This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
One of the great things about Salem Hills softball standout Kirtlyn Bohling, according to her coach, is that she easily can shrug off something pretty quickly.
High praise or big accomplishments don't go to her head. Something undesirable fails to keep Bohling from keeping on track.
That was especially useful in her position as the ace pitcher for the Skyhawks during the season.
"She's got a short memory," Salem Hills coach Renae Kinghorn said. "She doesn't dwell on a bad call. Whether striking out the side or getting a bad call to walk somebody, she just brushes it off."
But don't get the idea that everything is neutral for Bohling, who just completed her junior year.
She toed the rubber for the Skyhawks when Salem Hills lost to Roy in the Class 4A state championship two years ago. And she was back in the circle last month when she pitched the Skyhawks to the 4A state title.
The second title game experience was sweetened by her previous experience on the big stage.
"I kind of know both sides of that championship picture," said Bohling, who verbally committed to Salt Lake Community College. "It was nerve-racking, but it was fun."
"If you asked her, she would say she didn't pitch very good," Kinghorn said. "Normally she strikes out 11 batters a game, but she got ground balls and fly balls, which is just as good."
It's back to the normal regimen of school work — she carries a 4.0 GPA — and a little tennis in the fall for Bohling. But underlying it all is softball, which is a year-round endeavor for her. She finished the season with a 24-2 pitching mark and also recorded a .466 batting average.
She knows next season will come with high hopes for Salem Hills, which returns nearly everyone from its state championship team.
"You can't get cocky," Bohling said. "You need to be humble. If we work hard, we should be able to do well."