Megan Wright’s softball career was all but over. The Lake County native had hung up her cleats and put her glove away until one conversation at a Mount Dora Christian Academy softball game changed her mind.

Megan Wright has been playing softball for a long time. In fact, she started on the MDCA Softball team as a 6th grader back in 2013. She would go on to have a lengthy and successful career at MDCA until her senior season was taken away from her during the Covid-19 impacted year.

“All I have to say to any player out there is to enjoy every second of it. You never know when you will play your final game. It can be taken away in an instant from something like the pandemic, injury, or something else. That’s why every time I take the field, I enjoy the game because I know it won’t last forever,” says Megan.

Megan would go on to play college softball while studying to earn her associate’s degree. She studied all around Florida but decided to work her way back to Lake County. Megan was attending an MDCA softball game last year when she struck up a conversation with Coach Jay Miller of Lake-Sumter State College.

Coach Jay Miller has been building the LSSC Lakehawks program for the past 8 years. He has brought the program to new heights. “Here I am trying to figure life out and thought my playing days were over, and then Coach Miller lets me know that I have a few years left of eligibility to play college sports. I thought it would be a great opportunity to get back to playing the game I love and to earn a degree in the process,” says Megan.

Megan began playing for Lake-Sumter State College this season and had an instant impact. She has 59 hits along with 12 doubles, 37 RBIs, and 11 stolen bases. She has also scored 33 runs this season for the Lakehawks. She was the first player in team history to be named as the NJCAA Player of the Week earlier in the season, which was a huge honor to both her and the college.

“It was a great honor to be named as the first player in LSSC history to win the NJCAA Player of the Week. It just shows how far this program has come in such a short time. It shows how Coach Jay Miller is continuing to build this program including the team’s first championship last year. I am so thankful to be a small part of it all,” says Megan. Even getting to this point in the season was a challenge.

“I was not in softball condition at the beginning of the year. I was pulling muscles and had to get back into a rhythm because I hadn’t played in a while. Once I did though, it was like riding a bike. It all came back to me, and it’s been such a joy to play the game I love. I was not ready to give softball up. I am so grateful to have been given another opportunity to play the game I love,” says Megan.

Megan is thankful for her high school athletic director Megan Ziegelhofer, whom she adores. “She’s so nice and loves everyone. She’s everywhere, I don’t know how she does it sometimes but I’m thankful she has such a positive impact on the students at MDCA. She sure had a positive impact on me,” says Megan.

One of the things Megan is on the softball field is loud. “She is very loud; you can hear this kid from a mile away. No matter if it’s in the field or in the dugout, you know when Megan is talking, I will tell you that,” says Jay Miller. “She’s been such a great teammate. She’s actually one of the older players on our team so she brings a lot of leadership qualities with her,” says Jay Miller.

Megan’s life journey is just beginning. She has a great head on her shoulders, and you can tell she is a good leader. It’s the reason she is going into Sports Leadership in the fall. She will be graduating with her associate’s degree in General Studies at LSSC.

“I put my faith in God. He has a plan for me and I am thankful for Coach Jay Miller as well for taking a chance on me. I have had such an amazing time playing for LSSC this year,” says Megan.

Photos Provided By – Lake-Sumter State College