In one final diamond season together, Cooper sisters continue to shine bright

by Perry Hesse

Parenthood is sure to bring its share of ups and downs with children, but it doesn’t usually happen as concurrently as it did for Ron and Angie Cooper of Lansing this spring. They watched as younger daughter Kendra, a junior pitcher for the Luther College softball team this season, reeled off six straight wins on the mound as the Lady Norse captured the American Rivers Conference Tournament title. However, in the dugout was oldest daughter Courtney, who missed almost all of her senior season with the softball Norse due to injuries.

“We were disappointed for Courtney as she had high hopes for her senior year. However, we knew with her physical limitations she might not be able to pitch,” said Angie. “Courtney and Kendra would have enjoyed one more year together with the goal of helping the team be the best it could be.”

Courtney and Kendra helped put Kee softball on the map in high school with consecutive Class 1A State Titles in 2016 and 2017 as well as a State Runner-Up finish in 2014. Courtney went on to make an immediate impact at Luther as a freshman pitcher with a 13-5 record and 1.72 ERA (earned run average).

She was voted the team’s Rookie of the Year.

“She came in ready to compete. She’s such a smart person and always had a plan of attack for the game and individual batters,” said Luther pitching coach Tracy Hjelle. “Courtney communicated well and also took feedback and used it to make improvements. Her willingness to learn and get better was admirable.”

“Courtney had a freshman year that our program will remember forever,” said Norse softball head coach Renae Hartl. “She was named the Super Regional MVP on our home diamond and beat St. Thomas to advance to the World Series in Oklahoma City.”

The success continued during her sophomore campaign with an 8-4 overall record and 2.91 ERA. Those numbers are even more amazing considering how much of a struggle it was to pitch with a couple of major injuries and limitations.

“During my senior year of high school, I began experiencing numbness in my arms and was diagnosed with bilateral thoracic outlet syndrome, which means the nerves that run from my neck to my arms were being compressed. It worsened my freshman year of college,” said Courtney. “So I had two surgeries my sophomore year to remove the first rib on each side to create more room beneath the clavicle where the nerves run. Although I still dealt with numbness, my symptoms were more manageable. Unfortunately, I started to experience excessive fatigue and weakness in my legs. Over the last three years and more medical tests, I recently was diagnosed with a muscle disorder. I was able to participate in pre-season pitching workouts but suffered a setback in January with increased pain and numbness which prevented me from playing this season.”

Luther rolled to an 8-0 start in the spring of 2020 with Courtney, as a Norse junior, able to throw six innings before the season was scrapped due to the pandemic shutting down spring sports at all levels last year.

STILL A SENIOR SEASON TO REMEMBER
Courtney did not know at the time, but that shortened 2020 campaign would be the end of her career, outside of an emotional start on Senior Day May 8 of this year in which Courtney took the mound one final time against Loras in a class move by Coach Hartl, allowing her one final time to perform and leave the game on her terms.

“We were on a bus trip home from Lincoln, NE when it first came across my mind,” said Coach Hartl. “I didn’t mention it for awhile and she took some time to think about it before she accepted. She just didn’t know if she would be able to but I was very happy when she agreed to it.”

“I was actually pretty nervous since I hadn’t pitched since January,” admitted Courtney, who struck out two batters and retired another on a groundball in her Senior Day appearance. “I’m extremely grateful that my coaches gave me the opportunity, as well as for the support I received from teammates, coaches, family and fans.”

In a pre-written script, Courtney went back out on the mound for the second inning and reared back to throw her final pitch, her patented change-up, for a strike. Coach Hartl then asked for a time-out, and took a slow walk to the mound, before motioning for sister Kendra to come in for relief. “It was an honor to hand the ball off to my sister and I’m so happy it ended with a team win (3-1),” Courtney shared.

“Courtney’s appearance on Senior Day was very emotional for me,” said Kendra. “When the coaches first told me about it, I started to tear up. We have worked so hard together at softball and created many memories, but that is a day I will never forget. With her struggling through injuries and not being able to pitch, I wanted her to experience one last moment on the mound. We warmed up together before the game and hearing her name announced and watching her pitch was very emotional. I am so proud of how she has handled everything thrown at her. Her Senior Day will always be one of my greatest memories as a Luther softball player.”

SO MUCH MORE THAN SISTERS
One can scratch and dig here all they want, but they won’t find an ounce of sibling rivalry between these two sisters. “I felt nothing but pure joy watching my team win the Conference Tournament,” Courtney said. “I am extremely proud of Kendra. She has worked through pain of her own and yet pitched 35 innings of the tournament. We have spent countless hours pitching side by side. There is no one I would rather have as a teammate. We have shared moments we will never forget!”

