Montana softball player learns opposing-team player is her biological sister
Samantha Rensvold, 19, discovered her biological sister Kyann Dean, 18, when a teammate noticed the resemblance during a Montana softball tournament last August. The sisters, adopted by separate families, have since met, and the story was told in People and Inside Edition interviews.
1 / 2
The story, neutrally told
Mixed · 2Samantha Rensvold, 19, discovered she had a biological sister on the opposing team at a softball tournament in Montana last August, after a teammate pointed out that Kyann Dean, 18, looked like her. New York PostR “Samantha Rensvold, 19, was playing in a softball tournament in Belgrade, Mont., last August when a teammate noticed Kyann Dean, 18, on the opposing squad.” Read at New York Post ↗ The IndependentLC “Samantha Rensvold, 19, was playing in a softball tournament in Montana last August when her teammate noticed Kyann Dean, 18, on the opposing squad.” Read at The Independent ↗ Mixed · 2Rensvold, who is adopted, knew she had a younger biological sister but, because the adoption was closed, did not know where she was or what she looked like. New York PostR “Rensvold, who is adopted, knew she had a younger biological sister, but the closed adoption meant she didn’t know where her sister was or what she looked like.” Read at New York Post ↗ The IndependentLC “Rensvold, who is adopted, knew she had a younger, biological sister who had a closed adoption” Read at The Independent ↗ Mixed · 2She did not approach Dean after the game because she was not certain they were related, but after she told her mother about the resemblance they checked the tournament roster and found Dean's name, Kyann, which her mother knew was the name the birth mother had given the sister. New York PostR ““My mom knew that that’s what my birth mom named her,” Rensvold said.” Read at New York Post ↗ The IndependentLC ““We looked at the roster and she saw that her name was ‘Kyann,’” Rensvold said.” Read at The Independent ↗
Mixed · 2Rensvold's mother then approached Dean's family and the two families found that the girls' biological mother had the same name and that both girls were born at the same hospital. New York PostR “the two compared their adopted daughters’ biological mother’s name and the hospital where the girls were born, which matched.” Read at New York Post ↗ The IndependentLC “discovered that their adopted daughters’ biological mothers share the same name, and that both girls were born at the same hospital.” Read at The Independent ↗ Mixed · 2The New York Post says the families spoke at the tournament, while The Independent says it happened the next time the pair saw each other at a softball game. New York PostR “Rensvold’s mom approached Dean’s family at the tournament” Read at New York Post ↗ The IndependentLC “The next time they saw each other at a softball game, Rensvold’s mom approached Dean’s family” Read at The Independent ↗ Mixed · 2The sisters have not taken a DNA test. Rensvold said they did not know how to feel at first: "you’ve waited your whole lives for this moment." New York PostR “The sisters, who did not take a DNA test, were adopted as babies by separate families in Great Falls, Mont.” Read at New York Post ↗ The IndependentLC “The sisters, who haven't done a DNA test, were excited to find each other” Read at The Independent ↗
Mixed · 2Rensvold grew up in Polson, in northwest Montana, while Dean grew up 400 miles away in Worden. Their biological parents were 19 and 17 when Rensvold was born, and Rensvold said she does not know why they had two more children and gave both up for adoption. New York PostR “Rensvold grew up in Polson in the northwest part of the state while Dean lived 400 miles away in Worden.” Read at New York Post ↗ The IndependentLC “What I don’t know is why they had two more [children] and then gave them both up for adoption.”” Read at The Independent ↗ Mixed · 2The Independent adds that Rensvold first learned she had a sister from another biological sibling, a brother who tracked down her family. The New York Post adds that Montana law makes adoption proceedings confidential and sealed unless a court orders otherwise, citing the Adoptee Rights Law Center. The IndependentLC “Rensvold said she first discovered she had a sister from their other biological sibling, a brother who tracked down her family.” Read at The Independent ↗ New York PostR “Montana law makes adoption proceedings confidential and automatically sealed” Read at New York Post ↗ Mixed · 2The sisters share further similarities: both played high school volleyball, wore No. 6, played the same softball position, and have the same "little giggle." New York PostR “Both played volleyball in high school, both wore No. 6 and both played the same position.” Read at New York Post ↗ The IndependentLC “Both also played volleyball in high school, wore No. 6 and held the same position.” Read at The Independent ↗
Mixed · 2Rensvold now attends Spokane College in Washington state, and Dean attends college in North Dakota; the New York Post says Dean has since visited Rensvold's family. Rensvold told People it is "nice to be able to put a face to her," and said the meeting leaves no doubt or wonder in her mind. New York PostR “Dean attends college in North Dakota and recently visited Rensvold and her family at Spokane.” Read at New York Post ↗ The IndependentLC “it’s so nice to be able to put a face to her and to meet her, hang out with her.” Read at The Independent ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left1 outlet
- Framing
- The Independent tells it as a human-interest story of a teen finding a sister after spotting a near-identical rival player, sourced to People and Inside Edition.
- Emphasis
- The uncanny resemblance, the roster check, and how Rensvold first learned of her sister through a brother who tracked down her family.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not mention the Belgrade location, the video clip, the Parent Trap comparison, Montana's sealed-adoption law, or Dean's visit to Rensvold.
- Charged language
- “dead ringer”“uncanny resemblance”
- For example
-
“a teammate pointed out that a player on the opposing team was a dead ringer for her” — The Independent
Centre0 outlets
No centre outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Right1 outlet
- Framing
- The New York Post presents it as a feel-good story likened to the film The Parent Trap, with added context on Montana's sealed adoption law.
- Emphasis
- The Parent Trap comparison, the tournament video clip obtained by Inside Edition, Rensvold's college softball record, and Montana adoption confidentiality.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not mention the brother who tracked down the family.
- Charged language
- “long-lost sister”
- For example
-
“which compared the sisters’ unexpected meeting to the 1998 movie “The Parent Trap,” starring Lindsay Lohan.” — New York Post
What every side reports
- Samantha Rensvold, 19, and Kyann Dean, 18, are biological sisters adopted by separate families.
- A teammate noticed Dean on the opposing team at a Montana softball tournament last August.
- Rensvold's mother matched the birth mother's name and the hospital with Dean's family.
- The sisters have not taken a DNA test.
- Rensvold attends Spokane College and Dean attends college in North Dakota.
Where accounts differ
-
When Rensvold's mother approached Dean's family
- Left
- The next time the two saw each other at a softball game.
- Right
- At the tournament.
Left1 article
-
Teen discovers long-lost sister after spotting near-identical player on rival softball team
Sympathetic Warm human-interest account centred on the resemblance and the sisters' own quotes, with the brother detail.
Centre0 articles
No coverage yet.
Right1 article
-
Montana high school softball player discovers long-lost sister on opposing team
Sympathetic Warm human-interest account with a Parent Trap comparison and context on sealed adoptions in Montana.
- 8 Oct 07:32 First New York PostR Montana high school softball player discovers long-lost sister on opposing team
- 8 Oct 14:06 +6h 34m The IndependentLC Teen discovers long-lost sister after spotting near-identical player on rival softball team
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.