Shortly before the start of the 2004 softball season, sixth-year senior Meghann Reiss was doing a drill in practice when her body went one way and her knee didn’t. The popping sound she heard was a season-ending knee injury that would take six months to rehabilitate.
The physical part of the injury was manageable for Reiss, but she found the mental aspect difficult. She felt that they had a great team last year and was disappointed that she couldn’t help her teammates on the field.
She began a rehab program that consisted of range-of-motion, balance and strength exercises. There was never any doubt in her mind that she would be back.
“The whole time she was optimistic,” athletic trainer Karen Bloch said. “She’s probably been one of the hardest working athletes I’ve ever worked with.”
More than a year after the injury, Reiss says she is now at 100 percent and the knee does not affect her play in any way. She cherishes every minute in her final year of collegiate softball.
“You definitely don’t take any moment out there for granted,” Reiss said. “You go out there and you try to leave everything that you have on the field because you never know when that’s your last time out there.”
The most enjoyable thing about being back on the team for Reiss is playing with her teammates again.
“(My teammates) make every day worthwhile going out there because I play for them,” Reiss said. “I always put them above myself.”
One of those teammates is her little sister Kaitlin Reiss. Meghann loves playing with a family member who she can talk to on and off the field.
Reiss is credited with bringing solid offensive skills to the first-base position. In her career year in 2001, she hit with a .305 average, knocking in 26 runs while slugging .429 with an on-base percentage of .382. She also led the team in 2002 in batting average, OBS, hits and walks.
However, her return has meant more than the addition of a big bat in the lineup. Reiss brings the intangible quality of leadership to the team. The senior has been the captain of the team for a couple of years, and she takes pride in the fact that the younger players look up to her.
“Meghann has been a great mentor for a lot of the younger players,” head coach Karen Gallagher said. “She’s one of the few players that can step up and say things that need to be heard.”
Reiss doesn’t have any long-term plans for the future. After years as a student athlete contributing perpetually to Wisconsin softball, right now she is just focusing on graduating in May.
“Six years is a long time to be in a program,” Gallagher said. “She wants to get on with her life … but it shows her commitment to this program and that she loves the game and loves to play.”
