PHILADELPHIA – The University of Pennsylvania's head softball coach, Leslie King, has announced her program's Class of 2026 recruits. Five young women—Dani Freer, Blake Landlow, Jade Montgomery, Delaney Smith, and Kelly Zybura—will arrive on campus later this month and join the Quakers as freshmen in preparation for the 2023 season this spring.

"We are excited to welcome the Penn Softball Class of 2026 to campus this fall," said King, who enters her 20th season at the helm. "It is an athletic and balanced class with great club ball experience. We add depth to the pitching ranks with tall right-hander Kelly Zybura; a left-handed power hitter in catcher Delaney Smith; a speedy lefty outfielder in Blake Landow; and great defense and hitting prowess in infielders Jade Montgomery & Dani Freer. All are accomplished student-athletes who are ready to contribute to the team immediately both on and off the field. I'm excited to see them in action in Penn Park!"
 
Meet the Penn Softball Class of 2026:

DANI FREER
East Greenville, Pa. | Upper Perkiomen
5-7 | Infield
High School: Played four years of varsity softball at Upper Perkiomen in Pennsburg, Pa. … Served as the team captain for her junior and senior seasons … Three-time Frontier Division champs … Posted a .400 career batting average, .440 on-base percentage, 85 total hits, 58 RBI, and seven home runs … First Team PAC (2022) … Second Team PAC (2019 & 2021) … First Team All-Area (2022) … All-Area Honorable Mention (2021) … Team MVP (2022) … Played club softball for Rock Gold Way (2020-22): Placed Third in USA Nationals (2021 & 2022), EC Bullets (2016-2020), Sting (2012-16) … Reeder Athlete Award/Scholarship … UPHS Senior Athletic Award.
 
Personal:  Daughter of Lisa and Richard Freer … Brother, Jesse, played football at Lycoming College (2012-14) … Enrolled in the Wharton School of Business.

Why Penn? I chose Penn because of the amazing coaching staff, the city life, and as the exceptional academic opportunity."
 
BLAKE LANDOW
Wayne, Pa. | The Baldwin School
5-5 | Outfield
High School: Played softball, volleyball, and ran track at The Baldwin School in Bryn Mawr … Served as the softball team captain for the 2022 season … Was named the softball team's MVP in 2022 … Varsity softball Inter-Ac champions … In 66 high school games, she posted a .521 average with 113 hits, 30 walks, 71 stolen bases and scored 91 runs … Played club softball for PA Chaos 18u Gold – Spina (2020-22): Third Place in IDT Boulder (Colo.), PA Chaos 18u Gold – Scarpato (2019-20), PA Chaos 16u (2018-19), Delco Diamonds (2016-18).
 
Personal: Daughter of Arlyn (Katzen) and S. Robert Landow … Second-generation Penn Softball student-athlete, as her mother, Arlyn was a member of the team from 1996-98 … Enrolled in the College of Arts and Sciences.
 
Why Penn? "I love the balance between strong academics and a competitive, but also tight-knit softball team."
 
JADE MONTGOMERY
Buford, Ga. | Mill Creek
5-2 | Infield
High School: Gwinnett County 7A Region champion and All-Area selection (2018) … Played club for five years with EC Bullets Montgomery … Named one of the top 100 players in the country by FloSoftball and Extra Innings … National Honor Society member.

Personal: Daughter of Jenean and Joe Montgomery … Father, Joe was a running back at Ohio State and a second-round draft pick in 1999 of the New York Giants … Enrolled in the College of Arts and Sciences.
 
Why Penn? "I chose Penn because of the intense academic rigor as well as the competitive athletic culture. When I stepped on campus, it truly felt like a home away from home. From the welcoming coaches to the closeness of the team's atmosphere, Penn felt like a place where I could be challenged academically and athletically while still being welcomed for who I am as a person and an athlete."
 
DELANEY SMITH
Lancaster, Pa. | Manheim Township
5-4 | Catcher
High School:  Two-time all-league (C) … All-state (1B) … Hit over .500 and slugged over .900 as a senior … Played club softball for the PA Strikers National Hayes for seven years … Fast Pitch Network's 27th-ranked catcher nationally … National Honor Society member.
 
Personal: Daughter of Jill and Jeff Smith … Sister, Lacey, played softball at Virginia (2016-19), setting the program's single-season home run mark in 2019 with 15 … Enrolled in the College of Arts and Sciences.
 
Why Penn? "I chose Penn because of the great mix of athletics and academics. I also loved how close the team is and their chemistry. The team works extremely hard and everyone at Penn is ambitious and determined."

KELLY ZYBURA
Scotts Valley, Calif. | Archbishop Mitty
5-11 | Pitcher (RHP)
High School:  Four-year varsity letter winner in softball at Archbishop Mitty … Posted a 0.96 ERA with 67 strikeouts in 72.2 innings pitched … Central Coast Section winner (2019, runner-up (2022) … NorCal Regional quarterfinalist (2022) … First-team West Catholic Athletic League (2022) … Second-team All-Bay Area (2022) … Played club softball for Warrior Academy-McDonald (2021-22): Third Place Triple Crown Nationals (2022), Fifth Place Colorado Sparkler Power Pool (2022) … Suncats-Jimenez (2020-21): Alliance Q Bracket Champions (2021) … Central California Dirtdogs-Pickering (2015-19): Third Place PGF Premier (2019) … Principal's Honor Roll (Fall 2018-Spring 2022) … National Honor Society member … California Scholarship Federation (CSF) member.
 
Personal: Daughter of Kathy and Mike Zybura … Father played baseball at Michigan … Cousin, Chrissy Mayer, played soccer at Cornell (2016-20) … Cousin, Tom Mayer, plays baseball at the College of William & Mary … Enrolled in the Wharton School of Business.
 
Why Penn? "I grew up visiting Philadelphia and Penn for family holidays and fell in love with the Penn campus and the spirit of its community. The flexibility of the Wharton curriculum enables me to chart my own career path. I am honored to be part of a premier University while playing the sport I love."