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Sports

Softball Seniors: Pair of Lady Titans Make College Commitments

Maddy Stark and Julia Williams will both play next year at Division-III colleges in Ohio.

For the last two seasons, shortstop Maddy Stark and third baseman Julia Williams have anchored the left side of ’s infield. The pair have been fixtures at the top of the Titan lineup and last year, led Glenbrook South to the regional finals.

Starting next season, the two will be in opposite dugouts, playing as conference rivals at a pair of Division-III colleges in Ohio. Stark has committed to Kenyon College while Williams will play softball at Wittenberg University. Both universities are in the North Coast Athletic Conference and play each other at least twice in softball each season. 

“I think it will be interesting and fun because we’ll get to see each other,” Williams said.

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“We won’t be playing anyone else on [Glenbrook South] because, if they play, they won’t be in our conference so it’ll be cool,” Stark added.

Both Stark and Williams learned about their respective schools through college solicitations in the mail. After visits to their respective school, sitting in on classes and seeing the athletic facilities, the opportunity to play softball ultimately sealed the deal for both of them.

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“I set up a visit and was still ambivalent about playing softball in college,” Williams said. “I saw the campus and I met the coach and she said that I could play at [Wittenberg].”

Stark was accepted to D1 schools like Iowa, Indiana and Illinois, but wouldn’t have played softball beyond the club level. Williams got into a number of schools, including Purdue and Miami (OH). Yet, the pair of Division-III schools seemed to be a better fit.

“A lot of parents think that college is the D-1 thing,” said Maddy’s father David Stark. “But D-3 turned out to be better because there are so many D-3 schools that are so academically good rather than some of the smaller D-1 schools. [Colleges] give you money through financial aid or scholarships for grades or classes and it ends up being a better deal all around.”

Williams is slated to be a utility player at Wittenberg, playing wherever the team needs her to fill in. Stark isn’t sure what the Kenyon coach has planned for her in terms of a position on the diamond, but told Patch she's hoping to be a pitcher or play on the infield. 

The two seniors have known each other since the start of their softball careers, dating back to elementary school.  The girls were teammates in little league before Stark switched teams and in high school, Stark and Williams reconnected, playing with some of Glenbrook South's most successful teams. 

“Maddy brings a sense of intensity and drive  There’s just a higher level of intensity when she’s in there," Glenbrook South coach Kay Sopocy said. "Julia is a steady, relaxed kind of player that just gets the job done. She has great composure.”

Before Williams and Stark go off to college, they still have one last playoff run to make. GNow, they are looking to finally beat New Trier for a chance to win a sectional title on Saturday.

“I’ve been on varsity four years and having all the seniors that have left, meeting so many people I wouldn’t have if I wasn’t playing this sport, including other teams we’ve played,” Stark said. “It’s been a good improvement since freshman year as well.”

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