The fall season is like a fresh start: students are getting back into the rhythm of classes and athletes are getting back into the swing of things with their sports. And for one senior in particular, this season has been a blast. Not only has Jordyn Campbell returned from an injury to lead the softball team to a great season, but the excitement of the fall season was brought to another level on Friday, Sept. 12 when Campbell was crowned as Yutan’s homecoming queen.
“Friday night was amazing. Just walking down the field and hearing my name announced and then shockingly getting crowned, it was all so much fun,” Campbell said.
Going into the evening, Campbell was not expecting her name to be the one announced.
“I really did not think it was gonna be me,” Campbell said. “When they called my name, honestly, all the pictures were really bad because my face dropped, but I was really excited.”
Although she was shocked, Campbell knew that being crowned queen wasn’t just about a shiny tiara and a sash.
“It was super cool and honestly rewarding because I didn’t know where I stood with everyone, and so it was rewarding seeing that I have a support system,” Campbell said.
Being crowned queen wasn’t Campbell’s original goal; she was just happy to be part of the homecoming court.
“My goal was just to get on (the court) because I like all the activities that I’ve seen people in the past do, and my sister was on homecoming court, so I think it was really cool that we both got on,” Campbell said.
While Campbell was surprised by the outcome, it wasn’t so shocking for her teammates on the softball team. As both a teammate and friend, sophomore Jersey Siske gets to see firsthand why she thinks Campbell deserved to win the title of homecoming queen.
“I was really happy for Jordyn when she got on homecoming court and then got queen too,” Siske said. “Jordyn’s an amazing leader and always happy during practices. She’s also really encouraging, and that just shows that she really did deserve to win homecoming queen.”
Although an injury put Campbell out for the entire softball season last year, this season for her and the team is already off to a great start.
“Last year I was out, so it feels good to be back with this group of girls,” Campbell said. “Everyone on the team knows and takes on their role and does it to their best ability. And everyone just works well together, which makes it so fun to compete with them, so it’s really rewarding to be back.”
On the team, Campbell is a catcher and plays third base while also having a big role as a senior leader who really affects and motivates the team.
“She really pushes us in practice, which honestly is a good thing,” freshman Hayleigh Darling said. “I’m really excited for the rest of the season and state.”
The motivation for all of Campbell’s encouragement is one main goal: making it down to the state tournament in Hastings.
“We have a good run at state. And I think that we can win the whole thing if we really set our minds to it and really dig deep,” Campbell said.
While it is unknown if Campbell will achieve that final goal with her team, for now she is soaking in the memories as her high school experiences are coming to an end.
“With softball going great and then also getting crowned queen, it’s just made it a great season so far,” Campbell said. “Knowing that these are all my last things that I’m going to do at the school makes it that much more fun and cooler that I get to be a part of it all.”
