For the second consecutive season, a recent Potomac State alum and standout softball phenom, Skyla Compton, has been recognized among the nation’s elite, recently earning NFCA NJCAA Division II Second Team All-America honors, as announced by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association.
The announcement was one that caught even the recipient a little off guard.
“To be honest, I was in disbelief,” Compton said. “I knew I was a good player, but I didn’t know I was capable of this. I didn’t realize the extent of what I had done, and I still don’t think I realized it. I don’t think it has hit me completely.”
Compton said she sees herself simply as a “player who tries to do her best.”
“I am a pretty humble person, so I think it was a matter of convincing myself to believe that this really happened,” she said.
Compton becomes one of just nine student-athletes nationwide to repeat as an NFCA NJCAA Division II All-American in 2026. She was joined on the list by student-athletes from Des Moines Area, Itawamba, LSU-Eunice, and Murray State College. Overall, 36 players from 15 institutions were selected across the NFCA's two All-America teams.
The prestigious honor is voted on by coaches throughout each region and selected by the NFCA NJCAA Division II All-America Committee. Student-athletes must first be nominated by their NFCA-member head coach and earn All-Region recognition before advancing to the national ballot.
Oddly, softball was not Compton’s first choice when it came to athletic endeavors. She said she came to the sport later than most players.
“I started playing when I was around 12. I know other girls who started when they were four and five years old. I didn’t start until later. I actually discovered softball after playing football and basketball. I got injured playing football, and I wasn’t any good at basketball, so I tried softball and it stuck.”
Not only did it “stick,” it became what Compton calls her “happy place.’
“The softball field feels like a place where I can be myself,” she said. “When I am on the field, it is just me and the ball.”
She is a resident of Bunker Hill, WV, and a graduate of James Woods High School in Winchester, VA. While she attended PSC, she served as a coach and mentor to young players – girls in the Mineral County community who took summer camps or wanted additional guidance on the field while playing on various teams for their age groups.
“I loved mentoring and coaching those young athletes, and I loved seeing them take advantage of opportunities that I never had,” she said. “I like seeing the younger girls take advantage of things at an age where they can and seeing their parents being supportive of that. I have met a lot of young girls – up-and-coming players – through mentoring. I wish I had been able to do some of the things they get to do. I really did enjoy that.”
Compton’s selection comes after another historic offensive campaign for the Catamounts. The sophomore appeared in 39 games and established herself as one of the most dangerous hitters in junior college softball, batting .533 while posting a remarkable 1.213 slugging percentage and .604 on-base percentage.
She finished the season with 65 hits, 58 runs scored, 15 doubles, four triples, 20 home runs, and 72 RBI. Compton also added 20 stolen bases while striking out only five times in 144 plate appearances.
Her 20 home runs and 72 RBI ranked among the nation's leaders throughout the season and helped power Potomac State to another successful campaign, culminating in an NJCAA Region 20 Runner-Up finish.
Defensively, Compton was equally reliable, recording a .979 fielding percentage with 42 putouts, five assists, and just one error in 48 total chances.
The back-to-back All-America distinction further solidifies Compton’s place among the most accomplished players in Potomac State softball history. Over the last two seasons, she has earned multiple postseason honors while helping elevate the Catamount program on both the regional and national stages.
Compton’s selection also marks Potomac State’s lone representative on the 2026 NFCA NJCAA Division II All-America teams and one of only four selections from the NJCAA Division II East Region.
Athletic Director Mandi Larkin had high praise for the student-athlete.
“She is the first player in school history to get NJCAA AND NFCA All-American status in a year. She was also NFCA last year,” Larkin said. “She is a future Hall-of-Famer for sure. She is a great student. And she comes from the most successful softball team in the WVU system.”
The NFCA serves as the professional organization for fastpitch softball coaches and is nationally recognized for its All-America awards, coaching education initiatives, events, and support of more than 7,000 softball coaches across all levels of the sport.
While she graduated from Potomac State College in May with her associate’s degree in civil engineering, she plans to continue her education and pursue her master’s degree in sports engineering at WVU in Morgantown this fall.
“There are a lot of things I could do with a degree like that. I am hoping to get into creating a new line of bats for softball or working with new athletic equipment and health-related equipment. All of that will go hand-in-hand with the degree I got at Potomac State,” Compton said.
As far as continuing to impress spectators with her prowess on the softball field, Compton said the athletic aspect of her education might be on hold for a while.
“I’m not sure how active I will be with softball once I get to WVU,” she said. “It depends on where my career path takes me. Once I get to a spot where I feel comfortable with my career, I would love to make a return to the sport. And maybe then get into coaching. I guess you just never know where life will take you.”