I’d love to say hey, what awesome leaders we have but it was almost like we had one leader. … They’ve done a great job the last five years and they’ve done so much for us.”

Bob Loshek, Park head softball coach

Park High softball standouts Grace Conaway and Briana Lee inked National Letters of Intent to play collegiate softball Wednesday morning on the first day of the early signing period.

A versatile player who plays third base for the Wolfpack, Conaway signed to play softball at Stonehill College in Easton, Mass. She will end up being a five-time letter winner in softball. Conaway earned all-conference honors three times.

Lee committed to Augustana University in Sioux Falls, S.D. to play softball. She will also end up being a five-year letter winner for the Wolfpack. Lee has been Park’s second baseman the past three seasons and will look to transition to the starting shortstop role for her senior season. Lee has earned all-conference honors twice.

“Very versatile players, just great kids,” said Park head softball coach Bob Loshek. “I don’t know what else to say. They’re just such leaders and I know that it went all the way back to their eighth-grade year. I’d love to say hey, what awesome leaders we have but it was almost like we had one leader. … They’ve done a great job the last five years and they’ve done so much for us.”

With former Park High star and Augustana All-American standout Delaney Young watching the signing ceremony from the stands, Lee said her college choice was a relatively easy one.

“I made my college choice with a big influence of Tony Young and Delaney Young,” said Lee. “Delaney’s always been a big idol to me. She showed me that Augustana was the big school that I wanted to go to. Because it’s high-level softball and even higher-level academics. And I thought that would be a really good thing for me.

“Augustana turned really into a dream school for me, so it kind of made it even an easier decision,” Lee continued.

Conaway will be headed further afield, to Stonehill College in Massachusetts, a town located about halfway between Boston and Providence, Rhode Island.

“The campus was really beautiful and I just felt it was the right atmosphere for me,” said Conaway. “I think once I stepped on campus I knew that’s where I wanted to be. And the coaching staff is really great. And I really like the team.”