The Palomar Athletics Department has chosen Mackenzie Lefebvre as the Comet of the Week.
Via Instagram, the Palomar Athletics Department chooses student athletes that have made recent outstanding achievements. Comet of the Week is a way to congratulate and recognize those students. Click here to view this week’s post.
Mackenzie Lefebvre, #34, is a hitter, catcher, and plays first base on the Palomar softball team. She has been chosen because she hit her first career grand slam against Chaffey College leading her team to a victory. She also hit a 2-run home run against Santa Ana College on Feb. 11.
When asked about how it felt to be named Comet of the Week she said, “I wasn’t really expecting it, I just go out on the field everyday, I put 120% into everything and if it happens it happens,” via a phone interview.
Her success thus far is impressive considering this is her first year playing college level softball.
As for how the transition from high school to college softball feels, Lefebvre said, “It’s really different, practice is a lot more tense and we get a lot more work at college than in high school.”
In a phone interview Lefebvre’s coach, Lacey Craft, acknowledges that Lefebvre is new to college softball.
“Mackenzie is a freshman, she is not very vocal yet… but she is one of the biggest threats in our line-up, when she is at the plate our team knows anything can happen. She is gaining confidence & it is fun to see her grow into a tougher player mentally.”
Lefebvre says her drive for softball comes from, “My love for the game, I’m a very competitive person and it gives me an outlet to be competitive and I’ve kind of been playing for my whole life…so I fell in love with the game over the years.”
Lefebvre maintains a very humble and positive outlook on her success and achievements which is a trait Craft admires.
“Mackenzie is a great student-athlete, she’s highly organized, hard-working and has a great attitude. She picks up her teammates and has a positive personality on our team,” said Craft.
Craft also acknowledges Lefebvre’s success so far.
Craft stated, “Mackenzie has had a significant impact on our season so far – she brings a powerful bat to the team and she is a threat at the plate. She has hit 4 homeruns already this season and has driven in 15 runs so far. She has the ability to change the game with one swing due to her power.”
Overall Craft’s hopes for the new season are high and her team is ready to be successful with the help of Lefebvre.
“Coming off a long drought, missing the 2021 season and more than half of the 2020 season, our goal is to re-establish our tradition and standards with a brand new team. Every year our goal is to win a Pacific Coast Conference title and advance into the postseason. I am looking forward to having our athletes that stuck it out through the COVID shutdowns finally have the chance to get out on the field and compete as Comets this season!” Coach Craft said.
The softball team is currently on a 6 game winning streak and are hoping to win their next game against Southwestern College on March 4th.
If you want to see Lefebvre in action and support the Palomar Softball team you can find their schedule here and watch them take on their next opponent.