North Jersey Female Athlete of the Week surrounds herself with wins and family
Lots of athletes talk about their teams being a family.
When Savanna McHale goes out to the softball circle to pitch for the Weehawken softball team, one-third of her team is literally family.
Her sister Brooke, a junior, is the team's first baseman and back-up pitcher. Sister Brianna, a sophomore is the team's shortstop (unless she's in center field). And catcher Envey Duran, while not related by blood, is practically the fourth sister, as the battery has been playing softball together for 11 years.
"It's a nice support system to have right on the field," said Savanna, who lost her mom when she was 13 years old. "We've always been close as a family and you can't get closer than on a softball field."
Family has always been at Savanna's core. Her older half-sister played for Weehawken and coach Raquel Roder, and the three younger girls grew up across the street from a park, practicing and playing since they were little. Their father, Shawn, was their first coach and is still their biggest fan, although Savanna McHale said he gets so nervous at games he isolates himself in center field, far from the action.
"We knew we wanted to go the same high school, because it's probably impossible for us to go to the same college," Savanna said. "We looked at Hudson Catholic before choosing Weehawken but my mom always really liked Weehawken. I wanted to go there because we had such strong female role models as coach Roder and Ms. (Jenna) Wendolowski (now DeBari)."
Soon after Rosalie McHale died in 2019, Savanna was at a game at Weehawken and spotted a rainbow over the field. "We took it as a sign that Weehawken was the place to be. It was one of the best decisions of my life."
From the minute she got to the school, the Indians' softball fortune changed. Weehawken went 15-5 her freshman year, falling 1-0 to Whippany Park in the sectionals on an unearned run. The next year, the Indians went 27-4, reaching the Group 1 state final before losing to Clayton. Last year, they became Weehawken's first-ever Hudson County champions in any sport en route to a 24-3 season, losing to Cedar Grove in the state semifinals.
McHale was named the North Jersey Softball Player of the Year in 2023 after winning 19 games, fanning 264 hitters in 143⅔ innings and batting .473. She also has played volleyball with her sisters for four years, but she's not only about sports.
"My mom used to take us to Broadway shows when we were younger and I fell in love with musicals, both on the stage and in the movies," she said. "We talked about music a lot and those movies and shows fascinate me. My all-time favorite movie is The Greatest Showman."
And when two close friends took major roles in Weehawken's production of Mamma Mia! in March, McHale was there too, serving as an assistant director and doing hair and make-up for the actors.
"I really enjoyed it," she said. "All that singing and dancing is great."
The final few weeks of her high school career will be precious before she moves on to play at Division 1 Binghamton University next year.
"I've loved every minute of it," said McHale, whose team aims to win the school's first state title next month. "I'm trying to soak up every last moment with my family."
Savanna McHale
Sport: Softball
School: Weehawken
Class: Senior. Age: 18
Accomplishment: She struck out 45 hitters in 26 innings, allowing three runs on 12 hits, while breaking the school strikeout record as Weehawken won four straight games. She also went 10 for 15 at the plate with 9 runs batted in and 1.333 slugging percentage.
Also nominated: Keira Joyce of Dumont and Sumaya Ali of Wayne Valley for softball; Sara Paul of Wayne Valley, Julia Tozduman of Lyndhurst, and Ayanna Chape of Hackensack for track and field; and Ally Zamparelli of Glen Rock for lacrosse.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Bergen Record Female Athlete of the Week: Savanna McHale, Weehawken
