University of Northern Colorado Athletics
Softball welcomes five in 2021 recruiting class
11/15/2020 9:00:00 PM | Softball
UNC softball signed five new Bears to its 2021 recruiting class
GREELEY, Colo. – Northern Colorado softball head coach Ben Garcia and his staff announced the addition of five new Bears in their 2021 recruiting class. The class breaks down to three position players and a pair of right-handed arms for the circle. They hail from Arizona, California, Colorado and New Mexico.
Isabelle DiNapoli, Pitcher, Littleton, Colo.
Isabelle DiNapoli is a multi-sport athlete from Chatfield High School where she not only played softball but golf and basketball too. On the diamond, she is a two-time first team 5A All-State selection and was an All-State honorable mention as a sophomore. She was named the Jeffco League MVP in 2020 on her way to helping the Chargers to the league title. DiNapoli and CHS advanced to the final four in 2020 and were a three-time state tournament participant for her career. She held a 2.19 ERA over her high school career and accumulated 604 strikeouts.
She also succeeded in golf and basketball being a second team All-Conference selection in golf and honorable mention for basketball. In the classroom, DiNapoli is a two-time first team Academic All-State honoree.
DiNapoli chose UNC over North Dakota State and Metro State.
Coach Garcia on DiNapoli
"Isabell is a hard-throwing right-handed pitcher, her pitching stats speak volumes but better than that she is an outstanding defender. She has the potential to break every pitching record at UNC when it is all said and done. She also was named Colorado All-State first team selection. We look for her to help bolster an already good pitching staff and help lead UNC to the lowest ERA in school history."
Get to Know Isabelle
Hobbies/Interests: Softball, Golf, Basketball
Favorite music/artist: Luke Combs
Favorite Food: Spaghetti
Favorite Movie: The Blindside
Favorite TV Show: Grey's Anatomy
Most Interesting Place Visited: Hawaii
Most Influential person growing up: My brother, Nick
Favorite Athlete: Nolan Arenado
Peyton Gale, Infielder, Firestone, Colo.
Peyton Gale will make the short trip to Greeley from Firestone, Colorado. She is a first team All-State selection for Fredrick High School and helped her team to the state tournament twice including being the 2017 regional champion. She cracked the Extra Innings 2021 Extra Elite top 100 rankings coming in at 98.
Gale won multiple team awards including the team's slugger award three-times, MVP twice and golden glove honor twice. On the summer circuit, she was an All-Tournament team member at the Top Gun Invite.
A four-time honor roll letterwinner, Gale also was a two-time All-Academic All-State honoree and member of her school's student council.
Gale chose to become a Bear over Louisiana Tech, Colorado State, Austin Peay, Tennessee State, BYU, Middle Tennessee State and UCF.
Coach Garcia on Gale
"Peyton is arguably one of the best softball players in Colorado in the 2021 class. She is a highly decorated high school softball player, recently garnering all-state first team accolades. She no doubt will be an immediate impact her freshmen year. She can hit for power and average; defensively she will lock down any position in the infield. We can't wait to see her perform next year."
Get to Know Peyton
Hobbies/Interests: Softball, weightlifting, shopping
Favorite music/artist: Today's Top Hits
Favorite Food: Mom's homemade gumbo
Favorite Movie: Twilight, Hunger Games, Divergent
Favorite TV Show: Vampire Diaries
Most Interesting Place Visited: England, Italy
Most Influential person growing up: My dad and mom
Favorite Athlete: Carly Hoover
Jaycie Gandert, Infielder, Rio Rancho, N.M.
One of the top players from the state of New Mexico will now be a Bear in Jaycie Gandert. Gandert made an impact from the start of her high school career at Belen High School earning second team All-District honors as a freshman. She also was an All-State nomination at shortstop.
Off the field, Gandert is apart of her school's student council as the treasurer and a state All-Academic selection.
Gandert chose UNC over New Mexico and Fresno State
Coach Garcia on Gandert
"JC is also one of the best athletic softball players to come out of her class. She comes to us from Rio Rancho, New Mexico. What she lacks in size she makes up in speed, strength, and hard work. She will look to push for a starting position in the middle infield."
