EDITOR'S NOTE: The Swnews4u.com Athlete of the Week is a web-only feature that will publish each Thursday or Friday throughout the calendar year.

By Jason Nihles, The Platteville Journal, Fennimore Times, Boscobel Dial

Kayahna Furrer, Fennimore, P/IF, Tri-State Team Heat 16U Red
DENVER, Colo. — Fennimore's Kayahna Furrer had a monster tournament to lead the Tri-State Team Heat 16U Red to a 5–2–1 finish at the recent Colorado 4th of July Tournament in Denver.

Dubbed the “World’s Largest Youth Fastpitch Softball Tournament”, this year’s event featured more than 1,100 teams and more than 16,000 players in multiple divisions ages 12U, 14U, 16U and 18U. More than 600 college coaches were also on hand to get a look at the next generation of future college stars.

In eight games, Furrer batted an incredible .769 (20-for-26) with six doubles, nine home runs, 17 RBI, 18 runs and two walks to power the Heat offense, which outscored its opponents 54–19 in four pool play games to open the tournament. She also went 1–1 with a team-low 2.55 ERA and 13 strikeouts in 11 innings over three starts.

Furrer and Team Heat played in the 16U Sparkler Open Division, which featured 235 teams in 40 pools. To advanced to the championship portion of the 16U Sparkler a team had to finish either first or second in its six-team pool.

Team Heat opened pool play with a 12–12 tie against the Oklahoma Athletics Wednesday, July 2, before bouncing back less than an hour later with a dominating 12–2 win over Firecrackers Brashear, a team from South San Diego, Calif. Team Heat then beat Texas Glory, 10–5, and the Seattle Spice (Wash.) 20–0 — both on Thursday, July 3 — to win pool LL with a 3–0–1 record. 

Team Heat advanced to play in 16U Sparkler Mt. Elbert Bracket for 1st and 2nd place pool finishers. The first and second place teams were then separated into eight 10-team double-elimination brackets for the next phase of the tournament. The winner and runner-up of each of the eight brackets advanced to the 16-team single elimination championship bracket, which was held Sunday, July 6 at Harold D. Lutz Sports Complex in Arvarda, Colo.

Team Heat earned one of the six first-round byes in bracket before beating the St. Louis Chaos, 8–7, on July 4 at 2 p.m. at Lutz Sports Complex. That evening Team Heat suffered a 9–8 loss to Bambinas2627 from Ecleto, Texas. Team Heat stayed alive with a 10–4 victory over GenuWin Reign in Romeoville, Ill., but was eliminated in its very next game of the afternoon, bye Pool D winner Oklahoma Bombers XO9 in extra innings, 5–4. 

Tri-State Team Heat finished fourth in Bracket H and tied for 25th–32nd place in the entire 235-team 16U Sparkler after going 5–2–1 overall.

Furrer and Team Heat 16U Red has traveled to Kansas City this week to play in the USA Elite Select World Fastpitch Championship July 15–20.