Senior Spotlight: Macey Neal
DYER, Tenn. — The Gibson County softball program wouldn’t be where it is today without the impact of senior Macey Neal. The three time All-State short stop had led the Lady Pioneers to success in recent years, with hopes of another run to Murfreesboro.
“Well we’ve been to the state tournament the past two years, so people had high expectations, and I just think that we could have made it back this year,” said Neal.
But if any postseason magic were to take place this season, it would have been without Neal on the diamond. Throughout her high school career, Neal dealt with multiple injuries, a broken ankle at the 2019 state basketball tournament, and a recent torn ACL from the 2020 season on the court.
However, Neal’s drive to get back to competition never lost a step along the way.
“Well I hated just sitting there, because I’ve never sat there and not played. I’ve always been involved. My therapist gave me a bunch of workouts to do at home, and I did those all the time. I hit as soon as I could, I fielded ground balls as soon as I could, I mean I did everything I could,” said Neal.
And despite the physical setbacks, Neal still found a way to excel at a high level every single year, wrapping up her time at Gibson County as the all time leader in stolen bases and slugging percentage.
So as she now looks ahead to another 4 years of softball at UT-Martin, it’s a humble and unselfish mentality that keeps Neal motivated every time she steps on the field.
“I love playing as a team, I love all my teammates, and I play for the glory of God. My coaches are always telling me that I need to be a good person to be a good athlete,” said Neal.
