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| PHS softball player signs off |
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| Written by Marc Aceves | Patterson Irrigator | |
| Wednesday, 11 June 2008 | |
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“I love Patterson, and it will be sad to leave my family and friends behind. But, I’m really anxious to get away.” — Kaelee Kramer PHS graduate, softball standout After years as a fixture on the West Side softball scene, Kaelee Kramer is moving on.  Moving forward: PHS starting pitcher Kaelee Kramer, shown throwing some heat during a March 2007 game, recently signed a letter of intent to attend Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas. Photo by Elias Funez/Patterson Irrigator Kramer said a variety of factors informed her decision to take her game to Midwestern State, but it was the university’s unique dental hygiene program that sealed the deal for her. “I was surprised to find out how few schools offered dental hygiene as a major,” Kramer said. “Dental hygienists are very close with their patients, even becoming a part of their lives. That is something that I wanted to major in.” The 18-year-old is also thrilled to have the opportunity to sprinkle a few extra wins atop her burgeoning softball resume. She is currently pitching for the California Grapettes of the Amateur Softball Association, where she is the No. 1 starter and holding down the third spot in the lineup. Kramer also boasted a .341 batting average and a .969 fielding percentage as a senior on the PHS softball squad. Kramer said that her parents — Janice and Kurt Kramer — have supported her throughout years of athletic experimentation, encouraging her to eventually find her niche. She was a four-sport athlete for the Tigers, playing softball, basketball, volleyball and track.  Playmaker: Kramer is called safe at home plate underneath the tag of Livingston catcher Ashlee Thompson, scoring the Tigers’ eighth run before the end of the second inning during a game in April 2007. Photo by Elias Funez/Patterson Irrigator “But eventually, by my junior year, softball was the sport I chose.” Kramer’s travel team coach, Marty Turney, challenged her to apply to various universities across the country. “There was a lot of sending out e-mails to different schools,” Kramer said. “Coach (Turney) told me that there were a lot of schools on the East Coast and in the Midwest that had showed interest in me.” After corresponding with several schools and coaches, Kramer narrowed her list to a handful of teams, focusing and eventually basing her decision on Midwestern State’s academic programs and curriculum. “Going to school in Texas was always an option,” Kramer said. “There were also a couple of schools in Oklahoma that I was looking at. My family decided to fly out to Midwestern State, and I really liked what they had to offer.” Kramer also acknowledged and thanked her PHS coaches — Tony Lomeli, Jason McCleery and Dave Klein — for their individual influences on her athletic success. Kramer has lived in Patterson since the age of 4 and admitted that, at first, the idea of branching out on her own seemed a bit intimidating. That fear, however, has slowly morphed into eagerness. “I love Patterson, and it will be sad to leave my family and friends behind,” Kramer said. “But, I’m really anxious to get away. There are a ton of activities on campus, and I’m excited about getting involved in everything.” Still, family might not be as far away as she initially had thought. “I didn’t think that I had any relatives in (the Texas area),” Kramer said. “My grandma said that she has an aunt and an uncle that live out there. I’ll get to reunite with them, which should be really cool.” To reach Marc Aceves at the Irrigator, call 892-6187 or e-mail him at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
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