LebCo Athlete of the Week: Chloe Shirk

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Featuring photos by Heather Daub

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Chloe Shirk

During the early part of the season, senior Chloe Shirk put together a milestone stretch that continued to cement her place as one of the most accomplished hitters in ELCO Softball program history. It all came together during the week of March 23rd for Shirk. Early in the week, she set ELCO’s all-time record for career RBIs with 95. Then she finished the week by adding to it, launching 2 home runs against Conestoga Valley and driving in 3 runs against Ephrata. Those efforts earned Shirk recognition as the LebCo Athlete of the Week.

And the production behind that milestone has been as loud as it gets. Through the first nine games, Shirk has been dominant, hitting .629 (22-for-35) with a .675 OBP and a 1.514 slugging percentage for a 2.189 OPS. She has already racked up 9 home runs and 33 RBI, while scoring 23 runs. Of her 22 hits, 9 are singles and at least 4 have gone for doubles, showing both consistency and power at the plate.

At the end of that nine-game stretch, the Raiders held a record of 8 wins and 1 loss.

Shirk was quick to credit the people around her for making weeks like this possible. She said she’s grateful for the support she’s received, especially from her teammates, and noted that the positive, supportive environment has helped fuel ELCO’s fast start. She added that she’s proud of the way the season has opened and excited to see what the rest of the spring brings.

Shirk’s personal goals are milestone-driven as well. She said she’s aiming to reach 100 career hits and drive in at least 50 RBI this season, targets that align with what ELCO wants to be offensively.

“Our goals are always to score as many runs as possible, after all we can’t win a game with no runs,” Shirk said. “So overall, my goals fit right into what we want to do as a team. So far we have done an amazing job with hitting the ball.”

She also made sure to recognize a pair of people who have helped shape her as a hitter. Shirk thanked her travel coach Carl Shaak for continually pushing her to be the best version of herself, and she also credited her hitting coach and cousin, Zach Shirk, for helping develop her into the hitter she is today.

A multi-sport athlete, Shirk also plays volleyball, and she’ll continue that career at Slippery Rock, where she hopes to earn playing time as a freshman and work toward an All-PSAC honor at some point in her career. Academically, she plans to major in accounting and pursue work as a private accountant after graduation.

Away from competition, Shirk enjoys lifting and spending time outdoors. One fun fact that tends to surprise people is that she did powerlifting over the winter for Northern Lebanon. And when it comes to what she enjoys most about sports, her answer goes beyond the numbers.

“The team culture and all the memories made on the court or field with my amazing teammates,” Shirk said.

Congratulations to Chloe on being named LebCo Athlete of the Week, and best of luck to her and the Raiders as the season continues and the milestones keep piling up.

Photos by Heather Daub

LebCo Male Athlete of the Week: Brett Wenger