Breaking records, winning championships: WHS 2022 graduate and softball player Kalea Calugay has done it all. Winning a Group 4 sectional title her junior year, Calugay helped to lead the WHS softball program to greatness. Calugay has continued her athletic career as a Dragon at Drexel University. At the Division I school, Calugay trains all year long, preparing for the spring to compete against other CAA conference powerhouses.
Calugay had an amazing high school career. As a varsity starter for four years, Kalea left her mark on the WHS softball program in more ways than one. She was a major contributor, notably during her junior year when the team won the Group 4, Section 2 Championship, and she was named to the Group 4 Team 3 All-State team. Despite not having a sophomore season, Kalea left her mark on the WHS record books, ranking in the top ten statistically for most runs batted in a career, most hits in a career and most home runs in a season and career.
Coaches, teammates and spectators can see Calugay’s passion for the game, and she is undoubtedly one of the best role models for girls looking to dominate on the softball field. Westfield softball alumni Grace Loder, one of Calugay’s past teammates, said, “Kalea has always been someone I’ve looked up to when it came to both softball and being a leader. She clearly puts 100 percent into everything she does and always makes everyone feel heard. She is the first person to pick someone up after a mistake and celebrate when someone does something right.”
To prepare for being a collegiate athlete, Calugay intensified the training she had done in her time in high school. She continued practicing with her club team, but she also began training with a weightlifting, speed and agility coach.
When she began practicing at Drexel, the transition was slightly more difficult than she expected. “I came into school thinking classes would be a breeze and that I’d have a lot more free time since that was all I was told from friends in college at the time. Obviously, it didn’t take me long to realize that my expectations were unrealistic in that department. Joining the DI softball program, I knew I had to be disciplined, hardworking and competitive. At this level of college sports, athletes need to adjust to the hours of practice, lifting, conditioning and meetings while juggling academics. My coaches prior to college were not lying when they told me my life was going to mostly consist of softball and school.”
The transition was harder physically than mentally. “I’ve always enjoyed practice and being around my teammates, but the exhaustion and constant soreness was very hard for me initially. My body was not used to this kind of stress at the beginning of the season” said Calugay.
Going into the 2023 season, it seemed like Calugay was going to play a major role for the Dragons. Unfortunately, she only appeared in five games before her season was cut short due to injury. Although this was an obstacle in her freshman season, she has trained hard over the past year and is looking forward to a fresh start her sophomore year.
Just as the physical component to playing a DI sport was more difficult, so was the student athlete experience. With a lot more free time not going to school for eight hours a day, Calugay has been able to prioritize softball and school work more effectively than what she was doing at WHS. “On a daily basis, my softball practices and workouts are from 6 to 10 a.m. every morning. I usually have 2 classes a day which I am able to attend after practice and end my day on average at 3 p.m.. Currently in my sophomore year, there are less homework assignments but more projects and exams. So even though the workload is less, I have to hold myself accountable to make sure I manage my time to get some studying and work done ahead of time.”
Calugay left a big legacy at WHS. She has been an inspiration to all of the girls who have played alongside her and the underclassmen who strive to follow her example. Senior softball player Catherine Heflin said, “She’s always been a role model for me, and I used to watch her games her freshman year cause I wanted to be just like her. Then, I became her teammate where she immediately made me feel welcome and valued.”
