With a last name like Smith, it’s not always easy to stand out in the crowd.
But the Smith sisters are well on their way to inking their names in the record book for Air Academy softball — and the family's latest leader, Angela, is no exception.
Inspired by her older sister, Amanda, and cousins, Cassidy and Megan Horn, playing in navy and silver, Angela aimed to add herself to the growing list of family members leading the Kadets to success.
As a freshman, Angela was taken under the wing of Amanda, who as a senior led the Kadets to the state tournament, and aspired to do the same for her sister Ava, a freshman this year.
Angela Smith
Four years later her goal became reality.
Angela helped Air Academy complete an 11-5 regular season, a 5A/4A PPAC title, and the program’s first appearance in the state tournament since her freshman year.
“My family has grown and developed (at Air Academy),” Smith said. “And I wanted to continue that experience, and that kind of motivated me to keep going.”
Since 2010, Air Academy has advanced to state three times, each with the help of a Smith sister.
While her leadership and competitive fire sparked the Kadets, Angela's efforts were also noticeable at the state level, finishing her senior year ranked seventh in the state with a .673 batting average. She knocked in 27 runs for the Kadets and led with 15 extra-base hits for a 1.082 slugging percentage, and didn’t strike out during the regular season.
While Air Academy was eliminated from the state tournament in the first round, Smith’s efforts through the unconventional 2020 season earned her the title of Gazette Preps Softball Peak Performer of the Year.
Smith started her career playing club softball before joining the Kadets, fueling her competitive fire. But Smith, who was flipped from first base to shortstop for high school, said playing with Air Academy is a way for her to relax and just have fun.
“I like getting more action and I like laying out to make the plays,” she said. “I have a very calm mental state, and I know I’m going to play all out wherever I am because that’s all I can do to help my team.”
Smith attributes her calm mentality, which extends to every part of the field — with the exception when she eagerly waits for an upcoming pitch — to her growth at shortstop.
“I don’t let errors or strikeouts get to my head because if I do, I know it’ll offset my whole game, and I know I’ll get a chance to redeem myself,” Smith said. “So when I moved to shortstop my freshman year the older girls knew they could push me to be better because they know I could handle it, and I think that really helped motivate me to become better.”
Now, Smith is one of the top high school shortstops in the area with a .861 fielding percentage, 15 assists and just five errors in her senior year.
The Kadets suffered three straight crushing losses without Smith in the lineup this season, adding more weight to the senior captain’s duty to inspire and lead — but she takes it on without a second thought.
“I do feel the pressure because I know I am a big part of the team, just like everyone else. When one of us is taken off the field it throws off our game and makes it difficult for everyone to adjust,” Smith said. “I know the girls look up to me and I take a lot of pride in that, so I try to present myself in a way that they can look up to and be a good example, but in a lot of ways I look up to them too because they keep me positive and motivate me to do the best I can.”
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December 15, 2020 at 10:06AM
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Gazette Preps 2020 Softball Peak Performer of the Year: Angela Smith, Air Academy - Colorado Springs Gazette
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