MISSION VIEJO – Taylor McQuillin’s first period English class started out as it had for the entirety of the school year.
For all she knew, it was just a typical Wednesday morning.
When McQuillin’s softball teammates stormed into her classroom, however, it marked the beginning to a day the Diablos’ star will remember for the rest of her life.
In front of a jam-packed gymnasium at Mission Viejo High, McQuillin was honored as the 2013-14 Gatorade National Softball Player of the Year, becoming one of only 12 athletes recognized each school year for their accomplishments in their respective sport.
“It’s really special and I’m so grateful, honored and blessed to be considered and nominated for any of it in general,” McQuillin said after the presentation. “I’m thankful for everyone who helped and participated in getting me where I was. I’m still in shock, but I’m super excited still.”
Former USA softball gold medalist Amanda Freed presented McQuillin with the trophy in front of hundreds of Mission Viejo students as part of a school assembly Wednesday morning.
Freed, a Pacifica High graduate, was named first Gatorade Softball Player of the Year in 1997-98.
“I love what the award stands for,” Freed explained. “You obviously have to be a great athlete, but it really highlights the endeavors off the field – the community service and the academics. I just think, especially in this day and age, it’s so hard for these girls to balance everything. To be able to bring it all together though is really great.”
McQuillin is the first Orange County athlete to be selected Gatorade Player of the Year since Mater Dei’s Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis earned the award in 2010-11 for girls basketball.
The Diablos southpaw dominated from start to finish this season, compiling a 25-1 record with an 0.69 earned run average. McQuillin led Mission Viejo to its first softball championship, defeating Chino, 1-0, in the CIF-SS Division 2 final last month.
McQuillin fired two perfect games, two no-hitters and five one-hitters. She struck out a county-leading 316, which equated to her fanning nearly two batters per inning.
It was estimated that more than 360,000 high schoolers played varsity softball throughout the country in 2013-14. As Gatorade saw it, no other student-athlete was more deserving than McQuillin.
“A lot of people deserve this,” Diablos coach Troy Ybarra said. “The work ethic that she has, what she’s accomplished, what she’s done for her team, it just goes on down the line. To be No.1 in everything and then be named the National Softball Athlete of the Year? It’s the cherry on top.”
Contact the writer: kconnolly@ocregister.com
