Reese Altman is a senior at Salina South High School and a member of the softball team. Altman suffered an injury her sophomore season and will make her return to the field this spring as the third baseman for the Cougars. Head coach Brea Campbell said of Altman, “Reese is a wonderful leader and positive influence on the rest of the team. She was able to hit for half of the season in 2019 but not take the field. She had 14 hits, 11 singles, two doubles, one triple, and seven RBI’s. Her batting average was 0.500.”
Altman started playing softball when she was five years old. The third baseman said she loves playing with this group of girls.
“I love that my teammates always have each other’s backs and the fact that we are all close friends,” said Altman. “We can play around and have fun and also be serious and get the job down when it’s game time. Everyone is so excited to just get back on the field. We are taking advantage each day of the time we get to play softball. We have not had a high school game in two years, so the anticipation is killing us.”
Altman has set goals for the team and for herself coming into the new season.
“As a senior who has never been to state, that is what I want most for the team this season,” said Altman. “We have lots of young talent, and I am so excited to see how far we can go. Most importantly though, I am just grateful to be back on the field. We are also super excited to get to play on our brand new turf fields. That is pretty special for us this season.”
Altman is involved in other activities at school including Student Council, National Honor Society, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Business Professionals of America, Relay for Life and she’s a member of the volleyball team. Academics have always been a top priority for Altman.
“Academics are very important to me, and I take my schoolwork seriously. School comes first with softball a very close second,” said Altman.
Her future plans include going to college where she will continue her education and work towards a degree in Chemistry.
“I plan to attend Kansas State University to major in Chemistry and minor in Leadership as a pre-physical therapy student,” said Altman.
When she’s not on the field or taking care of schoolwork, you can usually find Altman doing something outdoors with family.
“I enjoy spending time outside with my family and dog. We love to stay active anyway we can. I also work in the emergency department as a specialty tech,” said Altman.
