Jayme Halfhill and Alexandra Miklos began playing softball together as far back as grade school.

The North Huntingdon residents went their separate ways in high school -- Halfhill attending Serra Catholic and Miklos playing for Norwin.

The pair were reunited when each became a member of the Pittsburgh Predators 18-and-under travel team in 2007.

Recently, they found themselves together again on the softball diamond, sharing it with many of the top high school players in the country.

Miklos and Halfhill participated in the 15th annual Queen of Diamonds Showcase North Jan. 5 and 6 at Kent State University in Ohio.

The event is the largest college showcase of its kind for high school-age players in North America. There were more than 2,500 applicants from 33 states and Canada, with only 225 being selected.

Predators coach Brian Eshbaugh urged Halfhill and Miklos to apply for the showcase. It was the second year in a row that Halfhill made it.

"Only a handful of sophomores made it last year, and I was one of them. It gave me an advantage this year because I knew what to expect," Halfhill said.

"I've been working hard for this for many years, and this was my year to show everybody what I could do."

The Queen of Diamonds Showcase is designed to give players -- mostly high school juniors and seniors -- the opportunity to demonstrate their skills in front of college coaches who might be recruiting them.

"The athlete that makes the QDSN cut is a very special player," showcase director Kirt Whiteside said. "College coaches from around the country have reviewed profiles of athletes that have been selected to the QDSN or will attend this event in person to review these future collegiate stars."

Players attended position-specific skills sessions the first day, followed by exhibition games Saturday and Sunday. Participants also had a chance to get some at-bats in the batting cage against top-level pitchers.

"I was told there were more than 800 college coaches there," Miklos said.

Players were divided into 24 teams, and each squad played one 50-minute game Saturday and another Sunday at Kent State's indoor facility.

Halfhill, a second baseman, was selected as her team's most valuable player in its first game after she doubled, singled, walked, stole two bases and turned a pair of double plays, one unassisted.

Her team won its first game and tied the second. Halfhill was involved in two more double plays in the second game.

Miklos' team went 2-0 in its two games. She had one at-bat in each game and singled both times at the plate.

"Once I knew my teammates, I was comfortable. We played well together. We've stayed in touch, and some of us are still e-mailing each other," Miklos said. "The director (Whiteside) told us we shouldn't be upset if we didn't get a hit all weekend because the pitching is so good.

"It was exciting to know I can play at the same level as girls who are going to be college players. Some of them already have scholarships."

Halfhill has been a starter for Serra Catholic since she was a freshman. She put up some impressive numbers as a sophomore in 2007, hitting .575 with a .750 on-base percentage, a .998 fielding percentage and 28 stolen bases.

She has been chosen to play for the U.S. team that will play in the World Cup in the Netherlands in 2009.

Miklos became a starter at first base as a sophomore for Norwin, batting .340 with a .414 on-base percentage and a slugging percentage of .345.

She also plays the outfield and pitches. Miklos hopes the Queen of Diamonds Showcase brings her one step closer to her ultimate goal.

"I really want to play in college," she said. "If I can get a scholarship somewhere, that's what I want to do."

Halfhill shares the dream.

"I want to go as far with softball as I possibly can."