Air Academy product etches name in Air Force women’s basketball record book as a freshman
Kassady Huffman’s record-setting performance Wednesday was the first of what her coach expects to be many in her Air Force career.
Huffman, a Colorado Springs native who attended Air Academy and Air Force prep, blocked six shots against Nevada to establish a single-game mark for the Falcons.
She broke a mark of five that she shared with several others.
“She has an uncanny instinct. Her timing is just really good, and she’s long,” coach Chris Gobrecht said of the 6-foot-2 freshman. “We have seen her do this from the first day she started practicing. She gets to balls and has a real knack for being in the right place at the right time. I think she’ll definitely set the record, and this is only the beginning.”
Huffman falls into two key categories that could help Air Force (2-15, 0-7 Mountain West) as its women’s team struggles to find success in the sport.
She is one of three local players, along with Venessannah Itugbu (Mesa Ridge) and Jenn Urbaniak (Palmer, out this season with a torn ACL).
“I think the local community enjoys that a lot and gets behind those kids,” Gobrecht said. “Every time one of them is introduced there’s a little bit louder cheer and it’s cool.”
Huffman is also one of three freshmen starters, joining Kailin Davis and Mariah Forde.
While Gobrecht likes what the experience will bring for the future, she said it can be frustrating that the team’s two best shooters – Davis and Forde – don’t have the opportunity to spend extra hours in the gym perfecting their shots. And for a team that shot under 36 percent in two five-point losses last week, a few extra made buckets could be the difference.
“They need to put the time in and there’s no place in America harder to find time in your freshman year than one of the service academies,” Gobrecht said.
But a luxury for the Falcons as they continue to navigate the issues of program-building under Gobrecht is Huffman’s ability to clean up mistakes with blocked shots.
“She’s going to be a really good player in this conference, I’m confident in that,” Gobrecht said.