Dryden junior Kahlen Cornell named IAC MVP

Dryden junior Kahlen Cornell emerged as the softball team’s lead pitcher this year after splitting time in the circle during her sophomore year. Cornell took the role and ran with it, tallying 156 strikeouts in 16 games to bring her career total to 241. For her efforts, Cornell was named the IAC Large School North MVP.

Softball is a year-round pursuit for Cornell, who is also on Dryden’s volleyball and basketball teams. Since the season came to an end on May 24 in the first round of sectionals, Cornell has continued to go to the field and practice her pitching. Being named MVP was validation that her work is not going unnoticed.

“It means a lot,” Cornell said. “I put in a lot of effort on the field and off the field. My whole team does. So, really, it just shows all the hard work really coming together.”

Cornell averaged just under 10 strikeouts per game this season. The way she approaches the game, batter to batter, helped her reach those numbers.

“My pitching style really starts with all the work I put in year round,” Cornell said. “I’m a determined pitcher. I move a lot up and down in the box. I try and start by testing a batter with inside and outside pitches, kind of seeing what they like. Then, I adjust from there. So, I adjust with height or going inside or outside.”

During her sophomore year, Cornell pitched alongside then-senior Morgan Best, who is now a member of the RIT softball team. Having a player of that caliber that Cornell could work with every day was a big boost to her skill level.

“It was really helpful to be able to move back and forth [with her],” Cornell said. “We could talk in between innings and just tell each other what was working for one of us or not working for one of us. It was really helpful in being effective.”

Cornell has key roles on the basketball team as a force in the low post and on the volleyball team as an effective net player. Staying busy with different sports benefits her pursuit of her true passion of softball.

“It really just helps me maintain just being active throughout the whole season,” Cornell said. “It makes it really easy to go into softball, for high school ball, and being able to just move right into it. You’re already in-shape and conditioned.”

After practicing with her fall and winter teams, her days end with softball multiple times per week. She talked about balancing her roles in basketball and volleyball with improving as a softball pitcher.

“School ball is first for everything,” Cornell said. “I go to practice, and then I go to pitching lessons outside of practice. I’m still throwing three days a week, even in other sports seasons.”

Heading into her senior season with an IAC MVP already under her belt, Cornell’s goals are team-oriented.

“I want to definitely win a sectional game,” Cornell said. “I think that’s something that we haven’t really been able to do in the past two seasons. I think that ending my senior season by at least winning a sectional game would be amazing.”

Dryden competes in the Section IV Class B tournament after playing primarily Class C schools throughout the season due to their location and placement in the IAC. Cornell would love to play higher-level opponents in the regular season next year to prepare for the postseason and that potential sectional victory.

“I wish that we got the chance to play bigger schools during our regular season just to kind of show us in the beginning what we’re going to be facing,” Cornell said. “We face a lot of schools that are lower than us, and that means we don’t get as many sectional points, too. I wish that we got a chance to play some of the bigger schools more often in the regular season.”

Before she starts her senior year, Cornell will spend the summer playing with her club team, Eyota Nation Fastpitch Softball. That team features standout players across both the IAC and STAC, helping Cornell prepare for her final season at Dryden. Cornell’s work over the next 10 months has already begun as she chases a second IAC MVP and a sectional victory.

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