Diane (Eicholtz) Fort graduated from Vicksburg High School in 1988 when the softball team she played on was ranked 7th in the state. The team lost in the regionals to 4th-ranked Delton-Kellogg. She married Adam Fort and stayed in the community to raise her family and teach at Vicksburg High School until 2009. They have a daughter, Jena, who was also a good athlete, and sons Caleb and Ryan, who played lacrosse. “We raised three Bulldogs and are proud of it,” Fort said.
“My dad was a big influence on me as he was very involved in fast pitch softball. We were like field rats, always at the ball diamond every weekend. I was a tomboy growing up,” Fort said. “My first coach when I was seven was Terry Coburn and we won a championship. Mike Wunderlin and Zeke Zakarias were other coaches who had a big part of my learning to play softball. Our championship 1988 team had seven seniors who were all good players including Coach Gwyn Evans, Toni Boelman, Patti Clark, Kris Baker, Lynn Robertson, Tracy Pillar, Shannon Miller, Sue Fleckenstein, Julie Simons, Terri Cooley, Julie Zakarias, Darcy Hayward and Fort. Darcy’s mom Mary Ann was the scorekeeper all those years.”
Fort is now the program coordinator for Education for Employment at the Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency. She has been a member of the Vicksburg Lions Club for several years, helping out in the community that helped raise her.
Following is her list of accomplishments as listed on the plaque that honors her:
Earned five Varsity Letters – Basketball 3- Softball 2
Susan Little Best Female Athlete Award Winner 1988
Best Defensive Player Award Winner in Basketball 1987
Wolverine All-Conference in Softball 1988
Selected MHSAA All-Region Team in Softball 1988
Selected MHSAA All-District Team in Softball 1988
Selected to the MHSAA East-West All Star Game 1988
Earned 3rd Team All-State honors 1988
Set the VHS Single Season Home Run Record (9) 1988
Senior Season Batting Average of .453
Selected to Play in the Midwest Elite Softball Tournament 1988
Earned a Bachelor of Business Arts degree from Western Michigan University 1992
Earned a Master of Arts degree in Education from WMU 2008
Vicksburg High School Business Teacher 2002-2009