Meet 14-year-old Kate Norton. This freshman, born and raised in New Melle, comes bearing a big name to live up to and a weight to carry after Howell Softball lost her older sister, Jill, to college.

“I play softball because it pushes me as a person and I love the competition,” Norton said when asked why she plays.

Her six years of softball experience have prepared her for her first high school season which also happens to be her first varsity season. Outside the boundaries of the softball diamond, Norton enjoys listening to country music and watching One Tree Hill.