St. Cloud State Softball Team Starts Season Remembering Former Member Who Died from Cancer

(KNSI) – The St. Cloud State University Softball Team opens the season this weekend by remembering ex-player Kelly Laas.

Former coach Paula U’Ren describes the outfielder as having a magnetic personality that teammates gravitated towards. They called Laas “NASCAR” because of her speed, which played a critical factor in discovering she had ovarian cancer in the spring of 2010.

U’Ren recalls when they first began to suspect something was wrong. “She was running for a ball and collided with her teammate on the outfield. And it was such a violent hit, she actually was knocked unconscious. We had to take her to the hospital. A couple of days, maybe, after that happened, one of her teammates sent me a note and said, you know, hey, I’m in class with Kelly, and something’s just not right.”

Laas was taken to the trainer and then made another trip to the hospital. U’Ren says a teammate went with her this time and called her coach later that evening to warn her that Laas was extremely sick and that her parents had been called in from the Chicago area.

Laas was treated at Mayo Clinic, even returning to campus that fall. She died in March of the next year at 22 years old. U’Ren says both the diagnosis and the death hit hard as they happened in-season.

“Her parents called and said you need to come and say goodbye to Kelly. So, myself and a couple of her close teammates, we drove to Chicago and spent some time with her. And then she passed away shortly thereafter, and they had her funeral while we were in Florida. We actually had to play a game on the day of her funeral. I mean, it was tough to get through that game.”

U’Ren says she wasn’t sure if the team should even make the trip for their spring games 13 years ago, but she consulted with the Laas family and then-Athletic Director Sue Becker, who had to deal with a similar situation. A SCSU softball player died from cancer in the 1990s as well. Both said to take the field.

U’Ren says she was hopeful the tournament name would last after COVID disruptions and her stepping down, but it wasn’t a guarantee. She is glad that Kelly’s memory will continue to be honored.

Laas’ teammates continue to support cancer research efforts. In the past, a portion of the proceeds from the tournament was donated as well. U’Ren hopes giving to find a cure can be started up again in the years to come.

___