Greensburg Salem grad Claire Oberdorf honored as Marist's co-Sports Person of the Year

Even though she made it look easy, Claire Oberdorf doesn’t own a copyright notice for playing two sports at a Division I school.

The taxing feat has been done before and probably will be attempted again.

She owned the endeavor, nonetheless. But here is what sets her apart from the others: One might be hard-pressed to find a school that recognizes and cherishes the dual impact of one of its departing seniors more than Marist.

Oberdorf, a Greensburg Salem graduate, left a lasting impression in Dutchess County, N.Y., with her versatility and jumper-cable energy on the softball field and basketball court.

The recent accolades she will take with her symbolize the respect she garnered from her coaches and peers, despite a shortened career.

A redshirt senior, Oberdorf won Marist’s co-Sports Person of the Year Award, joining fellow basketball player Rebekha Hand, and Oberdorf also was the recipient of the Advantage Individual Strength & Conditioning Award.

“Without a doubt, she is the epitome of what I look for in a softball player,” Marist softball coach Joe Ausanio said. “Off the field, she is the most caring, sweetest lady I have ever met. On the field, she is the most tenacious. Losing isn’t an option.”

With most of her final softball season erased by the coronavirus pandemic, Oberdorf had to close the door on her college career prematurely, and with some angst.

“It was definitely odd the way the season ended,” said Oberdorf, who played in 19 games before the NCAA canceled the remainder of the spring sports season in March. “My team and I were all packed up ready to go on spring break, and that same day we were told to pack up everything and get home as soon as possible because the season is over. It was extremely upsetting to end my career like that but more upsetting because as a team, the expectations for this season were to win it all, and I knew we could.”

She might have been on the trail to a career season. With a .379 batting average, 16 runs, three home runs and 14 RBIs, she was leading the Red Foxes (10-9) in most offensive categories.

Oberdorf also started at three positions: third base, second base and catcher.

She had a 4-for-4 game and scored three times against Fairleigh Dickinson and, a day later, had five RBIs in a come-from-behind, 5-4 win over Delaware State.

“Every kid I recruit from this point forward, I can hope, will be as good as (Oberdorf),” Ausanio said.

While she missed her sophomore year with an injury, Oberdorf made 53 starts last season — 35 as a catcher — and had 27 RBIs and a 15-game hitting streak.

When she was a freshman, she led the team with a .376 average, hit seven homers and knocked in 39 runs.

Basketball started as a favor, sort of. A key guard was injured, so the basketball staff looked for a stopgap. They knew Oberdorf was a good player in high school, so they recruited her.

All the 5-foot-6 guard did was start 18 games as a freshman and 32 in her second season — when she averaged 10.5 points and 5.2 rebounds.

“Lately I have been asking myself, ‘how the heck were you able to do that?’ and, ‘how did it all go by in a blink of an eye?’ ” she said. ”But I’m definitely proud of the work I put in to get the job done athletically and academically for five years, and I can remember every single memory I made along the way. Marist is a special place, and I am extremely thankful that I was given the opportunity to play two Division I sports and to be able to succeed academically.”

This past basketball season, which also was sawed off by the pandemic, she was playing a little less (7.5 minutes a night) but contributed to the team’s 26-4 record.

The Red Foxes were in the semifinals of the Mid-American Conference Tournament when play was stopped.

A potential NCAA Tournament bid vanished.

“I don’t know if there is going to be anyone else like (Oberdorf) that can play two sports and play them as well as she did and with the heart and soul that she did,” Marist basketball coach Brian Giorgis said.

A silver lining for Oberdorf during the covid-19 era has been spending time with family. Her sister, Jayne, also played softball at Marist, alongside her for a time. Jayne was a standout pitcher.

Their brother, Jack, is a freshman baseball player at Seton Hill.

“Since I’ve been home, I couldn’t be happier spending time with my family,” Claire Oberdorf said. “I really haven’t seen them for this amount of time in five years because of sports.”

Oberdorf has the chance to play a sixth year of softball in 2021 but decided instead to pivot toward the workforce.

She will begin a job with BNY Mellon next month.

“I gave it my all for four years at Greensburg Salem and five at Marist, playing both sports that mean so much to me,” she said. “I enjoyed every second competing for both schools and for all my coaches and teammates. But as I graduate (Saturday) and look forward to my next phase, I couldn’t be happier and more excited.”

Thank you Coach Suma and @MaristAthletics!! I got so much stronger over five years with your guidance! Still working on that power clean??‍♀️??? https://t.co/CgR4l58vD9

— Claire Oberdorf (@OberdorfClaire) May 19, 2020

*ᵃʰᵉᵐ* We're proud to announce ??? Female Sportsperson of the Year winners for 2020!!! Congratulations to Rebekah Hand and Claire Oberdorf of @MaristWBB (x2) and @MaristSoftball! #GoRedFoxes pic.twitter.com/KyDyFjjtn4

— Marist Athletics (@MaristAthletics) May 21, 2020