For some, the passion for softball continues past the success seen at the high school level. 

This spring, there are 16 local young women playing at various levels of college softball while balancing the challenge of earning credits toward degrees. 

In NCAA Division I, there are locals playing at Saint Louis University, Bradley University and Southeast Missouri State University. 

Waterloo High School graduate Jane Kaniecki, a freshman infielder, is hitting .288 with four doubles and 10 RBIs in 22 games at SLU. 

Columbia High School grad Keeler van Breusegen, a senior outfielder, is hitting .280 with 15 RBIs and 11 runs in 38 games at Bradley.

Another CHS grad, Chelsy Pena, is hitting .254 with a home run, 11 RBIs and 15 runs as a junior catcher at SEMO.

In NCAA Division II, there are former Waterloo and Columbia standouts playing this spring.

At Quincy University, junior catcher Taylor Downen of Waterloo is hitting .325 with three home runs, nine doubles, 16 RBIs and 15 runs in 37 games.

CHS grad Lexi Touchette is a junior infielder at Maryville University, where she is hitting .200 with eight RBIs in 30 games.

At Rockhurst University, CHS grad Calli Wibbenmeyer is playing as a grad student. She is hitting .397 with 10 home runs, 36 RBIs and 24 runs in 38 games.

In NCAA Division III, several locals are helping out their teams. 

At Illinois Wesleyan University, CHS grad Ava Khoury, a 6-foot-2 freshman first baseman, is hitting .342 with eight home runs, 23 RBIs and 12 runs in 27 games.

At Monmouth College, Dupo’s MyKenzie Kloess is a junior infielder hitting .333 with 15 runs, eight RBIs and six stolen bases in 24 games. 

At Eureka College, Gibault grad Sidney Wightman is hitting .267 in 26 games and has a record of 5-11 with a 6.12 ERA in 23 appearances in the pitching circle. 

Another Gibault grad, Melissa Bernal, is 7-5 with a 2.27 ERA in 64 and two-thirds innings pitched as a freshman at Greenville University. 

At Illinois College, Julia Drake of New Athens is 0-3 with a 5.17 ERA and one save in 31 and one-third innings pitched.

While there are no locals currently on the roster, former WHS softball standout Emelia Modglin is an assistant coach at Missouri Baptist University. 

In NAIA softball, Waterloo’s Skyler Barker is a junior first baseman/outfielder for University of Health Sciences & Pharmacy in St. Louis. She’s hitting .241 with 15 runs and 11 RBIs in 21 games.

At the junior college level, the local area is represented well. 

Columbia’s Aryn Henke is an offensive star at John A. Logan College, which played in the NJCAA national tournament last season. Henke, who hits left-handed, is batting .466 with eight home runs,  33 RBIs, 41 runs and 12 stolen bases in 37 games. 

At Southwestern Illinois College, Waterloo’s Heather Albers is hitting .297 with 10 RBIs in 16 games.  Her teammates this spring include Columbia’s Jordan Cygan and Red Bud’s Sophia Koesterer and Alyssa Cowell. Cygan is hitting .200 with four runs in 13 games. Koesterer is 7-6 with a 3.11 ERA in the pitching circle. Cowell is hitting .333 with six RBIs in 17 games.