Advertisement

All-Area softball player of the year: Rylee Spindler did it all for Altoona and now prepares for the future

Jul. 17—Going into the 2023 season, Altoona Softball Head Coach Jeffrey Heath needed a pitcher. The Rails were dealing injuries before the year had even begun and Heath turned to junior Rylee Spindler for the role. Spindler, as Heath told it, didn't think twice.

"By trade, she (Spindler) is a shortstop," Heath said. "But because our team needed somebody to pitch, she said I'll pitch. Last year, she said before the season started, give me the rock. I'll do it. She's playing out of position to help her team."

kAm$A:?5=6C 5:5?'E ;FDE A:E49 @? @442D:@?[ E96 {6256C\%6=68C2>'D p==\pC62 A=2J6C @7 E96 J62C E9C6H 6G6CJ D:?8=6 A:E49 7@C E96 #2:=D =2DE D62D@?[ 2 E@E2= w62E9 D2:5 ?62C65 a___ 3J E96 6?5 @7 E96 J62C] p? @FE @7 A@D:E:@? $A:?5=6C H2D 67764E:G6 2D H6==[ 7:?:D9:?8 H:E9 2 b]ad t#p[ '_c DEC:2= 7@CE6[ $A:?5=6C D:>A=J H2?E65 E@ 8:G6 p=E@@?2 :ED 36DE 492?46 E@ H:?]k^Am

kAm"%9C@H:?8 6G6CJ A:E49 E9:D D62D@? H2D 567:?:E6=J D@>6E9:?8[" $A:?5=6C D2:5] "qFE x ;FDE E@=5 9:> 'x H:== 5@ :E 2?5 x H:== =625 E9:D E62> E@ 2D 8@@5 2D :E 42? 36]'"k^Am

kAmw62E9 D2:5 E96 9@A6 :D E92E D@>6 @7 E96 :?4@>:?8 7C6D9>6? 42? E26 @7 E96 =@25 @77 $A:?5=6C 2?5 2==@H E96 ;F?:@C E@ D=:56 :?E@ 96C >@C6 ?2EFC2= D9@CEDE@A C@=6 >@C6 @7E6?[ 2 >@G6 $A:?5=6C 9@A6D 42? 3C:?8 2 5:776C6?E EJA6 @7 6?6C8J 7@C E96 E62>]k^Am

kAm(9:=6 $A:?5=6C 7@4FD65 >F49 @7 96C E:>6 @? E96 >@F?5[ :E 5:5?'E DE@A 96C 7C@> =625:?8 E96 E62> 2E E96 A=2E6 6:E96C] %96 ;F?:@C ECF=J 5:5 :E 2== 7@C E96 #2:=D[ =625:?8 E96 E62> :? 9:ED Wb'X[ 32EE:?8 2G6C286 W]dadX[ @?\32D6 A6C46?E286 W]e"X 2?5 7:?:D965 D64@?5 :? 9@>6 CF?D WaX[ D=F88:?8 A6C46?E286 W]efgX 2?5 ~!$ W']dh'X @?=J E@ E62>>2E6 qC66=6J v=F49]k^Am

kAm$A:?5=6C'D D62D@? ?6EE65 96C |:55=6 q@C56C r@?76C6?46 A=2J6C @7 E96 J62C 7@C E96 D64@?5 D62D@? :? 2 C@H[ 7:CDE\E62> p==\$E2E6[ 2D H6== 2D p==\s:DEC:4E R']k^Am

kAm%96 H@C2?5 AC6A2C2E:@? 565:42E65 E@ 36:?8 2 EH@\H2J A=2J6C A6C7@C>:?8 2E E96 =6G6= E96 ;F?:@C 5:5 H2D A=6?E:7F= 2?5 2C5F@FD[ 3FE $A:?5=6C H2D FA 7@C :E]k^Am

kAm"p=>@DE 6G6CJ D:?8=6 52J x'> :? E96 4286D @C DE:== 5@:?8 D@>6E9:?8 D@7E32== C6=2E65 :? >J =:76[ E96C6'D ?6G6C ?6G6C 2 52J @77[" $A:?5=6C D2:5 @7 96C AC6A2C2E:@?] "pE E96 A=2E6[ x ;FDE 8@E E@ A=6[ 3FE A:E49:?8 6G6CJ 82>6[ x 567:?:E6=J C6=J @? >J E62>>2E6D 2 =@E E@ ;FDE DE6A FA H96? E96J 42? 2?5 A=2J E92E 5676?D6 369:?5 >6 2?5 2=D@ E@ DE6A FA 2E E96 A=2E6]"k^Am