Get to Know Jaycie
Hobbies/Interests: Working out, reading the bible and off roading in my Jeep
Favorite music/artist: Country and 2000s R&B
Favorite Food: Chicken Alfredo
Favorite Movie: Hacksaw Ridge
Most Influential person growing up: My parents, sisters, Crossfits Tia Clair Toomey and Javy Baez
Favorite Athlete: Javy Baez
Meghan Golden, Pitcher, Peoria, Ariz.
Megan Golden is the second arm the Bears signed to their 2021 class, coming to UNC from Arizona. She is a four-time letterwinner in softball and once for both volleyball and badminton. She earned All-District honors as a freshman and All-Region as a junior in the COVID shortened season. Golden helped Centennial High School to the state semifinals in 2018 and runner-up in 2019.
She chose Northern Colorado over New Mexico State and Tarleton State.
Coach Garcia about Golden
"She is another hard-throwing right-handed pitcher that comes to us from Arizona. She has the capability of throwing in the high 60s, but velocity is not her best virtue. She makes the ball move with good accuracy, and hard movement, to go with a very good off-speed pitch."
Get to Know Meghan
Hobbies/Interests: Painting and doing make up
Favorite music/artist: Anything but country
Favorite Food: Mac and Cheese
Favorite Movie: Harry Potter
Favorite TV Show: Vampire Diaries
Most Interesting Place Visited: Alabama
Most Influential person growing up: My brother and papa
Favorite Athlete: Taran Alvelo
Cadee Wiviott, Outfielder, Irvine, Calif.
The final new Bear to join program will patrol the outfield in Cadee Wiviott. The California native attends Woodbridge High School where she helped her team qualify for CIF state tournament twice. A four-year letterwinner in softball her batting average improved each year, hitting .500 as a junior. Wiviott has earned first team All-League honors and All-Academic Student-Athlete honors.
She picked Northern Colorado over North Dakota and Cal State San Marcos.
Coach Garcia about Wiviott
"Cadee comes to us from California. She dares any runner to run on her from the outfield, and she has a rocket for an arm. Her offense is outstanding; she can hit for power, average, and can beat out a slap or bunt for a base hit when the situation calls for it."
Get to Know Cadee
Favorite music/artist: Rap and Alternative
Favorite Food: Ice Cream
Favorite Movie: Dazed and Confused
Most Interesting Place Visited: Hawaii
Most Influential person growing up: My mom and dad
Favorite Athlete: Aaron Rodgers
To stay up to date on all things UNC softball, visit UNCBears.com, follow the team on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and download the new UNC Athletics app by clicking here.
Isabelle DiNapoli, Pitcher, Littleton, Colo.
Isabelle DiNapoli is a multi-sport athlete from Chatfield High School where she not only played softball but golf and basketball too. On the diamond, she is a two-time first team 5A All-State selection and was an All-State honorable mention as a sophomore. She was named the Jeffco League MVP in 2020 on her way to helping the Chargers to the league title. DiNapoli and CHS advanced to the final four in 2020 and were a three-time state tournament participant for her career. She held a 2.19 ERA over her high school career and accumulated 604 strikeouts.
She also succeeded in golf and basketball being a second team All-Conference selection in golf and honorable mention for basketball. In the classroom, DiNapoli is a two-time first team Academic All-State honoree.
DiNapoli chose UNC over North Dakota State and Metro State.
Coach Garcia on DiNapoli
"Isabell is a hard-throwing right-handed pitcher, her pitching stats speak volumes but better than that she is an outstanding defender. She has the potential to break every pitching record at UNC when it is all said and done. She also was named Colorado All-State first team selection. We look for her to help bolster an already good pitching staff and help lead UNC to the lowest ERA in school history."
Get to Know Isabelle
Hobbies/Interests: Softball, Golf, Basketball
Favorite music/artist: Luke Combs
Favorite Food: Spaghetti
Favorite Movie: The Blindside
Favorite TV Show: Grey's Anatomy
Most Interesting Place Visited: Hawaii
Most Influential person growing up: My brother, Nick
Favorite Athlete: Nolan Arenado
Peyton Gale, Infielder, Firestone, Colo.
Peyton Gale will make the short trip to Greeley from Firestone, Colorado. She is a first team All-State selection for Fredrick High School and helped her team to the state tournament twice including being the 2017 regional champion. She cracked the Extra Innings 2021 Extra Elite top 100 rankings coming in at 98.
Gale won multiple team awards including the team's slugger award three-times, MVP twice and golden glove honor twice. On the summer circuit, she was an All-Tournament team member at the Top Gun Invite.
