Savannah Harweger played three different sports at Trinity Lutheran and has had a lot of success in all three.
“My freshman year, I only played volleyball and softball,” Harweger said. “My sophomore year, I switched to basketball and softball. It was the same my junior year, and it wasn’t until my senior year I played three sports.”
Harweger has been a captain in all three sports and has received numerous awards and honors while helping the Cougars win five total sectional titles.
“It is kind of cool to say you’ve won sectionals. You’ll always have those memories,” Harweger said. “I have a lot of fun playing with my different friends. It keeps me busy. There is always something to do, always a practice or game to go to. I feel with sports, you’re always more involved with everything.”
Harweger was a two-year starter at guard and averaged 13 points a game this winter with high-point games of 27 against Crothersville, 24 versus Madison and 23 against both New Washington and Southwestern.
She said she enjoyed shooting 3-pointers from the left wing and liked to drive to the basket from that side of the floor.
“I really liked to drive. I definitely liked to play against man defense,” Harweger said. “I also liked to play man (defense) the best. I enjoyed the competitiveness of basketball and getting to play with my team. The postseason in basketball is a lot of fun. I would say out of all the high school sports, winning the basketball sectional was the most fun.”
After taking two years off from volleyball, she returned to the sport last fall, where she played all-around.
“I played back row and outside hitter,” Harweger said. “It was very important to win the first set because it kind of sets the tone for the match. You want to serve the first punch. You don’t want to take the first punch. I tried to mix (attacks) all in, hit angle one time, line the other and mix in a tip here and there and just listen to my coach to tell me where the open spots were.”
Harweger said playing a tougher schedule last fall prepared the Cougars for the sectional and regional and that good practices led to big results.
“You’ve always got to practice how you’re going to play to get better,” she said. “Mentally, I always think I have to stay confident. I always have to stay positive. If I make a mistake, I just have to move on and have a good attitude. You have to always have the mindset that you’re going to be the team that’s going to go out there and win and give it your all and you’re not the team that’s going to lay down.”
Harweger said she enjoyed the fan support in the gym in both sports.
“I enjoyed the crowd and the environment,” she said. “Just getting to play at home is a great feeling to have all the fans come out and support you.”
The senior is preparing for her third season as the Cougars’ starting shortstop. She played third base her freshman season.
“Shortstop really tests you at points,” Harweger said. “It’s not always the easiest position to play because you have so much ground to cover. They kind of say the shortstop is the queen of the infield just like the center fielder is the queen of the outfield, so you have a lot of responsibility.
“You always have to know what base you’re going to cover. If there is a pop fly (into the outfield), I’ll normally run back until the outfielder calls me off. The wind affects the outfielders more when they’re judging fly balls.”
Harweger looks forward to batting leadoff again this season and said she enjoys slap hitting and hitting line drives.
“I do a mixture of both. I just kind of read where the defense is playing me, and then I decide from there,” Harweger said. “If the outfielders are playing me deep, I’ll try to hit it on the ground, and if they’re playing me really shallow, I’ll try to hit it over their head.”
She said the Cougars need to play solid defense this spring.
“We’ll definitely need to cut down on our defensive errors and work on the hitting a lot because we have some girls that have never played before,” Harweger said.
She said being counted on to fill a leadership role means a lot to her.
“It’s nice to know that everyone is looking up to you. You’ve kind of got to set the bar. It’s a nice honor to have,” Harweger said.
Harweger played travel ball for 10 years and will continue her softball career at Marian University next year.
She has enjoyed being a student at TLHS.
“I’ll definitely remember all the success of my career, and I’ll remember spending it with some of my closest friends,” Harweger said.
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Name: Savannah Harweger
High school: Trinity Lutheran
Parents: Ty and Gail Harweger
Sibling: Jack
Sports: Softball, four years; basketball, three years; volleyball, two years
Athletic highlights: Basketball, sectional champions 2018, Cougar aAward ’18, most improved ’16-’17, Tribune All-County; volleyball, sectional champions ’16 and ’19, academic all-state ’18, All-County honorable mention; softball, Cougar Award ’18, All-County three years, sectional champions ’16 and ’18, All-District three years, led county in batting average three years
Organizations: National Honor Society, student ambassadors, Culture Club, events team, Art Club, Zion Lutheran Church youth group
Plans after high school: Attend Marian University and play softball
Favorite food: Chicken
Favorite TV show: "One Tree Hill"
Favorite musician: Kenny Chesney
Favorite movie: "The Benchwarmers"
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