Published: May 07, 2008 03:42 pm            

Holman signs 2-sport scholarship with Lindsey Wilson

Somerset — Her full name is Kierstin Kilynn Holman, but for the past six years the Lady Maroons have just called her simply ‘K.K.’.

It was only fitting that the Pulaski County High School female athlete whose name was known by just two letters signed a two-sport scholarship with Lindsey Wilson College to play basketball and softball.

Since her emergence on the varsity level as a mere seventh-grader, Holman became the spark and the glue that anchored both the girls’ basketball and softball programs at Pulaski County High School.

He small 5’2” stature in no way equaled the size of her heart and enthusiasm she brought to the Lady Maroons’ athletic programs over the past six years.

As a basketball four-year starting point guard, Holman was single-handedly responsible for the execution of the Lady Maroon offense every winter evening.

“K.K. was the heart of our team,” Lady Maroon basketball coach Larry Hurt said. “You won’t find anybody that has a bigger heart or play any harder than K.K. Holman.”

“K.K. has the will to win and that is something that you don’t teach,” Hurt said. “She took that will to win with her to every game and she gave 100 percent every game. She played hard every game and it was contagious with the rest of the team when they saw how hard she was playing every night out.”

Each year Holman would put all her energy into basketball on the hardwood through the cold winter months, then turn right around and give that same relentless efforts on the softball dirt diamond in the warmer spring months.

As a sophomore, Holman played the ‘all important’ shortstop position during the Lady Maroons’ drive to win the 2006 softball 12th Region Championship.

Pulaski softball coach Scott Taylor knew how fortunate he was to have such an impact player on his softball team from day one.

“K.K. does so much for our softball program both offensively and defensively,” Taylor said. “She has always been there for us defensively, but this is actually just her second year batting at the varsity level. So, I truly believe her best softball lies ahead of her.”

“An area of her a lot of people don’t know about is her leadership on and off the field,” Taylor added. “She is a natural leader and I can never fuss at her as hard as she is on herself when she makes a mistake. She knows when she makes a mistake and she beats herself up inside far more than any complaining I could ever do. And that is the sign of a good ball player that cares about what she is doing and knows she should have done something different.”

“K.K. is the type of player that you have to watch all season to fully appreciate her ability at the plate and at the shortstop position,” Taylor said. “Game after game, she gives you the same great effort.”

Holman’s hard work and hustle was the trademark of her prep career and it peaked the interest of softball and basketball coaches at the collegiate level.

“We meet K.K. at a camp a couple of years ago and we loved her hustle and her positive outlook on sports,” Lindsey Wilson College softball coach Tom Opdenbrouw said. “She has come along way since she first came to the camp to develop as a hitter. We kept an eye on her throughout her high school softball and basketball career. We not only liked her for her athletic ability, but for her leadership and her ability to make other players around her better.

“The quality of a really good athlete is one who makes others around them better and is not only good for just themselves,” Opdenbrouw explained.

Not many athletes get the opportunity to play one sport at the collegiate level and even a fewer number get two compete in two sports at the next level. For Holman, the opportunity to compete in the two sports she loves is just icing on the cake.

“Basketball and softball has been a huge part of my life and I didn’t want to have top give up either sport,” Holman confessed. “I want to continue to compete in both sports as long as I can.”

“My experience here at Pulaski County High School has been great,” Holman added. “I have met a lot of great people and I have got to work with a lot of great coaches. And that as not only helped me to grow as an athlete, but as a person as well.”

The two simple letters ‘K.K.’ may just represent Kierstin Kilynn Holman’s given name, but for the Lady Maroon athletic program those same two letters represent heart and enthusiasm.

        

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