Four years ago, McKynlee Westman departed for the East Coast with the kind of opportunity few receive — the chance to play in the Ivy League and attend one of the nation’s pinnacles of higher education.

Suffice to say she made the most of her opportunities.

Westman, a Smithville alumna, recently received her diploma from Yale after serving as captain of the softball team during her senior season with the Bulldogs. Though her playing days are behind her, she reflected on her college years with pride.

“It was truly amazing,” Westman said. “Looking back now and kind of talking to my friends at home, I feel really lucky to be able to go to Yale.”

Heading to the Ivy League was never in Westman’s original plan when she wrapped up her playing days at Smithville High School. But she caught the eye of Yale’s head coach while playing with her club team at a traveling tournament and hardly hesitated when she was offered the chance to play for the Bulldogs.

More than anything, she was thrilled to be able to attend an institution that opened its doors in 1701 and is among the most competitive universities in the nation.

“I definitely wanted to challenge myself. I wanted to go to a great academic institution,” Westman said. “And if that meant I couldn’t play softball, so be it. It really helped narrow down my choices. I guess I was focusing more on academics more going into college.”

Once she stepped foot on the New Haven, Conn., campus, it didn’t take her long to find out why the school’s admission standards were so rigorous.

Westman said she struggled to keep afloat in the academic tide, but she was able to rise to the challenge every time — both in the classroom and on the field.

“It’s a place of huge tradition,” Westman said. “The people I’ve met there and the good (experiences) we’ve had were really neat to be a part of. On the other hand, the school’s pace was one of the most humbling experiences of my life.

“Almost every semester was a unique challenge. I was never 100 percent sure I was going to make it over every hurdle. I always did, but it made me appreciate it a lot more.”

More than 1,300 miles away from Smithville, Westman always seemed to feel at home on the diamond, though.

She started 24 games as a freshman, mainly as the team’s catcher, and increased that number to 33 the following season. Westman took a huge step up her junior season and received the team’s Most Improved Player Award after hitting .321 in Ivy League play and being named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District I second team.

Entering her final season, she was voted captain by her teammates — a role that takes on great significance in a tradition-rich program such as Yale. Even with her increased duties to the team, she managed to raise her game even further and made honorable mention on the All-Ivy team, as well as a Capital One Academic All-District I first-team selection.

“It was a huge honor,” Westman said. “It was a great feeling knowing that the majority of them felt like I was the best person to lead the team. That made it a little bit difficult, going from just a player and teammate and friend to taking on more of an administrative role.

“It was a huge role. It’s hard work. But I was very proud to do it.”

With the help of her play and leadership, the Bulldogs improved to 17 wins this past season and had a winning record at home. Westman said her time in Smithville under former head coach Steve Tingler helped prepare her to play at the Division I level.

Despite the conclusion of her playing days, Westman’s journey is far from over. She returned to Smithville for a short while after graduating in May with a Biology degree and will soon head for the West Coast for a restaurant training job in California’s Napa Valley. From there, she hopes her training will lead her to yet another exciting destination after a few months.

After experiencing the whirlwind thrill ride of Division I athletics and the rigors of Ivy League academics, though, she said she’s prepared to handle anything that’s thrown her way.

“Knowing how big my hopes and dreams were coming out of high school and having accomplished those pretty much feels great,” Westman said. “… I’ll be a nomad, but I’m excited to experience some new cities and see what the real world looks like.”

Sports writer Andy Meyer can be reached at 389-6652 or andymeyer@npgco.com.