusaders’ current record includes wins over Omaha Central, Bennington, Omaha North, Bellevue West, Westside, Benson, Fremont and a recent close loss to Lincoln North Star. Russell is hopeful for the rest of the season. She asks her players to strive to improve their softball skills each and every day.

“We have seen the potential of this team and I fully believe they can go on a run for state. They continue to compete in everything they do inside and out of softball,” Russell said.

With districts coming up on Oct. 7 and 8 and the possible state tournament to follow, the team continues to put in the work at practices and games. As their motto states, their success this season must be earned, not given.