Fatima senior shortstop Kinzey Woody has worked throughout her youth and high school to excel. That effort culminated with her signing a letter of intent last Wednesday to play softball at Wichita State, a D-1 school.

Woody said she’s glad to have the next chapter set. “It’s nice to get that out of the way,” she said. “This is what I’m doing; this is where I’m going, and now I’m focusing on that.”

Woody is very excited. “This has been an opportunity I’ve been waiting for for a few years,” she said. “Having it come true has been a blessing in itself. I’m so thankful that my coaching staff allowed me to be a part of their future and help build that program.”

She’s pleased to sign with Wichita State. “They were one of the first schools that ever showed any interest in me,” Woody explained. “I’ve known the coaches for about three years now, and I think building that relationship with them for as many years as I have made it easy to sign with the Shockers.”

Woody was a significant part of the Lady Comets team that won back-to-back state championships and was poised to make it three in a row before losing in the district championship game to eventual fourth-place in Class 3 —Blair Oaks.

“We would have loved to have won a third one, but we gave it all we had,” said Woody. “It just wasn’t enough at the end of the day, but I’m super excited for this journey. I think I had an amazing high school career and made a bunch of memories that I’ll keep for the rest of my life.”

Woody finished the fall softball season with a BA of .560 (47-84) with 13 home runs, a triple, and 17 doubles. She drove in 35 runs and scored 45, finishing the year with only six strikeouts while drawing 25 walks, many of which were intentional.

Though she’s owned the shortstop position throughout high school, Woody will likely bounce between first and third. “I’m not exactly quick enough side to side for the college level,” she said. “I’m going to work my butt off to help the team no matter where I’m playing.”

Offensively, Woody doesn’t feel nervous at all. “I’ve faced the best pitchers in the country all summer, so I feel like I’m pretty prepared to go into it,” she said. “I’m sure I’m going to have a bunch of problems on the road, but I have an amazing hitting coach there, so she’ll be able to help me out.”

Fatima coach Ashlee Schnieders is thrilled to see her star shortstop sign with a D-1 school. “I’ve told everybody they don’t make them like Kinzey,” she said. “At any given time, morning, night, after school, cold rain, summertime, Kinzey is putting in work. Not many people can say they eat, live, breathe, and sleep softball, but she does. That’s the kind of player who’s going to take you to the next level. I’m very proud of her. We knew that we had some special girls, and she was one of them.”

As a former D-1 player, Schnieders knows how tough it is to market skills and get coaches to look at a player. “My college was in the same conference as Wichita State, so I know the school,” she said. “Kinzey came to my room, and we would talk about her options and what would provide the best future. The decision can be very stressful, especially at this level.”

Woody spent time over the summer traveling to various colleges and speaking with coaches while also playing with the Impact Caymol Premier 18U traveling softball team, which tied for third place at the national tournament.

Entering Wichita State next fall, Woody hopes to make a difference, and Schnieders believes she can do anything she chooses. “I definitely think she’s a player that can make a difference,” the coach said. “She feels happy and comfortable, and that’s a big part of it.”

While at Wichita State, Woody plans to study health science; specifically, she wants to be an MRI technician.