From the Stands: A Sisterly Bond at the Girls State Softball Tournament
by Hayley Schaefer
Imagine it’s the bottom of the seventh inning, 2 outs, full count and the bases are loaded. This one moment will lead one team to glory and the other to heartbreak. Time seems to stop and suddenly it’s more than just a game.
“I love everything about softball. The sportsmanship, team comradery, the competitiveness and the overall atmosphere,” said Sarah Vodenik. “I was a catcher and there was nothing better than commanding the field - being involved in every play. Bracing yourself for the play at home to tag out the runner, the adrenaline is next to nothing else.”
Every summer the IGHSAU Girls State Softball Tournament takes over Fort Dodge, Iowa. Each year, different teams from across the state arrive with hopes of leaving with the crown. Despite the different faces that make it to the park each year with victory in mind, one thing has stayed the same: You will always find this set of twins in the stands. Sarah Vodenik and Kari Lenning have made the state tournament a vacation every year since 2016.
“There is nothing better than spending time with my sister, and watching softball is just icing on the cake,” said Kari Lenning. “We both love softball and don’t care who is playing—we’re just along for the ride. We now live in the same neighborhood, a lifelong dream, but our schedules are super busy, so we don’t get a lot of one-on-one time like we did before we had kids..”
The sisters travel from Boone to Fort Dodge every day when the tournament begins. Years of attending the tournament means the sisters have figured out the best way to see all the action.
“We are there open to close and catch as many games as possible. We start out the week on Iowa Veterans Field to watch the lower-seeded teams battle their way to the championship games. We then move to Kruger Field on Thursday to watch all the Championship games. We’ve learned the perfect places to sit in the stands to avoid the melting sun,” said Kari.
Their love of softball began from an early age.
“I played softball growing up in Boone. I made All-Stars for Boone in 1993, where we took second place in the Little League state tournament in Knoxville,” said Sarah. “I played through 10th grade in high school and made my most regrettable decision to quit playing after that.
Kari also played: “I played Little League, and while Sarah was in All-Stars, I played on some AAU teams. I played second base and pitched a little for Little League. In high school, I played second base but didn’t play my senior year as I graduated early.”
You never know what may happen during a game, which can sometimes make it difficult to remember it all. But some moments are so memorable that they can’t help but be recalled years later.
“The best game we have watched was the first night of the tournament, I believe three years ago. I think it was Atlantic playing. It went 11 innings and it was an intense battle with both teams leaving it all out on the field,” said Sarah Vodenik. “Those are the best games to watch. The fans in the stands were all hyped up cheering on their teams. It was such an amazing atmosphere to be in.”
Kari agreed and added, “We’ve talked about that game with family and friends ever since.”
As their children have gotten older they’ve been able to get in on the tradition as well. The last two years Sarah has brought her daughter who now plays on JV for Boone. Kari brought her son, Beau, one year as well.
“We have met so many fun people from across the state at the tournament,” said Sarah. “We have gotten to know them and actually look for them the following year to chat about how their kids or grandkids have been doing, talk about the stats of their current season and just catch up.”
It’s almost that time of year again where we send our own team to Fort Dodge and gear up for coverage of the tournament. You'll have to try and spot Kari and Sarah in the stands.
Live coverage will be as follows*:
Thursday, July 25
Class 5A | 5 p.m.
Class 4A | 7:30 p.m.
Friday, July 26
Class 3A | 2:30 p.m.
Class 2A | 5 p.m.
Class 1A | 7:30 p.m.
*Coverage and start times are subject to change.
Fans can also follow the action on Iowa PBS’s Facebook and Instagram accounts.
Along with unparalleled coverage of the championships, Iowa PBS will feature Brad Wells and Aly Cappaert as announcers for the 5A and 4A games. Paul Yeager and Laura Leonard will announce the 3A, 2A and 1A games.