Hall of Fame
Kayla Meacom came to Chowan in the Fall of 2001 where she played four successful seasons of softball under then-coach Meredith Long. The right handed hurler is the second all-time leading pitcher in program history in wins, earned run average, and strikeouts. During her four-year tenure, she helped the softball program to four winning seasons, a USA South Conference title, a NCCAA South Region Championship, and a NCCAA National Tournament appearance.
The Norfolk, Virginia native was a versatile player, who pitched, played the infield, and also carried a heavy bat. As the team’s most dominant pitcher over her four seasons, Kayla amassed 51 career wins in the Chowan Blue and White. She finished up her playing career with a .305 career batting average. In 2003 she helped pitch the way to a USA South Conference Regular Season Title. She tallied three double-digit winning seasons on the mound. Most notable was a 15-11 season she posted in 2005. Kayla’s presence on the mound helped the team to a 2005 NCCAA South Region Championship. The then-Braves dropped their first round game to Piedmont College 7-5 but battled back from the loser’s bracket to take the title, winning three games in a row on the same day. Kayla pitched near perfection in the title game for a 2-1 win over Palm Beach Atlantic University.
After helping the then-Braves to a NCCAA South Region Title in 2005, Kayla led the team to an appearance at the NCCAA National Tournament in Marion, Indiana. The team finished 1-2 in the tournament overall and 6th out of 12 teams nationally.
“Kayla was one of the toughest players I ever coached. If the game was on the line, not only did she want to be the one on the mound, her teammates and the coaches wanted the ball in her hand too,” stated Long. “She commanded the mound whenever she was on it.”
Kayla was named NCCAA All-South Region twice in her career as well as USA South All-Conference.
Kayla returned to work as an assistant softball coach in 2009. She staffed and developed the Hawks pitchers throughout the season. That year the program won the 2009 NCCAA South Region Tournament and earned a berth to the NCCAA National Tournament in Palm Beach, Florida.
Kayla graduated in 2006 with a B.S. in Sport Science. Currently Kayla serves as a Corporal in the City of Norfolk Sheriff’s Office. She resides in Norfolk, Virginia.
