Janessa Wilson (née Penner) originally of Morden, MB, now a teacher with Â鶹ÊÓƵeast Cornerstone School Division living in Carlyle, will be inducted into the Minot State University Athletics Hall of Fame along with fellow Beavers alumni Nick Banks and Kendra Meyer, at the induction ceremony to be held during halftime of the Beavers home football game against Bemidji State Saturday, Oct. 14 with kickoff slated for 1 p.m.
"Prior to attending Minot State University, I spent a year studying at Dakota College at Bottineau (a Junior College in Bottineau, North Dakota, which is kind of like the sister school to Minot State University)," Wilson explained. "At the time, Bottineau did not offer softball as part of their athletic program and I knew I had always wanted to play softball at a college level. Friends of mine, who I had played with during our summer league in Winnipeg, were playing on the Minot State University softball team and after my first year in Bottineau, asked whether it would interest me to come there to play. It worked out well, as I was able to get my first year of university completed and then go on to play four years of softball in Minot."
These four-years at MSU led her to holding the distinction of being the most decorated softball player in school history, earning three NAIA All-American honours. During her four-years she also earned First-Team All-American in 2008, Second Team in 2009 and honorable mention in 2010; while she was also named NAIA Region 3 Player of the Year (2008), the Dakota Athletic Conference Most Valuable Player (2008) and the DAC Most Valuable Senior (2010).
The Beavers qualified for their first-ever NAIA National Tournament in 2010 and Wilson was named team MVP – this being a favourite memory from her four-years competing.
"We had a lot of success as a program, but one of my favourite memories was winning the Conference Tournament, earning a berth to the NAIA National Tournament," Wilson stated, remembering the elation of the accomplishment. " This was the first time in Minot State history that the softball program had qualified to compete in the National Tournament."
Wilson holds a record in the school of with a .477 average – the highest in school history. Her career included 113 runs batted in, 198 runs scored and 81 stolen bases – at the time of her graduation this too was a record. Wilson's stats also included a total of 43 doubles, 19 triples and 13 home runs throughout her career.
"It is truly an honour to be recognized as a hall of a fame worthy athlete," Wilson stated humbly. "I went down to Minot to play ball with some friends and meet new people, while working on an education degree, everything else that came with those experiences was a bonus. I owe a lot of my success to my family, especially my parents, Ray and Cheryl Penner, and my brother, Jay, who over the years have made a lot of sacrifices to allow me the opportunities that I had."
"These opportunities in softball started at a young age. The numerous coaches in the Morden Minor Ball Program, the Winnipeg Lightning Organization, as well as the Minot State University coaching staff and my teammates were instrumental in my success. I share this honour alongside all of them!"
