Name: Cameron Fox

School: Montini, sophomore

Sport: Softball

Why she was selected: Fox homered twice and also struck out 13 batters in Montini’s regional final win over Elmwood Park.

She was voted the Athlete of the Week in an online vote. Other nominees were Glenbard West track and field’s Benjamin Schoettle, Downers Grove South track and field’s Karen Boakye and Montini track and field’s Sydney Gertsen.

Here is Fox’s Q&A with Sports Editor Joshua Welge.

Your game last week I think you had two homers and struck out 13. Have you had games like that before where you did both things? What stood out?

Fox: Yes, it was a really great game for us offensively on Saturday as a team! Postseason is sort of a different animal for our team because we all want it so badly. Personally, I try to make myself a better player on both sides of the plate. But with the two home runs, that was out of the ordinary for me. It was only my fourth home run in high school. Although, I do have games where I get a couple of singles or doubles, etc... but really it is not often where I hit them out of the park. Something that stood out for my whole team was that we really were in the game. In postseason, we get hyped up so easily, and we try to score early so we feel confident and in control. Our team has such a great bond, we work hard to pick each other up, and I think that really shows in the playoffs.

You passed a strikeout milestone this year. What did that mean?

Fox: Yes, I did pass a big milestone for myself with reaching 300-plus strikeouts, but I couldn’t have done it without my catcher Bridget Ryan. This milestone meant so much to me, and I can not thank her enough for everything, whether it be her coming to a lesson or telling me to make sure I snap and stay tight with my wrist in my curveball. I am really grateful to have the opportunity to work hard and be able to accomplish such a milestone like this.

How are you a better pitcher this year and what’s the comfort level pitching high school compared to last year?

Fox: Compared to last year, I feel much more confident in my pitches, and I am not the nervous freshman that I was last year. I don’t really get nervous on the mound, but in high school, it is higher stakes. I always want to do the best that I can for my team, and I think we couldn’t achieve success without any single person on our team.

Another thing that I think has made me better is my teammates’ encouragement. They never fail to make me smile or to cheer me on. I am so grateful for the Montini community for bringing these girls into my life, and I hope we can achieve something great this year. As far as the comfort level goes, I have grown to be extremely happy with where I am in terms of pitching. Our coaches always want us to do our best and be ready every pitch, and this really helps me stay focused because I want to win for them and our team.

Do you have any softball superstitions?

Fox: When it comes to superstitions, I have to say that I am one of the most superstitious kind of athlete there is. I can tell so many stories about my previous teams and current ones. For example, in 2023, when our Brookfield Little League team won state, I carried around a pair of sticks that I found at the field that day so wherever we were, we could knock on wood. This is still a big thing for me today, and I still have these sticks in my softball bag.

Another example is last year during postseason, a senior Katherine Filkowski found one of our broken wiffle balls, and she shared a piece of the broken ball with a bunch of us. We carried them to every game until we lost. Lately, I have been having to do bubble braids for our games, and I find that it helps me play my best, or so I think. And this goes for the rest of our team. We try to wear the same hair, and we even rotate the exact uniforms every other day in post-season. One of the last ones I could think of, although there are so many more, is about my batting gloves. This specific year, I have kept the same pair of batting gloves since last summer. I wanted to change them before this high school season started, but I never got the chance to go buy new ones. So, to our first game this season at Nazareth, I wore my extremely ripped gloves. You can’t even tell what they are supposed to be anymore. The entire palm part is ripped, and they are barely hanging on. During our Nazareth game, I had two triples and 15 strikeouts. So after that game, I realized that I could not change them until I did badly offensively. And I never ended up changing them. Now, my batting average is .510 and I will keep wearing them until this season is over! You can ask any of my teammates, and they will agree that I am extremely superstitious.

Who is your funniest teammate?

Fox: I would have to say my funniest teammate is Aubry Raffen. She is hilarious, and I’m sure most of our team can vouch for her. She always lightens the tense mood, and she just has that humor where she can make anyone laugh. Although Aubry is the funniest, our team is full of jokers. This comes back to our amazing bond that we have where everyone gets along and supports each other.

How did you get started in softball and how did you get started as a pitcher?

Fox: I originally got started with softball when I was 7 years old. And let’s just say I was not the best... My mom played Division I college softball, and my dad actually used to coach baseball at Montini. My mom and dad really got me into it. My dad and I used to throw in our alley, and if I would pitch it over his head, he would make me run down the entire alley to chase it before it reached the street. It was something. My dad was essentially my pitching coach until I was about 12, even though he was learning as well himself. I started going to my now pitching coach at 12 when I played on her daughter’s team. I have stuck with Coach Chris McDaniel, and her daughter Raegan is one of my close friends to this day. They have all helped me become the person and player I am today.

Have you played other sports?

Fox: Softball has really been my only true sport that I am actually good at. But, I did play rec and school basketball up until middle school.

Finally it almost being summer what’s a place you’ve never been to that you’d like to vacation to?

Fox: A place I would love to travel is Greece. It is so beautiful and I would love to see the ancient cities. And of course, see the beaches.