The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Softball Inks Former National Champion From Wallace State
5/1/2009 12:00:00 AM | Softball
May 1, 2009
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Junior college standout Sallie Van Kirk has signed a National Letter of Intent to play softball for UAB, starting with the 2010 season. Van Kirk currently plays for Wallace State Community College, which won the 2008 Alabama Community College State Championship and the 2008 National Junior College Athletic Association Softball Championship.
"Sallie is an outstanding athlete and I am looking forward to seeing her in Green and Gold," said UAB head coach Marla Townsend. "She is going to be a great addition to our outfield and she brings championship experience with her."
Van Kirk has helped lead Wallace State to a 54-8 this season and sits second on the team with a .391 batting average. The outfielder paces the team with six triples and is third with 34 RBI. In addition, she is a perfect 28-for-28 on stolen bases and has scored a team-high 50 runs during the 2009 campaign.
A native of Athens, Ala., Van Kirk attended Clements High School. She was tabbed as an All-County and All-Area selection for four years by the area's coaches. She also was a member of the varsity volleyball team, track team and cheerleading squad.
Van Kirk is also a force in the classroom, being named to the Wallace State's President's List every semester with a 4.0 GPA. In high school, she was named Clements High School's salutatorian after graduating with a 4.06 GPA.
In the outfield, Van Kirk will be joining current Blazer, Martina Landrum, who is also a former NJCAA softball champion. Landrum was a part of Chipola Junior College's softball team that walked away with the NJCAA title in 2007.
