By By ERIKA PICKLES / Niles Daily Star
NILES - Kelli Zache can rest a little easier now that one of the biggest decisions in her life is off of her shoulders.
The Brandywine Bobcat senior signed her National Letter of Intent to play softball for Western Michigan University next year, making her the third area athlete to sign with a Division I school. It also makes her the first Bobcat softball player to ever sign with Division I.
Kelli admitted that the coaches were one of the reasons she chose to play for the Broncos. Other reasons were because the campus is so close to home and she knows a few of the girls on the team.
She also likes the fact that she will get to play against other universities in the Mid American Conference (MAC) like the University of Michigan, Michigan State and Notre Dame.
Kelli said she is still unsure of her major when she attends WMU, but is leaning toward the medical route.
Kelli will be entering her fourth and final season with the very successful Brandywine varsity softball team in the spring. Her softball coach. Jim Myers, said he was very pleased with Kelli and is happy to see her moving on.
Myers also stated that Kelli is a very hard worker on and off the field and that her academics is what has put her ahead of most individuals.
Other than picthing for Brandywine's softball team, Kelli also plays volleyball and just finished her final season with the Bobcats' basketball team. And if that's not enough, she also plays softball for Michiana Mystique.
Kelli got her softball career started with the YMCA where she played T-ball until she was six. She then moved to the Niles-Brandywine Girls Softball Association league held at Fireman's Youth Park until she was 16. She also played for Great Lakes Lightning, based out of Stevensville, for two years and just last summer started with Michana Mystique.
Kelli's younger sister, Kendra, who is a sophomore at Brandywine, is also no stranger to the sports scene. Along with her sister, she also plays softball, volleyball and basketball on the varsity levels. Kendra, who is also a pitcher, was part of the successful Intensity travel softball team this past summer. The team, which is made up of local softball players, took ninth place at the NSA World Series in Tennessee.
Although they will have some returning players to this year's varsity squad, Kelli admitted that the team and herself are all going to have to work extra hard this season.