MHS’ Dougherty enjoys classic trip
By: Justin Feil
Last spring, Kim Dougherty was part of the Montgomery High softball team that served as a sterling representative of the town as it marched to its first-ever Group III state championship.
Over her winter break, Dougherty represented the town and the MHS softball team when she participated in the second annual TourneySport USA Hawaii Classic. The nine-day tournament featured more than 150 players from around the United States, Canada and Australia. Players must be juniors, nominated by their coach, and have to raise approximately $3,000.
Dougherty was one of four MHS players to be invited by the TourneySport USA staff from more than 2,000 applicants. Melissa D’Ercole, Kelly Dubin and Annie O’Toole also were invited to participate but did not make the trip. She was one of five players from New Jersey to participate.
"I wanted to go because I thought it would be good opportunity to go and meet people from around the United States who had similar interests like me," Dougherty said. "It sounded like a good opportunity to get ready for the season and meet other people."
Not to mention, a nice way to get to see Hawaii. In between their games, TourneySport participants toured various sites in Hawaii, including Pearl Harbor and Diamond Head. They also attended luaus and learned how to hula dance.
Dougherty’s family accompanied her and made a vacation of it. They left the day after Christmas and returned Jan. 8. The tournament ran from Dec. 28 until Jan. 5. Players stayed at a hotel on Waikiki Beach, and games were played at the Central Oahu Sports Complex.
"Being a junior, it’s some good exposure to get kids to go," said MHS softball coach Johnny Rooney, who was invited to go as an assistant coach but has deferred until next year. "You can vacation at one of the great states to vacation at. She played with girls from all around the country. She got to pitch. She played some first base and outfield. It sounds like she had a pretty exciting time. She’s the only one from Montgomery that went."
Dougherty represented Montgomery and MHS well. Pitching for Team Makena, one of 16 teams randomly put together by the TourneySport USA staff, she fired a perfect four-inning game, and also had a no-hitter with 14 strikeouts. After three days of round robin play, and two days of medal play, Makena finished seventh.
"The first game was really exciting," Dougherty said of her no-hitter. "Our team was doing really well. We ended up getting two runs. Then, one of their girls hit one to the outfield and an outfielder made an error and she got to third. We were up, 2-1, and it was going to be tied. It was the last inning and there was one out. I struck out the next girl and we picked the girl off third to end the game."
Dougherty also had a strong tournament at the plate, highlighted by a triple. She was able to show the skills that will have her contributing to the MHS team offensively and defensively.
"I felt like that if I did really well then I would have something to bring home and show for all the years what I’ve become because of everyone," Dougherty said. "It was a great experience to get to play with different people and different types of talent."
Dougherty felt the experience was something she can build on as she looks forward to the Cougars’ season this spring. She’s hoping to play a bigger role as a junior, and got a head start with her trip to Hawaii.
"I feel like I’ll do really well along with the team this year," Dougherty said. "I won’t just come in from not playing in games for a while. I won’t be as cold."
Dougherty has stayed sharp in the offseason by practicing twice per week with the Ewing Edge club team. She’s honed her pitching skills, though it’s been tough to find time in the circle with Rutgers-bound Amanda Heller being the Cougars’ regular starting pitcher. But MHS is looking for a way to get Dougherty on the field more.
"Her stats were pretty impressive," Rooney said of Dougherty’s Hawaii tournament. "She pinch hit a lot last year. She’s got some experience pitching. She lost, 2-1, to Belvidere last year and I think she lost, 2-1, to Hopewell when she was a freshman. She’s 4-2 overall. So she got some experience as far as pitching. She’s an outstanding infielder and does a good job in the outfield. She knows she has Amanda ahead of her, and she’s got Anu Rimal behind her pushing her. She doesn’t care where she plays as long as she’s in the lineup somewhere.
"We’re flirting with the idea of having her play third base, maybe play some outfield and get some innings in the circle. That junior class has some great players that can play some multiple positions. She just wants to be in the lineup is the bottom line. She doesn’t care where."
Dougherty’s passion for softball is quickly evident. She was thrilled to be nominated as one of four MHS players by Rooney last spring, and the opportunity to play in Hawaii gave her bonus experience.
"There were a lot of different levels of talent," Dougherty said. "The team that won the championship was like one from high school. Then some other teams didn’t have as much talent, like they were from smaller schools."
Dougherty proved quickly with her strong play that she was from a budding big-time program. And Rooney is hoping that sending several MHS players to Hawaii becomes part of the program’s tradition.
"I think it’s absolutely beneficial," said Rooney, who will begin his second season as head coach this spring. "I got the information in the mail the second or third week of April. That was before our team gelled and started playing as well as we did. I took a shot. I didn’t do much research until they got offers to play in the tournament. Having had one kid go, I’d like to have Kim sit down and give a presentation/overview of what the camp is like.
"It’s a resume builder and maybe a coach on the West Coast might get a look and grab you. I’ve always had the idea to help them any way we can. We want to get them into the right school and give them an opportunity to play for four more years. Amanda will have that opportunity. Tori (Sensi) will have that opportunity. I think it’s exciting that Kim went. It’s great for our town. It’s great for our program. And obviously it’s great for the individual."
Rooney is hoping that other Cougar players will be interested in going and he’s hoping to make it out there as well.
"I deferred a year," he said. "I would like to do it again, and maybe make it a family vacation, maybe get (sister and MHS softball program graduate) Susanne to go. You get to coach select players, and get a couple players to go, it would be a great experience."
It was for Kim Dougherty, the first representative of Montgomery and the MHS softball team to attend the TourneySport USA Hawaii Classic.
"I can’t even put into words my feelings on how amazing this entire experience was," Dougherty said. "Being able to not only play with hundreds of girls your age, from not just around the country but from Australia and Canada, but to be able to spend time and develop really close relationships with many of them, is just something unimaginable. I am really grateful for being given the chance to experience this wonderful, possibly even once in a lifetime opportunity."