In her four years at Kent County High School, Michelle Rodney, who earned a total of eight varsity letters in volleyball, basketball and softball, consistently demonstrated that she knew how to play hurt.
Bum knees, bad ankles and pleurisy triple-teamed her during the softball season in her senior year, and still the all-star catcher missed only one game for the 9-8 Trojans.
That kind of dedication, combined with leadership, team spirit and selfless play, led to Michelle’s selection as KCHS’ outstanding female sportsman in the Class of 1998.
Michelle was one of five athletes inducted into Kent County High School’s Hall of Fame on Saturday, Oct. 18. The Evening Enterprise is telling their stories, one at a time, in the order of their year of graduation.
The late Mary Fisher, a 2023 Hall of Fame inductee, was Michelle’s high school volleyball and softball coach and the athletic director at the same time.
In a 1998 interview, Fisher said this about Michelle: “Anytime she can participate, she will. If not, she feels like she is hurting the team. That’s why she goes so hard. She’s always concerned about letting others down. That’s why she puts herself through so much misery.”
“Michelle has tremendous spirit and puts a lot of pride into her athletics,” Fisher said. “I’ve been here [at KCHS] for 27 years, and Michelle is one of those kids I’ll never forget.”
What easily could have been a forgettable junior year for Michelle, as her volleyball and softball teams combined for a 5-30 record in 1996-97, instead was a lesson in humility and how to be gracious in defeat.
She was instrumental in turnaround seasons for both programs in 1997-98.
On her way to an all-star season in volleyball for the 11-5 Trojans in the fall of 1997, and a second straight year as the team’s most valuable player, Michelle led Kent with 88 aces and 25 blocks and was second on the squad with 224 kills.
But what is more memorable is the way Michelle ended the season — on the court, playing like a champ despite obvious pain, in a regional semifinal loss at Bohemia Manor.
In what would be her final high school volleyball match, Michelle landed on her knee while diving for a ball in the second set. Although the injury was serious enough that she would be on crutches the next morning, Michelle pleaded with coach Fisher to remain in the match.
“Fish” gave in, and allowed Michelle to stay on the court.
The two-time first-team All-Mid-Shore hitter recorded 14 kills and contributed in lots of other ways in a performance that coach Fisher described as “heroic.”
Michelle served up three straight aces in the third set — to help the Trojans to a 16-14 win — and later slammed home a big hit to deny Bo Manor its first match point.
The youngest of three sisters, Michelle said she “worked so hard at sports because I wanted to do my own thing.”
“I wanted my own identity,” she said.
Her high school resume included membership in the National Honor Society; recipient of a Coach’s Choice Award [for softball], presented in each sport to the student who combines athletic ability, sportsmanship and a strong competitive spirit; and recipient of the Maryland Army National Guard Scholar Athlete Award, presented to the male and female athlete who display courage and poise on and off the playing field.
Michelle would go on to a hall of fame career at Washington College, where she was the first softball player to earn All-Centennial Conference recognition in each of her four years — punctuated by a first-team All-CC nod in her senior year when she hit a conference-best .432, slugged .514 and swiped a conference-leading 15 stolen bases.
She also earned All-Eastern College Athletic Conference and All-East Region honors and was a team captain and two-time team MVP.
Michelle still holds the school record of 44 career stolen bases.
Her 10 career home runs and 89 career runs scored were both school records when she graduated.
She hit .383 for her career with a .562 slugging percentage.
In 379 career at bats, she struck out just 29 times.
Michelle graduated from Washington College with a major in political science and a minor in pre-law.
She worked in the physical therapy field for nine years, followed by 11 years as a paralegal.
Now semi-retired, she continues to live in her hometown of Rock Hall.
