Cadence Nichols, seated, center, before she graduated from Miami Trace High School, signed a letter of intent to attend Penn State University - Beaver, where she will continue her education and athletic career as a member of the softball team. Nichols is joined by her mother, Lorena Nichols and dad, Brad Lohr and, in back, (l-r); sister Skylar Carlsgaard, great-grandmother, Sharon Andrews; grandmother Tammy Nichols and teammates Kaylee Everhart and Carlee Hauck. Not pictured, sister Virginia Langley and grandfather Roy Nichols.
Chris Hoppes | Record-Herald photos
Nichols
Shortly before she graduated from Miami Trace High School as a member of the graduating Class of 2023, Cadence Nichols singed a letter of intent to attend Penn State University – Beaver, where she will continue her education and athletic career as a member of the school’s softball team.
The school is located not far from the border with Ohio, some 40 minutes from Pittsburgh.
Cadence was joined by family and friends in the lobby of the gymnasium at Miami Trace for the occasion.
“Originally, I was looking at schools just for academics,” Nichols said. “After this past season, I decided I wanted to play college ball.
“I really loved Pennsylvania, I loved the area,” Nichols said. “It just really felt like home. The coach is great — I love the campus.
“It is small, so it still has that small town feeling,” Nichols said. “It is also close enough to bigger cities, so I would still get to go and do things.
“The (Penn State – Beaver) team did pretty well in their season,” Nichols said.
Nichols said she wants to study business with a minor in psychology.
Nichols was happy with her time at Miami Trace.
“I enjoyed it,” Nichols said. “The staff, especially, was very helpful throughout, especially in high school. Being able to have teachers and even our guidance counselors to go to with family stuff, or speaking to them about colleges and what options seemed best.
“I loved my teammates,” Nichols said. “It made it a lot easier to want to go play college ball and continue my athletic career.”
Nichols said math was her favorite subject in high school.
“Math, for the most part, in all four years,” Nichols said. “Calculus was definitely hard, but I enjoyed it. Our teacher helped a lot, too. He wasn’t just a good teacher, but he gave us some really good advice towards the end of the year for our future lives.”
As for a favorite teacher, Nichols said, “Definitely Miss (Valerie) Hawvermale — I had her sophomore year for Advanced English II. And just throughout the rest of high school, she was really a rock for me. Anytime I needed anything, I knew I could always go to her classroom for a shoulder, anything that I really needed — if it was help for classes, for writing my application, any essays I needed help with, she was always there for everything.”
One of Nichols’ favorite moments in high school sports was when teammate Kaylee Everhart recorded her 100th career strikeout.
“My first-ever year playing ball, I played with her,” Nichols said. “This year was her freshman year and I got to catch for her the majority of the season. I was catching when she hit 100 strikeouts. That is definitely one of my favorite memories.”
Working on time management over the summer was one of Nichols’ goals prior to heading off to college.
“Being able to balance my academics and my athletics and making sure I continue to work, even outside of practice,” Nichols said, when asked what it will take to be successful at the next level.
Among those Nichols thanked when asked were Lorena Nichols, Brad Lohr, Todd Wallace, Heidi White, Wayne Rivard.
Nichols credited White and Rivard (travel ball coaches) with “re-lighting my joy of softball.”
