(KMAland) -- Throughout the month of August, KMA Sports is introducing the 2018-19 KMA Sports Hall of Fame Class.
On Tuesday, former Creston softball great Madison (Frain) Peterson was announced as our latest inductee.
Peterson had an incredible career with the Panthers, winning 148 games, posting a sub 1.00 ERA and striking out over 1,600 batters in her career.
“The biggest thing I remember is all the friends and spending all summer together,” Peterson said. “Also, the biggest rivalries with Harlan and Glenwood and Winterset. Those were the best games we played.”
Peterson didn’t waste time making her mark under Coach Mike McCabe, as she helped Creston to a 31-win campaign as an 8th grader. In that summer, she struck out 317 batters and walked just 43 while posting a 1.71 ERA.
Her freshman year was another 31 win season, another 314 strikeouts and a sterling 0.82 ERA. As a sophomore, she struck out 259 batters and posted a 1.05 ERA before 348 more strikeouts and a 0.66 ERA as a junior. Finally, she put down another 346 batters and pitched to a 0.73 ERA in 2012 - her senior season.
“I think the biggest improvement was learning different pitches,” Peterson said. “It gradually just got better. My dad was very hard and very demanding. He was always there to push me and make sure I was doing what I needed to do.”
Peterson says she first started pitching when she was nine and had many mentors and influences along the way.
“My parents were crazy enough to take me to Georgia,” she said. “We played in a tournament with girls we didn’t really know. From then on, I played in Omaha and went to a bunch of different pitching coaches. Jerrad Hardin was probably the one that made the biggest difference in my life and helped me prepare for college softball.”
She would go on to a tremendous career at the University of South Dakota, earning All-Summit League honors on multiple occasions.
Peterson is the third KMA Sports Hall of Fame softball player to make her biggest mark in the circle.
She will join Fremont-Mills great Mindy Lorimor and Treynor legend Madison Keysor in the Hall of Fame at an induction ceremony during the 2018-19 school year.
Hear the complete interview with Peterson linked here.
Previous announcements are linked below. Listen to KMA's Upon Further Review each day in August for a new Hall of Fame announcement.
Wednesday, August 1st - Dan Martinez, Red Oak (Coach)
Thursday, August 2nd - Ricky Williams, Riverside (Basketball)
Friday, August 3rd - 1989 Glenwood Wrestling (Team)
Monday, August 6th - Bill Blay, Griswold (Track & Field/Cross Country)
