This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated.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.
Considering Paige Reimann's recent run of success, it's kind of hard to imagine the days when she was a freshman backup just waiting for her chance to have a starting role with the Bingham Miners.
But she remembers.
"I feel old," Reimann said. "It seems like it was just a couple of days ago."
At one time, Reimann was the heir apparent behind current BYU pitcher Tori Almond at Bingham. When Almond graduated from high school, Reimann shared the pitching duties her sophomore year before taking over as the Miners' ace her junior and senior seasons.
It's fair to say that Reimann filled the vacuum quite nicely. She finished her senior campaign with a 23-4 mark and a 2.05 ERA. Moreover, Reimann swung a dangerous bat in the Bingham lineup with six home runs to lead the team. She batted .424 and drove in 40 runs.
Reimann has an undeniable toughness on the field, but those close to her say she's not all that tough.
"She's an easygoing person," Bingham coach Mikki Jackson said. "They [her teammates] consider her very approachable. She's a teddy bear inside.
"I can't believe she's done with us already. She had huge shoes to fill, and she did a great job for us."
Bingham's run in the Class 5A state tournament ended one rung short on the ladder when Copper Hills beat the Miners to capture the championship.
"It's not what we wanted, but it's pretty good to finish second," said Reimann, who plans to attend Salt Lake Community College in the fall.
Now it's time for Reimann to prepare to make the leap to another level — this time, college softball. And it's probably a good thing she remembers her transition into high school ball like it was a few days ago because the lessons learned back then will be applied again.
"I've got to work hard and prove myself," Reimann said.