Kyndall Harper Awarded Gamer of the Week Honors
Teays Physical Therapy Center, Inc. and The Putnam Herald are pleased to present this week’s Female Gamer of the Week to Junior, Kyndall Harper of the Hurricane High School softball team.
Hurricane Redskins Kyndall “Punkie” Harper is having a spectacular 2024 season. The junior is currently batting a .514 with a SLG of .957, 6 home runs, 36 hits, and 32 RBI’s! “Punkie has been clutch for us hitting in the three spot. She has had many timely hits, and several came during the MSAC championship last week” Coach Megan Stevens. Punkie wears number 24 plays 3rd base and is a catcher for some games.
Harper has been playing softball for 13 years starting when she was just 4 years old. “I was doing beauty pageants at the time and my dad had the idea of me playing softball. I started as a catcher because I would be the most protected on the field and my dad didn’t want me to be afraid of the ball”. When discussing what Kyndall enjoys most about softball she said “the friendships I have made through years are ones that will last a lifetime. I’ve met so many new people playing travel ball. You build special bonds over time with the girls you get to play with. Spending countless hours with each other on and off the field. The friendships I have made will always have a special place in my heart and have helped shape me into who I am today”.
A role model that Harper has in softball is her batting coach Brandon Halestead who she attributes most of her success to. Halestead played baseball at Hurricane and then went on to play in college. Punkie first met Brandon at a softball tournament during the fall of 2021. “I was playing 3rd base and Brandon was coaching the opposing team. He told me what I could do at my next at bat to correct my swing and have a quality at bat. After this tournament my family reached out to Brandon asking for lessons. Brandon has spent countless hours and days helping me develop into the player I am today.”
Goals that Harper has for the remainder of the season include topping her sophomore year stats. She also looks to better herself every year for self-improvement. Kyndall’s team goal for this season is to make it to the regionals. “This year we have really gelled together to become one and work as a team. We all work extremely hard on and off the field even when no one is watching. The chemistry we have is one of a kind and something that has evolved over time. My team’s success this season has been remarkable. We know how to take care of business and can execute any plan. We set our mind to get things done regardless of the situation. A big accomplishment we have recently achieved is winning our conference title. We played some of the best teams in the state and still came out on top. This was a team effort and felt even better to win as a team”.
Harper is a member of the Link Crew and Helping Paws club at Hurricane High school as well as a 2025 Senior Model Rep for Lisa Jennings Photography. Punkie plays travel softball for the Ohio Hawks National - Kuhn and is also a 2x All-State player and Kanawha Valley Rookie of the Year for 2022. After high school Harper plans to further her academic and athletic career. She plans to major in exercise science and use this degree to possibly coach or become an athletic trainer.
Please look for other local high school athletes to be named in next week’s female Gamer of the Week Sponsored by Teays Physical Therapy Center, Inc., and The Putnam Herald.
MEGAN SCARBERRY, MS, POTENTIAL PLUS INSTRUCTOR AT TEAYS PHYSICAL THERAPY CENTER INC.