Nice story from the New London Day
The Big Payback: Feindel Chooses CGA Because Of Its Performance During Katrina
By Owen Poole
Published on 3/31/2009 in Home »Sports News »Local Sports
New London - It was August of 2005 when Hayley Feindel's life changed drastically.
Just two days before Hurricane Katrina ravaged New Orleans, Feindel was in her hometown of River Ridge, just eight miles west of The Big Easy.
Feindel, then a junior in high school, and her family were evacuated from their home and her life changed in an instant.
”We were blessed enough to have family in (Grayson) Georgia,” Feindel said. “We stayed there for eight months while things got back to normal.”
When they did, Feindel returned to River Ridge for her senior year of high school.
”I wasn't personally affected all that much,” Feindel said. “Some of my friends had family members die, some had 17 feet of water in their house and everything else. The one thing that I kept seeing on all the news coverage while they were evacuating really hit home. It was Coast Guard this, Coast Guard that.”
So when it was time to decide on a college, it was an easy decision.
”I feel indebted to them forever,” Feindel said. “Katrina kind of sealed the deal for me.”
Instead of following up on some interest from several Division I programs, the star pitcher Feindel wanted to pay back an institution that helped save her family and decided to attend the Coast Guard Academy.
”I knew I wanted to do something in the military,” Feindel said. “I picked an academy over enlisting because I wanted to play college ball.”
She attended New Mexico Military Institute for a year before coming to New London in the fall.
This spring, she's already showing why some Division I schools were after her.
On Monday, Feindel's two-hit shutout gave the Bears a 5-0 win over Mitchell College in the first game of a doubleheader. It was Coast Guard's 15th win of the season, one more than they won all of last year.
”She's clearly one of the best we've ever had,” Coast Guard coach Donna Koczajowski said.
Feindel struck out 10 and walked three as the Bears improved to 16-2. It was her seventh shutout of the season, one of which was also her first collegiate no-hitter. Five of the final six outs Feindel recorded were via strikeout, and she allowed just four balls to be hit out of the infield.
The Bears won the second game, 4-0, behind fellow freshman Nicole Black's five shutout innings.
For the season, Feindel is 12-1 with a 0.59 ERA and 132 strikeouts in 94 1/3 innings. Opponents are batting just .166.
As gawdy as her numbers are, it's the reason why Feindel ended up at Coast Guard that is most impressive.
”She really wanted to dedicate her academics and her career to the Coast Guard because she saw what they di for her,” Koczajowski said. “That's extremely impressive and speaks to her as an individual. She was interested in the Coast Guard, and when Katrina hit her hometown, it was hard just to survive at that point. That was the main draw. She saw what the Coast Guard did for her entire community.”
Now, Hayley Feindel is a fine example of what the Coast Guard community means.
”She really is the ultimate team player,” Koczajowski said. “As much success as she's had up to this point, it's never about her, even though she's gotten a lot of notoriety. She's the total package for us.”
The Big Payback: Feindel Chooses CGA Because Of Its Performance During Katrina
By Owen Poole
Published on 3/31/2009 in Home »Sports News »Local Sports
New London - It was August of 2005 when Hayley Feindel's life changed drastically.
Just two days before Hurricane Katrina ravaged New Orleans, Feindel was in her hometown of River Ridge, just eight miles west of The Big Easy.
Feindel, then a junior in high school, and her family were evacuated from their home and her life changed in an instant.
”We were blessed enough to have family in (Grayson) Georgia,” Feindel said. “We stayed there for eight months while things got back to normal.”
When they did, Feindel returned to River Ridge for her senior year of high school.
”I wasn't personally affected all that much,” Feindel said. “Some of my friends had family members die, some had 17 feet of water in their house and everything else. The one thing that I kept seeing on all the news coverage while they were evacuating really hit home. It was Coast Guard this, Coast Guard that.”
So when it was time to decide on a college, it was an easy decision.
”I feel indebted to them forever,” Feindel said. “Katrina kind of sealed the deal for me.”
Instead of following up on some interest from several Division I programs, the star pitcher Feindel wanted to pay back an institution that helped save her family and decided to attend the Coast Guard Academy.
”I knew I wanted to do something in the military,” Feindel said. “I picked an academy over enlisting because I wanted to play college ball.”
She attended New Mexico Military Institute for a year before coming to New London in the fall.
This spring, she's already showing why some Division I schools were after her.
On Monday, Feindel's two-hit shutout gave the Bears a 5-0 win over Mitchell College in the first game of a doubleheader. It was Coast Guard's 15th win of the season, one more than they won all of last year.
”She's clearly one of the best we've ever had,” Coast Guard coach Donna Koczajowski said.
Feindel struck out 10 and walked three as the Bears improved to 16-2. It was her seventh shutout of the season, one of which was also her first collegiate no-hitter. Five of the final six outs Feindel recorded were via strikeout, and she allowed just four balls to be hit out of the infield.
The Bears won the second game, 4-0, behind fellow freshman Nicole Black's five shutout innings.
For the season, Feindel is 12-1 with a 0.59 ERA and 132 strikeouts in 94 1/3 innings. Opponents are batting just .166.
As gawdy as her numbers are, it's the reason why Feindel ended up at Coast Guard that is most impressive.
”She really wanted to dedicate her academics and her career to the Coast Guard because she saw what they di for her,” Koczajowski said. “That's extremely impressive and speaks to her as an individual. She was interested in the Coast Guard, and when Katrina hit her hometown, it was hard just to survive at that point. That was the main draw. She saw what the Coast Guard did for her entire community.”
Now, Hayley Feindel is a fine example of what the Coast Guard community means.
”She really is the ultimate team player,” Koczajowski said. “As much success as she's had up to this point, it's never about her, even though she's gotten a lot of notoriety. She's the total package for us.”
