Hillary Panek reaches milestone

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by Mike Pidanick, Metro Source

Hillary Panek had no idea what coach Jeff Kryszczuk had to say as the Alden High School coach held a softball in his hand and said he had a special announcement to make. Turns out, she was the star of the moment.

Panek became just the second pitcher in Alden softball history to record more than 500 career strikeouts, the latest in a long line of feats for the standout senior right-hander.

“It feels awesome,” she said after a 12-2 win over ECIC-IV rival Tonawanda. “I never would have anticipated it. I didn’t even know what number I was at and then my coach just announced it to me. I was just shocked.”

Panek’s not worried about stats. Described by her coach as “a great team player,” she was focused on mowing down another league rival. So Kryszczuk waited until the postgame meeting to discuss milestones.
“I didn’t tell her because I didn’t want to mess her up; she was in her groove,” Kryszczuk said. “So we surprised her after the game; she only needed two so I knew she’d get that.”

She got 12 and stands about 100 strikeouts short of the school record, held by former teammate and 2007 graduate Carlissa Cole. Panek has been remarkable in the pitching circle and also at the plate, where she’s batting better than .400 on the season.

“She brings everything each and every day and she’s a team player,” Kryszczuk said. “She’s a great player to coach. She’s very coachable, very friendly and she has great chemistry with the team; she’s a great player for the team.”

Panek has been on the varsity squad since the eighth-grade and is in her fourth year in the starting lineup. She’ll play next season for St. John Fisher College and likely be remembered as one of the best at Alden.
“I think I’ve had a great time playing for Alden and I just love the game,” she said.

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