Storm to Firestorm: Cleveland's Montoya commits to ACU Softball

RIO RANCHO — “This is kind of a reward.”

Storm softball pitcher Julia Montoya’s latest achievement isn’t in the form of a trophy or a plaque but rather a verbal commitment.

In November, Montoya announced her commitment to Arizona Christian University to continue her softball career after graduation from Cleveland High School.

“I definitely focused a lot on Arizona Christian. It matched everything that I was wanting and looking for, and I had a good experience with the girls and the coaches when I went out there,” Montoya said. “So, it kind of made it a pretty easy decision once I got offered.”

An easy decision made easier, since collegiate softball has always been the goal in Montoya’s journey on the diamond, a journey that began in the early days of elementary school.

“I've been playing softball since, I think, third grade,” Montoya said. “I kind of always knew I wanted to play in college. It's always been so much fun for me, it's always been such a big part of my life. It definitely became a conversation once in high school about going to college and being able to use it (softball) as a resource to go out of state or for new opportunities.”

Montoya’s new out-of-state opportunities will involve joining a Firestorm team that has GSAC conference title experience and NAIA postseason history, despite the program only beginning in 2013.

ACU will be adding a two-way player who earned an all-district honorable mention last year, gearing up for a big senior campaign now with some weight off her shoulders.

“Now that the decision's been made, I feel like there's not so much stress thinking about where I'm going to go in the future, and now I can just be more excited to just play and enjoy my last season,” Montoya said. “Taking it all in with all the girls and just experiencing everything for the last time, knowing that everything is handled, it is a very calming feeling.”

While calm now, that was not always the case for the Storm senior, diving into the deep end of a college recruiting process that she was not familiar with.

“It was very overwhelming at first; there's so much to do. I'm the oldest daughter in my family, so my family and I have never gone through the whole recruiting process or anything like that,” Montoya said. “But a big help was definitely my high school coach (Angel Castillo). He told me to reach out to Arizona Christian and that they were looking for someone in my same position.”

With some help from Castillo, Montoya stumbled upon a school that checked all her boxes, on and off the pitcher’s mound.

“I definitely wanted to go to a Christian school, and I was interested in going out of state, but still somewhere that was pretty close to home,” Montoya said. “I reached out to Arizona Christian, and then the coach replied pretty quickly. I went out for a camp and a visit the next month, and I just ended up falling in love with it.”

With her decision now made, it is becoming more and more surreal that her once-dream is becoming a reality.

“It's crazy to think that in a year I'll be moving to a different state and meeting new people and doing new things,” Montoya said. “It's definitely rewarding and very exciting as well. Just how far I've come and what the journey has brought me to, and that I've stuck with it. It's definitely exciting for sure.”

Now getting to savor the moment and celebrate the achievement, Montoya had some words of wisdom for the future collegiate players soon to follow her path.

“Just make as many relationships with your teammates and coaches as you can,” Montoya said. “But don’t be too stressed about it (the college process), though. Remember that your worth isn't in your sport or where you go and what you do, but remember that this is just kind of a reward and a fun opportunity, a stepping stone throughout your whole life. So just make sure to really take it all in and commit to it, to make sure you really love what you're doing.”