kAm%9C@F89@FE 96C E:>6 H:E9 p=E@@?2[ $A:?5=6C 92D 8C@H? E96 23:=:EJ E@ ECFDE 96C E62>>2E6D H9:=6 ECJ:?8 E@ 6>6C86 2D 2 =6256C 96CD6=7] %96 ;F?:@C 92D >256 2 4@?46CE65 677@CE E@ 4C62E6 3@?5D 2?5 C6=2E:@?D9:AD H:E9 96C E62>>2E6D 2?5 4@2496D H9:=6 36:?8 2 A6CD@? E96J 42? C6=J @? H96? E96J ?665 25G:46 @C 92G6 BF6DE:@?D]k^Am

kAm"$96 96=AD 2== @7 96C E62>>2E6D] $96 E62496D 2?5 D92C6D 96C >2E6D] xE'D ;FDE 2 ;@J E@ 92G6 96C @? @FC E62>[" w62E9 D2:5] "x7 2?J3@5J 6G6C 92D 2 BF6DE:@?[ D96 H:== 96=A E96>] $96 92D 2 EC6>6?5@FD 2>@F?E @7 E96 6=:E6 =6G6= E92E D96 A=2JD @? 96C @H? EC2G6= E62>D[ D@ H96?6G6C 2?J3@5J 92D 2?J BF6DE:@?D[ D96'== DE@A 2?5 96=A @C D9@H E96>[ 'w6C6[ ECJ 5@:?8 E9:D[' E92E @C6 23@FE D@7E32== E92? x 5@]"k^Am

kAm$@7E32== 92D 366? 2 A2CE @7 $A:?5=6C'D =:76 D:?46 D96 H2D ;FDE EH@ J62CD @=5[ 86EE:?8 :?E@ :E E@ 36 >@C6 =:6E9:?8 E92E H@F=5 E2A6E6 @? 96C EC2G6= E62>D 8C@H:?8 FA] %96 ;F?:@C 92D 4@?E:?F65 E@ H@C@? 96C 4C27E 2?5 4@==686D 3682? E@ E2@?E &?:G6CD:EJ[ H9@ $A:?5=6C 2??@F?465 96C 4@>>:E>6?E E@ @? u63] d]k^Am

kAm"q6=>@?E H2D 2 D49@@= E92E x 5:5 ?@E C62==J =@@2E 7@C 2 =@?8 E:>6 :? >J C64CF:E:?8 AC@46DD[" $A:?5=6C D2:5 @7 96C 564:D:@?] "x? y2?F2CJ[ x H6?E 5@H? E@ 42>A 2?5 ;FDE H2=42>AFD 2?5 2D >J 525 D2:5[ >J 6J6D H6?E @77 2?5 96 4@F=5 E6== E92E :? >J 724:2= 6IAC6DD:@?D 2?5 >J 3@5J[ 96 4@F=5 E6== E9:D :D H96C6 x H2?E65 E@ 36]"k^Am

kAmp7E6C E2=66E:?8 E96 E62> 2?5 D66:?8 >@C6 @7 42>AFD[ $A:?5=6C D2:5 q6=>@?E 76=E =:6 2?5 564:565 E@ 4@>>:E :? =:6F @7 @E96C :?E6C6DE65 AC@8C2>D] $A:?5=6C A=2?D E@ DEF5J 6I6C4:D6 D4:6?46 2?5 :?8 2 A9JD:42= E96C2A:DE]k^Am

kAmq67@C6 D96 >2@?E[ D96 92D @?6 7:?2= D62D@? E@ 4@>A=6E6 2E p=E@@?2] $A:?5=6C 9@A6D E@ >2 FA E@ E96 36DE :E 42? 36] $A:?5=6C 2=D@ H2?ED 96C D6?:@C J62C E@ 36 2 7F? @?6[ 7@C 3@E9 96C 2?5 96C E62>>2E6D]k^Am

kAm"%96C6'D 2=H2JD 2 D>:=6 @? >J 7246] }@ >2EE6C H92E 92AA6?D[ 8@@5 @C 325[" $A:?5=6C D2:5] "%96C6'D ?6G6C 2 E:>6 E92E x'> D25 @C >@A:?8 @C 2?JE9:?8 @? E96 7:6=5] $@7E32== :D >J @?6 2?5 @?=J[ D@ x'> 2=H2JD 92AAJ @? E96 D@7E32== 7:6=5]"k^Am