Madi Wilson was voted Suffolk News-Herald Player of the Week after a week where she went 7-10 with four RBIs, five runs and a two-run home run.

Wilson, a senior for the Nansemond-Suffolk Academy softball team, has been having a remarkable senior season so far. She is a part of an NSA team that is contending for a state championship and currently has only two losses. She is one of the senior leaders on the team and has been an integral part of the Lady Saints’ success the past couple of years.

Last week, the senior was efficient from the plate, collecting seven hits out of 10 at-bat appearances and even hitting a two-run home run. She felt good about her performance and feels even better that it helped her team win games.

“It has been a really great year, and our team has done very well,” she said. “I have had a lot of fun with the team, and I am looking forward to the rest of our tournament games. I definitely wanted to make this year as memorable as possible, because I really love NSA softball and I wanted to make my last season the best it could be.”

For her senior season, her main goal was to come in and finish what the team started last season. They fell in the state semifinal game last year, and they are hoping to get over that hump this year. She also wanted to find a way to get on base when she is hitting and turn in solid plays in the field.

Her teammates and coaches motivate her to be the best player she can be every time she steps on the field. Family is important to her, and they inspire her as well. Wilson also holds her coach, Brittany Thornburg, in high regard. Thornburg is someone she looks up to and also one of her favorite athletes. Her coach thinks highly of her as well.

“She is everything a coach could ever ask for,” Thornburg said of Wilson. “She stays late, asks for extra reps, shags balls for others to take extra reps; the list goes on. She is a true team leader, and I’ve had the pleasure of coaching her the last five years. She is the backbone of the team.”

As a leader on the team, Wilson has enjoyed being able to be around so much talent and be a role model for the team.

“I just really want to be a positive role model for the girls younger than me and help them become the best athletes and people they can be.”

Next fall, she will be attending the University of Virginia with a chance to play NCAA Division I softball. With the success and reputation of NSA’s softball team the last few years, she believes that standard and work ethic will transfer over into college, which could be an advantage for her.

She is also enrolled in the rigorous nursing program. However, Wilson is accepting the challenge of playing a Division I sport while also succeeding in a nursing program.