Megan Blank Has Sparked Marymount Softball

Her high school career now behind her, it is a time of reflection for Culver City resident , star shortstop of the Marymount High varsity softball team.  

The Sailors' season ended in a second round loss in the CIF Southern Section Division 6 playoffs and though her leadership will be missed at the all-girls school across the street from UCLA's campus, Blank will now take her talents to the University of Iowa. 

In Blank's sophomore season the Sailors won 24 games and beat Pasadena La Salle to win the Division 6 championship. Last year, they won 24 games and lost to La Salle in the Division 6 final. The team moved up to Division 5 this year and tied for its fifth straight Sunshine League crown. 

An All-CIF shortstop, Blank earned league MVP honors as a freshman and junior and has signed a letter of intent with the Hawkeyes. She started her senior season on fire, batting .647 with nine runs, 11 hits, seven RBIs and a 1.059 slugging percentage through the team's . 

he Sailors' strength of schedule rivals that of any school in the Southern Section. They have already played Division III powerhouses Manhattan Beach Mira Costa, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame and Alemany, as well as Bonita, the top-ranked team in Division II.

Marymount opened the season with a seventh-place finish at the Palm Springs Tournament where it blanked Division III Palmdale 14-0 and routed Division I Riverside North, 8-3. After playing in back-to-back Division VI finals, the Sailors were moved up to Division V this spring.

"Other than our two pitchers [ and ], Megan was the only player we had with travel ball experience this season," Marymount Coach Dave Clark said. "All three have to go to Orange County to play in the summer, fall and winter. That's how Megan got her scholarship to college."  

In November, Iowa Coach Marla Looper announced that Blank signed a National Letter of Intent to attend the university in the fall. Blank thus became the first recruit to sign under Looper and her new coaching staff.

"We are excited to have Megan join the Hawkeye family," Looper said. "She will give us depth on the left side of the plate as well as in the infield. She has some big shoes to fill at shortstop, but I feelshe has the ability to do that."

Blank is a second team National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-Region pick and was named Sunshine League as a freshman and junior. She is a three-time team co-captain. Blank batted .578 as a freshman, .517 as a sophomore, .512 as a junior and .545 as a senior. She ended her prep career with 13 home runs, 94 RBIs, 153 runs and 129 stolen bases.

Blank played ASA-affiliated softball for the Strike Force 18 Gold Strike Force and the 16U Victory USA teams that competed in the ASA Gold National tournaments.

Blank's father James was born and raised in Iowa City and her mother, grandfathers, great grandfather, aunts and uncles are all Iowa graduates.

"She has a bright future and is a great competitor," Clark said of Blank. "She has done so much for our program."