Recently graduated Glacier High School catcher Kynzie Mohl has been named the 2020-21 Gatorade Montana Girls Softball Player of the Year.
The annual award recognizes the top player in the state, regardless of school classification. The 5-foot-10 catcher and right-handed pitcher had 18 home runs this season and posted a .634 batting average, leading the Wolfpack to a 23-5 season that culminated with a trip to the Class AA state tournament. Mohl was named the Class AA Western Division Offensive Player of the Year after finishing with 11 doubles, 45 runs, a .706 on-base percentage and a 1.451 slugging percentage.
In the circle, the three-time All-State selection had an 8-2 record and a 4.30 earned run average.
“Kynzie is an incredible student-athlete and leader, and I am so proud and glad that the Gatorade Player of the Year organization recognized her hard work and success as an elite softball player in the state of Montana,” Glacier head coach Abby Connolly said. “This award recognizes the countless hours she has put in on the diamond, in the classroom, in the weight room, and in the batting cage. She has left an amazing legacy and continued a tradition of excellence in the Wolfpack softball program.”
After an illustrious high school career, Mohl will continue playing softball at the University of Montana. The Griz softball program is only six years old but has had success in its early seasons. The team won the 2017 Big Sky Conference title and earned a berth to the NCAA tournament.
““This kid can hit,” fourth-year Griz head coach Melanie Meuchel has said about Mohl. “When she steps into the box, she has a presence about her that she is going to win this at-bat. She drives the ball with a lot of power.”
Mohl finished her Glacier career as a three-time first team all-state honoree and has volunteered locally with the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Western Montana and the Glacier High Freshman Mentor program, as well as coaching youth volleyball and softball. She is the first Glacier softball player to earn Gatorade Player of the Year, and the second Glacier athlete to earn a Gatorade honor this year, after fellow senior athlete Kenzie Williams was named the Girls Soccer Gatorade Player of the Year earlier this week.
The Gatorade Player of the Year program is in its 36th year and recognizes “not only outstanding athletic excellence but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field.” As part of the Gatorade “Play it Forward” program, Mohl will receive $1,000 to donate to a national or local youth sports organization of her choosing.