Douglas High’s Talia Tretton delivers a pitch, during the 2024 season. Tretton, who won her second Nevada Gatorade softball Player of the Year award, has her name littered on the NIAA’s all-time record book for her play over her career.
Photo by Ron Harpin.
You would be hard-pressed to try and find an athlete as accomplished as Douglas High’s Talia Tretton in the school’s history.
There are all sorts of Tiger alumni who have gone on to achieve remarkable feats, but if you narrow the scope to just their time in high school, Tretton is likely at (or very near) the top of the list.
The outgoing senior finished off her record-setting career with her second Gatorade state softball Player of the Year award, becoming the first player in the state to win the award back-to-back times since 2007-08.
She is the only two-time winner, regardless of sport, in Douglas history.
She helped guide the Tigers to three straight state title games, winning the 2023 state championship — the program’s first since 1992.
Tretton’s prep career concluded with her third consecutive Class 5A North Player of the Year award after striking out 373 hitters.
She also posted a .493 career batting average at the high school level.
Next season, Tretton will be competing against some of the best fellow softball players in the country at the University of Iowa.
Meanwhile, her final week in high school has finally allowed the standout athlete to reminisce on her time in a Tiger uniform.
NOTEWORTHY ACCOMPLISHMENTS
It was bittersweet to end her career with a second-place finish in Las Vegas at the 2024 state softball tournament.
Naturally, the competitive future Hawkeye was solely focused on winning another state title.
In the weeks since the loss, Tretton has been able to step back and remark on exactly what she was able to accomplish on the field.
“Though we only won state once, but we’ve been there three times — a lot of teams can’t even say they made it to state,” said Tretton. “… I am super proud of what we’ve done here.”
She will have her name littered throughout the NIAA record book between her work in the circle and at the plate.
Tretton finished off her high school career with 853 total strikeouts, the seventh-most in NIAA history.
What makes the feat even more mind-boggling is she split the workload as a sophomore and a junior, and had a shortened freshman campaign (18 total games) due to the pandemic.
Her favorite memory is, of course, winning the 2023 Class 5A state title.
“Even though it was last year, I’ve never had a happier feeling than that. It was so surreal and winning that with all my super close friends,” said Tretton.
She’s been a steadfast member in the community, spending time coaching and instructing in both softball and basketball.
“I think it’s important to have the kids to look up to high schoolers. We are a lot older than they are and it’s nice that they have that kind of role model,” Tretton said. “I love doing that.”
LASTING LEGACY
There isn’t a need to speculate on her future honors, like the school’s Hall of Fame or even the NIAA Hall of Fame. Those will be all but a certainty in time.
Anything less would be an oversight.
Her immediate focus is on how she can set herself up for more success at the next level.
“I think for my first year I just want to go there and try to work as hard as I can. I want to get as much playing time as I can get and we will see what happens after that,” said Tretton.
She’s been open about her role models, pointing to Kali Sargent and Dena Pitts, locally, alongside some of the premier softball talent in the country like Jennie Finch.
Her longtime love of collegiate softball will be a guide as she steps into one of the country’s premier conferences.
“I want to be where they are at (on a national level),” said Tretton. “Around here, I have always looked up to Kali and Dena from pitching with them every single week.”
She’s seen what it takes to succeed, competing on a travel ball team out of Texas against some of the best players in the country.
“I am trying to do anything I can do to be better than somebody else across the country. There is always somebody better than you, but I strive to try to be better than them,” she said.
Tretton has plenty of time to make her mark on a new state.
The love of softball in Iowa can rival that of any spot in the country.
Even in starting a new chapter, Tretton’s lasting legacy at Douglas High School will carry on long into the future.
TRETTON’S CAREER STATS, RECORDS
• 1.61 ERA over 508 career innings
• 853 career strikeouts: 7th all-time for NIAA
• 32 wins in 2024 — tied 2nd all-time in a single season
• 373 strikeouts in 2024 — 3rd all-time in a single season
• 17 shutouts in 2024 — 4th all-time in a single season
• 31 career shutouts — tied 4th all-time
• 33 consecutive shutout innings in 2024 — tied 6th all-time
• 34 career home runs — tied 14th all-time
• 14 home runs in 2023 — tied 7th for a single season
• Career .493 batting average, .561 on-base percentage, .905 slugging percentage, 1.467 OPS
• 41 doubles
• 155 RBI in 120 career games played
• Helped Douglas to a 27-game winning streak from 2023 to 2024 — tied 4th all-time