Senior Spotlight: Hannah Durham, Blue Ridge

Hannah Durham, Blue Ridge softball SS.

Hannah Durham is a senior shortstop for Blue Ridge softball. Durham is currently batting .382 for the Lady Tigers and has been a key piece to the team’s surge this season.

“Hannah is someone who takes the girls on this team under her wing and pushes them to be the best they can be,” said Blue Ridge softball head coach Donna Odom. “She expects a lot from them, but she also gives a lot and sets that example for the younger players.”

Sitting at 16-7 on the season and beginning her final high school playoff journey on Monday, Durham is carefully taking in these last few weeks at Blue Ridge. Greer Sports Star caught up with Durham to talk about her high school career and plans after graduation.

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Greer Sports Star (GSS): Hannah, congratulations on a great season so far. You’re one of just three seniors on this Blue Ridge team. You’re known as a leader for those girls. Is that leadership something that comes naturally to you?

Hannah Durham (HD): Absolutely. These girls are almost my siblings. Me and the other seniors on the team, Chloe [Manley] and Jordyn [Norris], all see eye to eye. There is never any bashing of heads between the three of us. We each have our unique aspects of leadership. I like to communicate with my players, and I try to build a bond with them. We have a lot of young girls on the team — a lot of 12-15-year-olds. I try to take them out and plan things to do together. I'll talk to them by themselves and in groups. I aim to build a personal relationship with them. Having 10 siblings myself, that’s just something I really want to do. When I was that age, playing softball, the seniors seemed so scary. I don’t want that to be the feeling they get. I don’t see them as eighth-graders, freshmen, or sophomores. I see them as teammates and family.

GSS: Am I correct that you said you have 10 siblings?! 

HD: Yep! I have six younger siblings and four older siblings. So I’m right in the middle of all of that craziness. I think being a part of that my whole life has taught me how to build meaningful friendships with the girls on the softball team.

GSS: When did you first fall in love with the game of softball?

HD: I’ve played since I was four. I played rec ball until I was 10 years old. It wasn’t until I played for my first travel ball team that I realized just how competitive this sport truly can be. My first travel ball team was the York Green Dragons out of York, SC. I played for a coach named Lawrence Brooks, and playing under him was when I fell in love with the game. He pushed me and showed me how competitive I needed to be. Coach Lawrence showed me how much work it took to be the best.

GSS: You’re attending Piedmont University and playing softball there next year. What are you studying when you get there, and what made you choose Piedmont?

HD: I’m studying health science and minoring in business when I get there. I want to go to PT school eventually to be a physical therapist. I want to minor in business because I run my own photography business currently, and I’d love to continue growing that. The reason I chose Piedmont is because of how committed the coaching staff has been to recruiting me. They’ve probably driven 15 hours before to watch me play in different games. The head coach, Terry Martin, is very God-centered. He told me that his team was faith-based and that faith was a big part of his philosophy. That’s something that’s really important to me.

GSS: Playoffs start this week. At any point, the next game could be your last in high school. What are you going to miss the most about all of this?

HD: The team. These girls. We are all so close. There’s been no drama, and we all balance each other out so well. And Blue Ridge in general, there’s so much support from the community. So many people out here show up to our games and support us financially. That means the world and it’s not something you see everywhere.

GSS: What is your favorite memory or game from your Blue Ridge career?

HD: The Crescent game from this year. We played Crescent in the playoffs last season, and they beat us 9-1. It was a little bit intimidating for us to go up against them again this year. But when we played them this time, it was the best I’ve seen everyone on the team play. The dugout was insane; the energy was way up. You could just see the want in everybody’s eyes. We ended up winning 9-8. It was incredible to see the team come together and have everyone contribute.

GSS: What is your go-to pregame hype music?

HD: I don’t know if I want to admit it, but as a team, we love the song “Get It Sexyy” by Sexyy Red. That’s the one that gets us ready to play. We played it last season, walking into Travelers Rest when we beat them on their senior night. So we still put that one on loud, walking into almost every game.

GSS: Ideal postgame meal?

HD: It’s got to be a chicken and cheese quesadilla from Los Mayas Mexican Grill.

GSS: Favorite athlete?

HD: I’m a Padres fan, so I will have to say Fernando Tatis, Jr.

GSS: When you graduate from Blue Ridge this month, what do you hope people remember you most for during your time here?

HD: I really want to be remembered as someone who was honest and left God wherever I went. I want people to remember me as someone who put faith first and wanted to be an image of Him. I hope people saw God through me.

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