Hudson Valley Hurricanes Earn National Softball Title

The Hudson Valley Hurricanes under-14 elite softball team were honored on the Provident Bank Park Field at the Rockland Boulders’ game Thursday.

The eleven girls of the Hurricanes and their coaches earned their night in the spotlight by winning the 2013 PONY National Championship.

From July 21 to 27, the 14-U Black Hurricanes joined 62 other teams for the tournament in Newtown, Pennsylvania, winning all nine of their games to take home the championship.

“Every single game was a nail biter,” said Dee Sneeden, mother of Hurricanes player Megan Sneeden.

Most of the games the girls played were decided in the last inning.

In addition to the PONY championship, this elite team has also won the 2013 ASA “A” New York State Championship, the 2013 PONY New Jersey State Championship, the 2012 USSSA New York State Championship, along with other titles.

The team includes players from Rockland County, Westchester County and New Jersey.

Reese Guevarra (New City); Sarah Gunderson (Upper Saddle River, NJ); Deangie Jimenez (Spring Valley), Alicia Bertolino (Stony Point), Emily Nishiwaki (Scarsdale), Carol Oberhelmen (Washington Township, NJ), Kelsey Oh (Verona, NJ), Gabby Palumbo (Bardonia), Amanda Schweitzer (Stony Point), Megan Sneeden (Valley Cottage) and Taylor Sullivan (Suffern) made up this record-breaking team.

Six of the girls have been on the team together for four years, and four more have been on the team for three years. In order to develop the same core girls, coach Kristen Conklin-Sullivan decided not to hold tryouts for the team.

“By keeping the same core of girls, we took average players and turned them into national champions,” Sullivan said.

Sullivan’s track record has taught her a thing or two about how to develop softball players.

Sullivan was a two-time all-county softball pitcher for Suffern High School, who had three no-hitters for the Mounties. The head coach went on to play for St. Thomas Aquinas College, where she was a four time all-CACC pitcher, and holds the program record for no-hitters, with seven, including the only perfect game.

In 1990, Sullivan began coaching for STAC, becoming head coach in 1992, and leaving to start a family in 1998. She returned to the position four years ago, and also serves as a private pitching instructor.

In 2011, Sullivan was inducted into the Rockland County Hall of Fame for her achievements in athletics.

“It was an unexpected surprise, but it was a true honor,” Sullivan said.

In her coaching, Sullivan believes in hard work, dedication, loyalty, attitude, and educating over criticizing.

“Without mistakes, you can’t learn,” Sullivan said. “I think positive reinforcement is really important.”

The girls practice as much as they can, and play year round. Starting in the spring, and going through the summer, the Hurricanes participate in tournaments just about every weekend.

“They work very hard and they’re very committed. They give up their summers. And they miss grad parties, birthdays, and sweet sixteen’s. They give up a lot that people take for granted. They’re so committed. It comes first to them, and they don’t want to let each other down,” Sullivan said.

All of their hard work and sacrifice surely paid off.

This season the team went 51 and 10, and eight out of ten of the games we lost were to 16 and under and 18 and under teams.

Yet, while some may think this constant competition may have a mental toll on 14 and 15 year old girls, Sneeden asserts her belief that playing for the team is good for her daughter.

“It’s a great experience. They’re fit, focused, and they’re all really great friends,” Sneeden said. “I think it’s important that they play different teams, see other levels. Its really a different level of competition.”

Sneeden knows just how ecstatic winning the PONY title made her daughter and her teammates.

“She was tremendously happy, amazed, they all had big smiles,” Sneeden said.

The journey to the national title started two years ago, when the team made it to the Sweet 16 in the PONY Championship. In 2011, the Hurricanes finished sixth in the ASA tournament. In June, the girls went to the PONY qualifier in Pennsylvania, and gained a bid to the championship once again.

“We all went in with the intention to be in the final four, if not win,” Sullivan said.

On Wednesday, the 14-U team began holding tryouts for their new season.

The girls who were on this past year’s winning team will now be trying out for the 18-U team. At that level of the Hurricanes, the girls travel the country, looking at colleges, in the hopes of getting scouted and earning scholarships.

“The girls that will make the 18-U team will sign and get scholarship,” Sullivan said.

For now, Sullivan and her team are still trying to take in their enormous accomplishment. The Hurricanes are the first team in New York to win a national softball championship.

“Its so rewarding and surreal. It feels great,” Sullivan said.

Yet for Sullivan, the best part of winning wasn’t the trophy or the title, it was the girls.

“The best part was really the kids, looking at where they have come from. They’re all such good friends who have such loyalty, pride and respect for each other,” Sullivan said.