Wildcat Softball Holds Senior Night

on 30 April, 2026 at 06:59

Photos courtesy of Diane Lutz – Above – Jesalyn with her mother, Megan Drayer and Kaylee with her parents, Bill and Di Smith

The Central Clarion Wildcats Softball Team held their 2026 Senior Night Celebration prior to their game with Cranberry, at the C-L Sports Complex, on Tuesday, April 27th, as they honored their two Seniors, Kaylee Smith and Jesalyn Girt and their parents.

Wonderful banners created by Dave Cyphert Pro Point Media Photography greeted Kaylee and Jesalyn at the field. https://propointmedia.com/

Tiffany Jackson was the announcer for the event.

The two seniors and their parents walked out onto the diamond, with their teammates lined up on each side giving their congratulations, along with others in attendance.

As they proceeded through the line, a brief account of Jesalyn and Kaylee’s high school activities and future plans were presented.

The Cranberry seniors were also recognized and presented gift bags of candy, snacks and drinks.

Kaylee and Jesalyn were also given special gifts selected especially for each by their mothers.

There was a special photo display featuring the their softball activities throughout the years, and a decorated bin for each with a notebook where special congratulations and memories could be written, and or cards and gifts could be placed after the game.

**Jesalyn’s decorated bin and notebook for folks to write congrats and well wishes and/or place cards**

At the end of the evening, the Wildcat players and coaches were treated to a pizza party.

Wildcat teammates join Jesalyn and Kaylee along the third baseline – (L-R) Megan Powell, Sydney Youngman, Brooke Meals, Kaylee Smith, Jesalyn Girt, Karlee Mahle, Jocelyn Galan (holding the team’s unofficial cow mascot ‘Liz Jr.’), Kayla Carlson, Ashlyn Clark, Lexi O’Brien, and Braelyn DeFranco

Kaylee’s bio:
My name is Kaylee Smith, and I’ve been playing softball since I was 5 years old, including one year as a C-L Lion and three years under the co-op Central Clarion Wildcats program.

Softball has given me friendships, memories, and lessons I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life. I want to thank my coaches for pushing me to be my best, and my teammates for becoming like a second family that never fails to make me laugh.

**Kaylee’s decorated bin and notebook for folks to write congrats and well wishes and/or place cards**

A special thank you to my family for their constant support, whether it was driving me to practices, cheering me on from the stands, or picking me up after tough games. I wouldn’t be here without them.

After graduation, I plan to attend PennWest Clarion to study nursing with hopes of becoming a NICU nurse. I am also playing volleyball at the collegiate level.

Thank you again to everyone who has supported me along the way!

Jesalyn’s bio
“In high school, I stayed involved and pushed myself to do my best. I took challenging classes and was active in student council and different clubs, which helped me build leadership, responsibility, and teamwork skills.

I’ve played softball since I was six and continued all four years of high school. The sport has had a big impact on me by teaching me discipline, time management, and how to stay committed even when things get tough. It’s helped me grow more confident and showed me the importance of working hard and supporting others as part of a team.

After high school, I plan to attend PennWest to major in special education and early childhood education. I chose this path because I enjoy working with kids and want to make a positive difference in their lives. I’m especially interested in helping students learn in ways that work best for them and creating a supportive environment where every child feels valued and successful.”

Congratulations to everyone who made this such a Wonderful Event!!!!

(Congratulations to Jesalyn and Kaylee!!!! Thanks to Diane Lutz for her photos, and thanks to Tiffany Jackson and Coach Clark for providing details for this article!!)