Unable to pitch this season, Courtney did her best to help in other ways. “I looked for other roles in which I could help the team. I became a player-manager. I took stats, massaged a lot of shoulders, helped with equipment and just tried to be a cheerleader for my teammates.”

“Courtney maintained a great attitude,” said Coach Hjelle. “She was willing to feed pitching machines, help with equipment, anything she could do to help. I really appreciated her second set of eyes in watching the mechanics of our other pitchers. She is just such a competitor and wanted to help in any way.”

Meanwhile, Kendra was going to see to it that her sister and fellow senior teammates went out on top in their final go-round together in this year’s American Rivers Conference Tournament. “Throughout the season we saw glimpses of our full potential but we struggled to meet those standards,” said Kendra.

“We were determined to play together and put our offense, defense and pitching together to do what we had to do to win. We came back out of the loser’s bracket to win the whole thing!”

It was the eighth time Luther softball has won the conference tournament title, most in conference history.

“Kendra was everything for us that weekend,” added Coach Hartl. “As a coach, I have never won three games in a row on the same day and never thought it would happen with one pitcher. She was as mentally tough that day as I have ever seen in my 22 years of coaching. She was so supportive of the defense and offense that day, and no one expected her to be up cheering in the dugout between innings, but she was - like she always does.”

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS
Where did this love of softball come from? The sisters have many memories of pitching to their dad in the front yard. When the weather didn’t allow them to pitch outdoors, they threw inside the house - that is, until a decoration was broken. There were countless other games at their grandparents’ house with family members, playing until it was too dark to see the ball.

“I watched my cousin, Ryan Hill, compete at the State Wrestling Tournament and I decided I was going to compete in the State Softball Tournament. I started working with Tom Lydon (long-time Waukon resident, who would often work with area girls with their pitching prior to his passing in 2012). My cousin, Liz Hill, became my pitching coach and really inspired me to get better every day to achieve my dreams. I will always be grateful for all the help I received,” said Courtney.

“I have had tremendous family support,” continued Courtney. “My parents rarely missed a game. They encouraged me, whether I won or lost. I am also grateful for the catchers throughout my career. My dad was my first catcher and helped with coaching and off-season work. In high school, Katie Brennan, Chloe Severson and Ellie Heiderscheit were fantastic to work with. I have also had many dedicated catchers at Luther.”

BRIGHT FUTURES
A class valedictorian at Kee High School, Courtney is pursuing a career as a child psychologist. “I want to help children and adolescents by assessing their mental health and provide counseling,” she explained. “I want to help children who have maybe had a traumatic brain injury, dealt with cancer or other chronic illnesses. I am passionate about teaching social and emotional skills so children can better interact with each other. I want to be an advocate for mental health, which we are becoming better at talking about but still have a long ways to go.”

She also hopes to stay involved in softball in some capacity, preferably offering pitching lessons.

Kendra has one more season to enjoy at Luther, which will surely be treasured by Ron and Angie. “I want to improve my accuracy, speed and movement on my pitches,” Kendra shared. “We want to win the regular season title as well as the conference tournament. No one on our team now has postseason experience in the NCAA Tournament, so we want to get there.”

Kendra, an Exercise Science and Allied Health Services major, hopes to be a collegiate strength and conditioning coach someday. Like Courtney, she also hopes to stay involved with softball as a college pitching coach and offering lessons.

“I’m so excited to see her perform next season,” added Coach Hjelle. “She ended this season pitching so well, and I know she has even more to give. Like her sister, she has a great work ethic and will put in the time to get better.”

Former Kee High School talent on Luther’s roster doesn’t end with the Cooper sisters. Katie Brennan, the daughter of Mike and Kerry Brennan of Lansing, started 31 games for the Lady Norse this season and sported a .337 batting average. She is listed as a utility player, and that she is.

“Katie was a unique piece to our puzzle in putting the best defensive lineup on the field,” said Coach Hartl. “She started games at first base, all three positions in the outfield, and even a game at catcher. She also caught workouts daily in the bullpen and was honored to warm-up Courtney on Senior Day. She is a spark plug for us and I’m excited to have her with us two more years!”

“We are extremely proud of all four of our kids and what they have accomplished,” added Angie. “Someday sports will end, but we have stressed it’s more important to be a good person. Sports have taught them to work hard, set goals, overcome obstacles, and how to work together with teammates. All their successes in high school and college have been due to great teammates and coaches. Sports have given our family many quality hours together, a great group of friends and endless memories. It has been worth every minute of our time and every mile on our vehicles!”

Indeed, the values and memories and life lessons learned through sports are very much irreplaceable. Unlike that broken house decoration that occurred years ago that put an end to indoor pitching.