The Collegian

Issue date: 2/10/05 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Karyn Gilbert Dani Caldwell (right) and Meghan Dyer make the grades and join the well rounded teams on the road to the championships.

Meghan Dyer and Dani Caldwell are two players at the center of the Delta Women's softball team's competitive nucleus. Entering their third year of involvement with the program, their lives have come full circle, both on and off the field.

For both players, the field grass might be just a shade greener, and the pop of a grapefruit-sized softball smacking against a leather glove might sound just a little sweeter.

At this time last year, Dyer and Caldwell, both pitcher and catcher respectively, were twin sisters of disappointment. In 2004, the adversary was an off-the-field one, in the form of academic probation; which turned the season into a lost one for both players. A cloud of frustration hung over the girls, as poor grades kept them on the sidelines.

"2004 was a very hard year. I feel in some ways I hit rock bottom that year," said a humble Dyer. "Not being able to compete was bad enough, but I felt I had let the team down; which is the worst thing an athlete can do."

Last year could be viewed as a cold slap of reality for Dyer and Caldwell. The mutual academic travails demanded that both students refocus their priorities and respond to another outlet for their competitiveness.

"I learned that not everything is handed to you, and as a result I worked hard to improve the situation I found myself in," said Caldwell.

After meeting their academic requirements, both players had their probation lifted, making them eligible to play.

Intersecting with a reversal of fortune is a period of adjustment. Both players, freshman during the 2003 season, are now on a 2005 squad that has a radically altered makeup. This current Delta softball incarnation is one that is dominated by talented freshman and sophomores. Leadership and experience are the backbone of most successful campaigns, and Caldwell and Dyer now find themselves as "veterans" on a team loaded with a wealth of potential.

"Never before have I been on team with such potential, the talent level on this team is really exciting. Qualifying for the state championships seems like a very real possibility," said Dyer.

Continued...

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