Northwest Herald Athlete of the Week: Crystal Lake Central’s Oli Victorine

Name: Oli Victorine

School: Crystal Lake Central, fr.

Sport: Softball

Why she was selected: Victorine struck out 12 in a three-hit shutout against Cary-Grove and fired 15 strikeouts to beat Dundee-Crown 2-1 on back-to-back days April 5 and 6. The Tigers freshman pitcher hasn’t had the look of a first-year player, posting a 1.40 ERA, 0.88 WHIP and 88 strikeouts in her first 50 innings.

Victorine and the Tigers (9-3) were crowned champions at the Woodstock Tournament on Saturday, going 3-0 with wins against Woodstock, La Salle-Peru and Woodstock North. Victorine pitched the last game against North, recording 16 strikeouts over seven innings in a 7-1 win.

For her performance, Victorine was selected as the Northwest Herald Athlete of the Week in an online vote. Here is her Q&A with sports writer Alex Kantecki.

What’s been the best part about the season so far?

Victorine: Meeting my new coaches and teammates at Crystal Lake Central and playing alongside athletes I started with back in our recball years.

What was it like playing in your first high school softball game?

Victorine: It was a brand-new experience. I was both excited and nervous, but definitely more nervous. After our first game, I immediately knew I had to trust myself and remain confident in all my hard work.

What goals do you have for the rest of the season?

Victorine: An individual goal is to keep building my relationship with my catcher Giada Motto. She is an amazing athlete and person who inspires me daily. For a team goal, I would like us to continue to progress at the rate we are. I am so proud of how we performed in the Woodstock Tournament. I feel that’s where we played our absolute best as a team thus far.

Which professional athlete or celebrity would you like to hang out with for a day?

Victorine: Jennie Finch, Jordy Bahl or Sis Bates. I would be excited to meet any of them.

What sports moment was so huge that you’ll always remember where you were when it happened?

Victorine: I actually have two. The first is when I was 7 years old and my dad got the call that I did not make the All-Star team I tried out for. I took all that anger and channeled it into hard work to get me to where I am today. My second was the first time I pitched a perfect game in 10U and my coach ran out to the field and carried me off the mound.

Where would you most like to go on vacation?

Victorine: Back to Sweden.

If you had one last meal to eat, what would be included?

Victorine: BBQ ribs, mac and cheese and lemonade.

What musical act would you most like to see in concert this summer?

Victorine: Luke Combs.

What do you do when you’re not playing softball?

Victorine: Hang out with friends and family, especially my little brother. He is the funniest person I know. I also like to work out.

What’s something that most people wouldn’t know about you?

Victorine: I have traveled to eight different countries [Sweden, Finland, Russia, Latvia, Estonia, England, Mexico and Turks and Caicos Islands] and will be visiting three new ones [Spain, Italy and France] this summer.