WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah — Around West Valley City, people know them as “the twins.”
Leila Aiono and Izabella Mailo, two Hunter High School students, aren’t actually related, but growing up, their coach mixed up the two softball athletes so often that the nickname stuck.
“The coach came up to me and gave me a high five and held my hand and said good pitching and it was Leila pitching,” Mailo, a sophomore, said through a laugh. “I just said thank you and walked away and Leila got nothing.”
“My hard work for nothing!” Aiona, a junior, said through a laugh.
“I was like, ‘fun! I’ve never had a twin,’” Mailo added.
“As soon as she swings the bat, I know it’s over, bro. She has that poly power and it just gets that adrenaline going because if she can do it, then I can do it,” Aiono said.
Now, their hard work and “poly power” is getting recognized nationally.
The two are headed to Miami in November for the Power Showcase. It’s a competition that highlights amateur baseball’s biggest young hitters, many of whom later play college ball or are drafted professionally, according to the event's site.
Aiona and Mailo are a part of its first class of female softball athletes. Only 44 female high school athletes nationwide were chosen.
Mailo, as a freshman, hit 25 home runs, placing her second overall in the state of Utah and first place nationally for the class of 2029. She was awarded the 5A Region IV MVP, First Team All-State, and Academic All-Region.
Aiono, as a sophomore, hit 16 varsity home runs, which placed her fifth overall in the state and first place in the sophomore class of Utah. She was awarded First Team All-Region and All-State Honorable Mention.
They've set up a GoFundMe for help with travel expenses and registration fees.
For “the twins” it’s about more than getting Utah softball players on the map.
“It’s a great feeling to know that I pushed myself with hard work all these years to be seen and to represent my community, my heritage, my family, my school,” Mailo said.
