A pair of Ardmore High softball players signed their National Letters of Intent Thursday afternoon, formally continuing their careers in the sport. At a ceremony outside the school’s gymnasium, seniors Ella Singletary and Addison Kilgore put pen to paper in front of teammates, classmates and coaches.
Singeltary is signing with Tennessee-Southern, an NAIA's mid-south conference. She began her college search thinking she wanted to go to school far from home, but that changed once she got on campus in Pulaski.
“I went there for the first time, it was like eighth grade and I immediately fell in love with the coaches and the campus,” she said before the signing. “When I toured it further, I felt a really homey feel and it's small, which is what I'm used to. So it just felt like home to me.
Kilgore liked being close to home, too. It helped her decide on Andrew College, a junior college in the southwest Georgia town of Cuthbert.
“I really connected with the coach and one of the players, and it's kind of a small town like Ardmore and it just felt at home,” she said.
But that familiarity comes with the opportunity to mature as an individual, too.
“I'm looking forward to having to make decisions for myself and having to figure things out on my own and not having to depend on my parents as much.”
Singeltary and Kilgore, both members of the 2021 state runner-up team, are looking forward to concluding their high school career. Singeltary is recovering from a torn labrum. The 2022 all-area selection said she would be ready for the 2023 season a month or so in.
“I just recently got hurt, so i'm so ready to just get back on the field and play with my team,” she said.
Ardmore finished 30-16, winning Area 15.