Katrina McGranahan, a killer with a soaring spirit. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)
Already a star, even before she stepped into the hallways at Coupeville High School.
An athlete who enjoyed every moment she was given.
Katrina McGranahan entered as a star, and exited as a legend.
The Coupeville High School senior, who celebrates her 18th birthday today, excelled at every sport she played, even the one she didn’t really enjoy.
And, while she gave up basketball shortly into her high school career, after dominating in middle school, McGranahan embraced stardom and a role as a quiet leader in both volleyball and softball.
On the court, she broke through as a freshman, making her varsity debut late in the season and flashing signs of the big-time power hitter she would become.
For the next three seasons, McGranahan was front and center, an All-Conference pick, a league MVP, an invaluable contributor on squads which won back-to-back league titles and returned to state after a 14-year absence.
Her kills at the net were delivered with precise power, her blocks with high-flying grace and her service aces with an extra bit of zing.
As good as she was on the volleyball court, it is softball which holds her heart, and the diamond is where Killer Kat has truly soared.
A dangerous hitter who combines power, an ability to hit to all fields, speed and smarts, McGranahan has been Coupeville’s most consistent weapon since day one of her freshman campaign.
When she’s at shortstop, she displays a gun for an arm and a nose for always tracking down even the hardest-hit or weirdest-hit balls.
One of the best plays I have ever witnessed on the prairie came courtesy McGranahan, who, battling epic winds, started to retreat as a pop up corkscrewed over her head.
Then the prairie breeze slammed into the ball in mid-air like a runaway freight train, the ball came to a dead stop in mid-flight, made a little scream and pitched forward, careening towards the Earth.
McGranahan spun in mid-stride, launched herself face-first into oblivion and somehow, against all odds and most of the laws of the known universe, reached the ball with the tip of her glove.
That she touched the ball was a miracle.
That she somehow speared said ball was extraordinary.
That she held onto said ball, pulling it back into her body as she slammed into the unforgiving infield dirt, and completed the play, refusing to let the ball separate itself from her glove?
That made even the impartial umpire behind her scream like a little girl who has just gotten a pony.
And, you know, with all this talk of shortstop, McGranahan rarely played there.
Because, from day one to the final moments of her prep career, she was the young woman who reached out, game after game, took the ball and strode into the pitcher’s circle, ready to face whatever came her way.
Instead of easing into the role while being an understudy as a freshman, McGranahan was thrown into the fire right away as veteran hurler McKayla Bailey rehabbed an injury.
Katrina never blinked, never hesitated. She snapped off strikes as a 9th grader and was still snapping off strikes as a 12th grader, and all that changed was who was behind the plate to catch her pitches.
Over the past six years, in all of her sports, I have witnessed her deliver big moment after big moment, capture epic wins and fight to the final moment in agonizing losses.
I have seen her smile many times as an athlete, and I have seen her cry a few times as well, and the fact there was many more smiles than tears makes me happy.
If Katrina had never played a sport, her strength, spirit, warmth and class would have still made her stand out.
But she was an athlete, one of the best I have written about, a young woman who cared deeply for her teammates, a warrior who fought for every play but had the grace to accept the outcome, good or bad.
As she moves on to play college ball, my enduring image of Killer Kat will be of her pacing in the pitcher’s circle, her fingers kneading the ball, the game on the line, and yet, amid the tension, a huge smile on her face.
She was a killer, but one who was enjoying every moment.
So, today, we wish Miss McGranahan a happy birthday (and much cake) and we officially welcome her into the company of her fellow legends, inducting her into the Coupeville Sports Hall o’ Fame.
After this, you’ll find her name up at the top of the blog, under the Legends tab.
There was never a doubt she would end up here.
I knew it from the first time I watched her play in middle school, and the last six years have simply reinforced my first opinion.
Sometimes it’s nice to be right.
