Rock Hill, S.C. – Winthrop junior softball player
Emmy Cardenas and
Raegan Hornung recently received the 2026 Team IMPACT National Teammate of the Year award.
Emmy and Raegan were among five finalists vying for the award and learned on Mar. 13 that they were the recipients of the honor. Raegan recently traveled to Boston, Mass. for the Team IMPACT Game Day Gala to receive the National Teammate of the Year award in person and sat in for a interview that included NCAA President Charlie Baker.
Team IMPACT national, non-profit organization that matches children facing serious illness and disability with college sports teams, creating a long-term, life-changing experience for everyone involved.
Raegan submitted her name with Team IMPACT and was matched with the Winthrop softball team and had her official signing day on Feb. 3, 2025. Raegan is a 5
th grader at Bethel Elementary in Clover, S.C.
Recently Emmy and Raegan have been getting a lot more attention, having been featured in D1Softball.com and more recently a feature on WCNC Charlotte. The WCNC feature was also posted on sports.yahoo.com.
Cardenas is enjoying the best season of her career and has played a key role in the success of the team this season. She is from La Jolla, Calif. and has been a member of the team for three years. Cardenas is working toward a degree in biology with a minor in psychology and is the co-president of Winthrop's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).
Links to related articles or videos below -
D1Softball.com
https://d1softball.com/major-impact-winthrops-life-changing-teammate/
WCNC Charlotte
https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/local/south-carolina-fifth-grader-honored-by-winthrops-softball-team/275-0c36b42b-a9da-4a9c-abcc-1b37919ec48b
Team IMPACT Teammate of the Year Nomination Video
https://youtu.be/Ynce2D23Rv0
