OGLE COUNTY — Two Ogle County softball standouts are looking to take their talents overseas and compete against some of the best high school softball players on a global stage.
Polo junior Cheyenna Wilkins and Forreston junior Aubrey Sanders are two of a select group of high school softball players in Illinois who have been selected to participate in The Cup, an annual indoor softball tournament held in the Netherlands that features some of the best young players in the world. Wilkins and Sanders, who both compete for the Midwest Aftershock softball club, are raising money in order to make the trip abroad and represent the United States.
“Playing in the Netherlands was an experience I will never forget,” said Sanders, who participated in the 2024 edition of The Cup as a member of the USA Avengers. “I was so proud to be able to represent my country over there and I will never forget the level of experience that I witnessed while I was there. It was truly amazing and it meant so much that I got to go.”
The Cup is an annual softball tournament that has existed for over 25 years. The tournament is hosted in Schiedam, Netherlands and features elite high school athletes from several European countries including the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, Belgium, France, Spain, Poland, Sweden, Denmark and the Czech Republic. The next edition of The Cup will be held from Jan. 17-19, 2025 and 16 teams will play a total of 48 games over a three-day period.
“I am looking to raise money to help contribute to the traveling and hotel expenses while there,” Wilkins said. “This experience means a lot to me as it will bring my softball skills to a higher level as I will be playing against some of the most elite players around the world.”
Both Wilkins and Sanders have been playing softball for most of their lives. Wilkins began playing softball when she was in fifth grade, eventually starting travel softball in seventh grade. The Polo junior is in her third year with the high school softball program and is primarily used as a pitcher and an outfielder. Wilkins is also in her third year with the Midwest Aftershock.
Some of her favorite softball memories include earning All-Conference First Team honors as a sophomore and helping her travel team win a USSSA National Championship last year.
“I enjoy spending time with my teammates during both high school and travel softball,” Wilkins said. “This sport has also taught me a lot of life lessons like teamwork and discipline.”
Sanders began playing softball when she was 5 years old and joined her first travel team when she was 8 years old. The Forreston junior has played varsity softball since 2022 and has been with the Midwest Aftershock for the last two years. Sanders, who plays multiple positions including pitcher, third base, first base and outfield, was a member of the Forreston team that took third at the IHSA State Championships in 2022 and won an IHSA Regional in 2023.
“The things I enjoy the most about the sport are the connections and relationships I have with other players and their parents, coaches and the community,” Sanders said. “More times than not, I get to see many past and present players and coaches during high school softball. These are relationships that I will have for the rest of my life. Through playing softball, I have learned the importance of teamwork, sportsmanship and respect for the game, athletes and coaches.”
Wilkins is currently accepting donations via Venmo (https://venmo.com/u/Chey-Netherlands-25 last four digits 5050) and Cashapp (https://cash.app/$cheynetherlands25). Donations to Wilkins can also be made directly to First State Bank with the memo “Cheyenna Netherlands 2025”. First State Bank is located at 211 S. Division Ave. in Polo with the zip code of 61064.
Donations for Sanders can be made via Venmo at https://venmo.com/u/Aubrey-Sanders-25. All donations made to Sanders and Wilkins will help fund their travel costs to compete overseas.
