By Erik Boal, Staff Writer
Posted: June 17, 2013, Daily News, Los Angeles
Brittany Solis had just completed the longest soccer season in her high school career, but it took the Chaminade standout less than 24 hours to make the transition to softball.
Solis helped the Eagles capture the Southern Section Div. I soccer championship and reach the Div. II regional final March 8, but despite a sore quadriceps, she was back in the lineup as the leadoff hitter for the Chaminade softball team the following day in the Hart tournament.
It’s that level of talent and dedication that enabled Solis to earn All-Mission League and Southern Section first-team honors in both seasons.
It’s her competitive spirit and determination that have earned her the opportunity to play in senior all-star games in both sports, including the eighth annual San Fernando Valley softball classic at 3 p.m. today at Birmingham High.
“I’ve been playing both my whole life, so I’m used to having to make sacrifices,” Solis said. “When you play both sports, your body is never 100 percent, but if you play like you’re 100 percent, you’ll be OK. I always feel like if I don’t play, I’m going to let my team down, so I push myself to get through it and after the game, I’ll deal with whatever I have to.”
Solis, a Central Florida-bound shortstop, is competing for the West all-stars. A home run derby is scheduled to start at 2 p.m., with a $5 admission for the event.
Although she battled bronchitis in the second half of the softball season, Solis and fellow West all-star Courtney Sooy helped the Eagles secure a share of the league championship with Alemany — represented on the East roster by Sara Gonzalez and Mariah Sandoval — and Harvard-Westlake, which has Chloe Pendergast playing for the East.
Chaminade also reached the second round of the Div. III playoffs.
“It was definitely a reality check early in the softball season after playing all those games and being champions in soccer,” Solis said. “But I just had to reboot my system, press rewind and start all over again in softball. I had a different goal because I wanted to win something in softball. I knew we were capable of handling the adversity and getting through it.
“It was very similar to soccer in the beginning, we just had to stop being a bunch of individuals and put our talent together and win. We knew it was going to be a tough road, but we knew what we had to do.”
Solis said it wasn’t an easy decision to focus on playing one sport in college, but knew once she visited Central Florida and interacted with her coaches, softball would dominate her immediate future.
“Soccer will always be one of my true loves and I can’t tell you which one I like better. Soccer is why I am who I am today,” Solis said. “My senior year was better than I could have ever asked it to be. It’s why I love both sports and it won’t ever be forgotten. It was a special year, not just for me, but for all sports at Chaminade.”
This week, three Chaminade teams host CIF playoff games at the West Hills campus. Girls’ Soccer faces the Long Beach Wilson on Vukelich Field at Booster Stadium on Thursday, February 18 at 5:00 p.m. On Friday, February 19, Boys’ Basketball tips off at 7:00 p.m. against Yorba Linda. Finally, Girls’ Basketball hosts Santa Barbara for a 7:00 p.m. match-up on Saturday, February 20. Both basketball games are at the Uribe Sports Center.
