The Home Run Queen: How Wingate’s Savanna Brooks Became a Softball Legend

Savanna Brooks grew up just 10 minutes from Wingate University, watching her favorite softball team play. Now, after an incredible career, she’s a legend in her own right, holding the all-time home run record at the very school that inspired her.

Brooks’ journey from local fan to program leader is a story of more than just athletic success. In addition to crushing records in RBIs and slugging percentage, she excelled in the classroom, graduating with her bachelor’s degree in just three years and earning a spot in her master’s program.

Her success wasn’t without a major setback. A season-ending knee injury in high school forced her to step away from the game. But through physical therapy and hard work, she found a new purpose: helping others. Inspired by her own recovery, Brooks decided to major in exercise science with the goal of becoming a physical therapist.

Her commitment to both academics and athletics, along with her faith, made her a leader on and off the field. Head coach Jamie Stanclift credits Brooks with inspiring the team’s motto, “44”—short for “For Him and For Her”—a reminder to play for God and for each other.

Now that her career is over, Brooks will be returning to Wingate to pursue her master’s degree in physical therapy. Her legacy lives on not only in the record books but in a new team award created in her honor. She is a reminder that a true champion inspires others, proving that you can always go back home and be a leader.