The Temple of boom

Tending to cattle, helping with the rice harvest and checking up on the walnut trees were just a few of the responsibilities Courtney Norene had growing up on her family's ranch located on Forty Mile Road.

The 2005 Wheatland High graduate spent the majority of her time before high school as an avid member of 4-H, but every now and then snuck away to pursue her other passion.

While most of Norene's time in the family barn was spent taking care of horses, she and her father Gerald would dedicate their off-time to taking batting practice every day.

Norene wound up trading in her green 4-H vest for a Wheatland Pirates softball uniform and eventually became one of the most decorated players in school history.

After four All-Butte View League selections and leading the team to the school's first Northern Section championship in 2005, Norene received a four-year full-ride softball scholarship to Temple University in Philadelphia where she just finished her senior year with the Owls.

Philadelphia's population is about 400 times larger than Wheatland. And while Norene said the "City of Brotherly Love" doesn't necessarily live up to its name sometimes, her East Coast experience makes coming home even more special.

"At first I was completely lost and turned around," Norene said. "I never felt scared or intimidated though. I liked the fact that it was on the other side of the country and I wanted to see something new."

Norene garnered the attention of Division I scouts as a member of the California Chaos travel team, which she played on for seven summers.

In the summer of 2004, she was approached by Temple at a showcase in Las Vegas after she caught two games of a doubleheader.

Former Temple assistant coach Terri Adams liked Norene's intense approach to the game and invited her out to Philadelphia to see the campus.

Norene said she immediately fell in love with the program.

"I think I took the recruiting process a little too lightly though," Norene said. "(Temple) was a great opportunity to play Division I softball and get a first-class education."

While going to school in Philly, Norene made a little history.

She wasn't necessarily feeling the pressure like Hank Aaron in 1974, but Norene belted 10 homers in 2008 to become the school's all-time home run leader after recording her 22nd career roundtripper.

Norene finished her collegiate career with a .288 average, 28 homers and 94 RBIs, which ranks third on the career RBI list.

She spent the majority of her time at Temple at first base and was named to the All-Atlantic 10 team in 2008.

After breaking the record, Norene was honored with a special plaque commemorating the event.

"I don't pay attention to stats, but breaking the record was really cool," Norene said. "I hit (the record-breaker) in extra innings to win a game."

But Norene's influence wasn't just limited to on-the-field accolades.

She was twice named to the Atlantic-10 All Academic Team and made the Philadelphia Inquirer's Academic All-Area Team three times.

First-year Temple skipper Joe DiPietro lived in fear of Norene for three years while facing her as a coach with LaSalle University, which is located five miles away from Temple.

After taking the job at Temple, he wasn't sure how the players would respond to a rival coach taking over their program, but one of the first members of the Owl softball team to reach out to him was Norene.

"If I needed to send a message to the team I would call Courtney," DiPietro said. "I relied on her on-and-off the field. She was like the team mom. When there was an issue, she took care of it."

In Norene's first three seasons, the Owls went 36-37 in the Atlantic 10 under coach Casey Dickson, who took the head coaching position with Austin Peay following the 2008 season.

Temple went 6-8 in DiPietro's first season, but he said the coaching turnover didn't faze Norene one bit.

"She was always very positive and did whatever we asked of her," DiPietro said. "She always worked hard to make herself better."

That intense work ethic was something Norene grew up with and she continues to carry it with her to this day.

She will finish her bachelor's degree in kinesiology this semester at Temple and plans to attend Chico State to attempt her master's in adaptive physical education.

Wheatland High head coach Jim Vossler remembers how big of an impact Norene was on his team's 27-1 section championship team in 2005 and labeled her as the most talented player he ever coached.

"Even though she was the most talented player, she was also the hardest worker," Vossler said.

Norene hasn't ruled out the idea of staying involved in softball.

She said she may pursue a career as a high school coach and P.E. teacher, but has definitely had enough of the big city life.

Back home in Wheatland she says she's just a simple country girl, but in Philadelphia she's a home run champion.

And it all started by skipping some chores to hit softballs in the barn.

"I think it's her work ethic that sets her apart," Vossler said. "She has the natural talent, but works at everything. She's a good person and was a great teammate."