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SOFTBALL SIGNING: Salo, Cloutier College-Bound
 ESCANABA---Escanaba High School pitcher Gabi Salo made it official on Wednesday, signing a National Letter of Intent to attend and play softball at the University of Wisconsin. Later on Wednesday, Eskymo senior catcher Dakota Cloutier signed to play at Ferris State University. Salo had committed to Wisconsin as a freshman, but now, it's official. "It feels great," Salo said as her friends, family, and teammates gathered inside the Escanaba High School library for the signing event. "It's a day that you work for as a little kid. You see all these people signing all teh time, and you say, I want to do that. That's how I was. I wanted to sign somehwere big and somwhere that I absolutely loved." "That's why I chose Wisconsin."  "I will hopefully stay with that plan," Salo smiled. "I really like nursing. It was just a perfect mix of athletics and academics. Everything they have there is perfect." Cloutier joins a Bulldogs program that has recently included Delta County softball players Becca Piron (Escanaba) and Lexi Hongisto (Gladstone). "They went through a lot of different coaches in the past couple of years, but the coaches that are there now, I really liked, because they care about you as a person, not just for softball," Cloutier said. "They're really integral with helping the community and doing a lot of volunteer work, and I really like that. "And they're really big on grades. You have to have a certail GPA to play, which is more important than softball in the long run." Cloutier plans to study physical therapy at Ferris State. "I like the thought of being able to help people, and it's sports-related, kind of," Cloutier said. Before going off to Madison and Big Rapids, however, Salo and Cloutier will the battery as the Eskymos try to win their third straight MHSAA softball state championship next spring. Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box above to hear interviews with both girls, and see more photos and a video clip.  |