A four-time honor roll letterwinner, Gale also was a two-time All-Academic All-State honoree and member of her school's student council.
Gale chose to become a Bear over Louisiana Tech, Colorado State, Austin Peay, Tennessee State, BYU, Middle Tennessee State and UCF.
Coach Garcia on Gale
"Peyton is arguably one of the best softball players in Colorado in the 2021 class. She is a highly decorated high school softball player, recently garnering all-state first team accolades. She no doubt will be an immediate impact her freshmen year. She can hit for power and average; defensively she will lock down any position in the infield. We can't wait to see her perform next year."
Get to Know Peyton
Hobbies/Interests: Softball, weightlifting, shopping
Favorite music/artist: Today's Top Hits
Favorite Food: Mom's homemade gumbo
Favorite Movie: Twilight, Hunger Games, Divergent
Favorite TV Show: Vampire Diaries
Most Interesting Place Visited: England, Italy
Most Influential person growing up: My dad and mom
Favorite Athlete: Carly Hoover
Jaycie Gandert, Infielder, Rio Rancho, N.M.
One of the top players from the state of New Mexico will now be a Bear in Jaycie Gandert. Gandert made an impact from the start of her high school career at Belen High School earning second team All-District honors as a freshman. She also was an All-State nomination at shortstop.
Off the field, Gandert is apart of her school's student council as the treasurer and a state All-Academic selection.
Gandert chose UNC over New Mexico and Fresno State
Coach Garcia on Gandert
"JC is also one of the best athletic softball players to come out of her class. She comes to us from Rio Rancho, New Mexico. What she lacks in size she makes up in speed, strength, and hard work. She will look to push for a starting position in the middle infield."
Get to Know Jaycie
Hobbies/Interests: Working out, reading the bible and off roading in my Jeep
Favorite music/artist: Country and 2000s R&B
Favorite Food: Chicken Alfredo
Favorite Movie: Hacksaw Ridge
Most Influential person growing up: My parents, sisters, Crossfits Tia Clair Toomey and Javy Baez
Favorite Athlete: Javy Baez
Meghan Golden, Pitcher, Peoria, Ariz.
Megan Golden is the second arm the Bears signed to their 2021 class, coming to UNC from Arizona. She is a four-time letterwinner in softball and once for both volleyball and badminton. She earned All-District honors as a freshman and All-Region as a junior in the COVID shortened season. Golden helped Centennial High School to the state semifinals in 2018 and runner-up in 2019.
She chose Northern Colorado over New Mexico State and Tarleton State.
Coach Garcia about Golden
"She is another hard-throwing right-handed pitcher that comes to us from Arizona. She has the capability of throwing in the high 60s, but velocity is not her best virtue. She makes the ball move with good accuracy, and hard movement, to go with a very good off-speed pitch."
Get to Know Meghan
Hobbies/Interests: Painting and doing make up
Favorite music/artist: Anything but country
Favorite Food: Mac and Cheese
Favorite Movie: Harry Potter
Favorite TV Show: Vampire Diaries
Most Interesting Place Visited: Alabama
Most Influential person growing up: My brother and papa
Favorite Athlete: Taran Alvelo
Cadee Wiviott, Outfielder, Irvine, Calif.
The final new Bear to join program will patrol the outfield in Cadee Wiviott. The California native attends Woodbridge High School where she helped her team qualify for CIF state tournament twice. A four-year letterwinner in softball her batting average improved each year, hitting .500 as a junior. Wiviott has earned first team All-League honors and All-Academic Student-Athlete honors.
She picked Northern Colorado over North Dakota and Cal State San Marcos.
Coach Garcia about Wiviott
"Cadee comes to us from California. She dares any runner to run on her from the outfield, and she has a rocket for an arm. Her offense is outstanding; she can hit for power, average, and can beat out a slap or bunt for a base hit when the situation calls for it."
Get to Know Cadee
Favorite music/artist: Rap and Alternative
Favorite Food: Ice Cream
Favorite Movie: Dazed and Confused
Most Interesting Place Visited: Hawaii
Most Influential person growing up: My mom and dad
Favorite Athlete: Aaron Rodgers
To stay up to date on all things UNC softball, visit UNCBears.com, follow the team on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and download the new UNC Athletics app by clicking here.
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