Name: Riley Mulligan
Grade: Junior
Sports Involvement: Mulligan plays Softball for Lafayette as a short-stop. She recently hit a walk-off home run in the MSHSAA Class 5 State Championship to win the game.
What were your greatest accomplishments this season?
“Something that I was very proud of myself was that I was able to accomplish this season was definitely working together as a team and like our overall dynamic that we were able to build. There’s some smaller goals like myself, I’m proud of stepping up to the plate. I’ve always been a defensive player and that’s been my forte and what I’ve been most comfortable with. At the end of the season, I was able to step up big at the plate. So I was very proud of my accomplishments there, but also going back to the whole team dynamic was I feel like not only myself but also everybody on the team, the coaches and the girls, we were able to develop kind of a dynamic that was very supportive of one another and allowed us all to succeed in a team scenario. Those are probably the biggest things I really will take away from the season,” Mulligan said.
What is your favorite sports moment?
“It’s going to be the walk-off home run for state. I’ve had some pretty cool ones and I’ve been playing for a while. But that’s something I will never forget. I don’t really know if it’s even hit yet because I keep reliving it, but that’s definitely something that’s going to stay with me for a very, very long time. That takes the cake,” Mulligan said.
What motivates you to play softball?
“I fell in love with the game really young. For me, it’s definitely the team dynamic. I couldn’t see myself playing an individualized sport. I tend to succeed when I get to work with new and different people, and being able to get to know my teammates, get to work together as a team and be able to step up for them, but also relying on them when you’re not having a good game. That’s definitely what stuck with me throughout my athletic career thus far. And that’s something that I always kind of come back to. Not only do I love it, but it’s also the team aspect of it is really unique and one of a kind,” Mulligan said.
What do you think about when you play?
“I used to worry about recruiting and things like that, but now I try to live in the moment as much as I can and enjoy the game. I have fun because I find when I’m loose and relaxed, that’s when I play the best,” Mulligan said.
What are your future plans after high school?
“Right now I’m verbally committed to West Point, I’m very excited about that. I verbally committed about a month ago. And I look forward to my athletic career there as well as stepping in and seeing this new piece of myself. I get to further myself academically and athletically. But also there’s this new aspect of military that’s involved and I’m really excited to see where that leads and what I’m able to learn and build as far as myself there. I’m really excited for the future opportunity that I’ve been gifted and I don’t plan on wasting it. I really want to see what I can do,” Mulligan said.
