C-M’s Wilson makes it official with Graceland softball

Colfax-Mingo senior Ries Wilson wasn’t panicking. She wasn’t too concerned about her future. But she did feel like was behind some of her peers when it came to her collegiate plans.

When Wilson finally made her decision, it was a gigantic weight off her shoulders.

Wilson was a standout Tigerhawk in volleyball and softball during her prep seasons in Colfax.

But when she gets to college, she will retire the knee pads and tennis shoes and keep her cleats, glove and bat as she recently signed her national letter of intent to play softball at Graceland University.

“I felt like I was behind my peers when I heard them talking about finding their roommates and having their college plans, for the most part, figured out,” Wilson said. “It was just an immense pressure off my shoulders when I committed.”

Wilson will be a five-year starter when the Tigerhawks hit the diamond this summer. She could make an immediate impact on the a Yellow Jacket program that has 59 wins and 130 losses in the past five seasons.

Wilson has been starting for the Colfax-Mingo softball team since her eighth grade season.

As a freshman, Wilson hit .397 with six home runs, 19 RBIs, 11 steals, 26 runs and 10 doubles at the plate. The Tigerhawks finished 10-23 that season in its final year in the Heart of Iowa Conference.

The Tigerhawks won the South Iowa Cedar League title in their first season back in 2016 and then clinched a state tournament berth last season. They won 51 games during that stretch, and Wilson manned the grass in center field for most of those games.

Wilson said Graceland and interim head coach Todd Verwers plans to use Wilson in the outfield. She also played some shortstop at Colfax-Mingo.

During her sophomore season, Wilson earned Class 1A honorable mention all-state honors after hitting .462, belting six home runs and driving in 33 runs. She also had 11 steals, scored 47 runs and cranked out 18 doubles.

Defensively, she committed just two errors in 36 games and Colfax-Mingo won the SICL title and finished 25-10-1 on the season.

The Tigerhawks had a breakthrough season in 2017. Wilson was right in the middle of it, earning 1A first team all-state honors after hitting .417 with four home runs, 20 RBIs, 18 steals, 53 runs and 15 doubles.

In the outfield, Wilson committed only two errors in 38 games. The Tigerhawks went 26-13 and finished sixth at the state tournament.

She has one more season to go in the orange and blue. Wilson hopes to make it a good one on and off the field.

“My goal for my senior year is to go out better than I came in,” Wilson said. “That goes for stats, attitude, leadership and all of the above. I just want to make my senior year one to remember, and that’s what I plan on doing.”

Wilson said she chose Graceland but received interest from a wide range of schools from Division I programs to Division III programs. Graceland is an NAIA Division I school.

“Graceland was the best fit for me academically and athletically, but it all came down to the academic side of things,” Wilson said.

Wilson plans to major in nursing. She will begin college with the hope of becoming a nurse practitioner in the dermatology field.