Runners rule the roost at Air Academy with 5 signing college letters
There’s pretty much only one time every year when the student body, coaches and teachers at Air Academy High School can finally catch up to the top senior runners before heading off to college.
It’s when the runners aren’t running.
The Kadets hosted their annual signing celebration in the school’s auditorium on April 24, stretching together tables that spanned the stage as 19 seniors were honored for earning college scholarships.
Five members of the school’s track and cross-country teams had places on stage, the most of any athletics program at the school.
“We’re just blessed to have the caliber of athletes that we have,” Kadets cross-country and track coach Chuck Schwartz said. “We have a lot of tradition in our programs, and we’re hoping to build on that tradition as well. The five who signed, they definitely made their mark.”
The handful of AAHS runners included Cal Banta (Colorado State), Paige Embaugh (Toledo), Jessica Luedtke (Neb.-Omaha), MacKenzie Moss (UNLV) and Dillon Powell (Colorado School of Mines).
“This is special, and it means a lot,” Banta said. “I’ve always looked up to all the guys who are in my position now. We’ve always had a strong program. The bar has been set high. It’s been my goal to be up there on signing day, to be recognized the way they were. I couldn’t be happier.”
Fourteen other students were just as happy.
The girls’ soccer program had four up on stage in Baylee Barnes (Fort Hays State), Liza Louthan and Zoe Sims (UCCS) and Hayden Smith (Colorado Christian).
Three Kadets football players signed NLIs: Bailey Badwound (Black Hills State), Mike Midkiff (Syracuse as a preferred walk-on) and Kyle Pope (CSU-Pueblo).
Two baseball players (Grant Dudden and Grant Shandy as a preferred walk-ons at Northeastern and Augustana College, respectively), joined swimmers Griffin Ayotte (Queens College of Charlotte) and Aleks Olesiak (Iowa), along with Cori Campbell (women’s tennis to Oklahoma Wesleyan), Katy Cooley (ice hockey to Wis.-River Falls) and Sheridan Wayne (softball to Lamar Community College).
The sheer number of signees did make for one restriction to keep the ceremony from spilling into the rest of the school day.
“They only gave me 90 seconds per kid,” Schwartz said. “That makes you condense what you want to say to their biggest highlights. But it also speaks to the fact we had so many other sports represented, too. You had to hustle up because there were so many kids up there. Everyone looks forward to this day, and it’s something that is really exciting for the parents, kids and coaches. I’m proud to be part of it.”
Cal Banta, left, and Dillon Powell of Air Academy race in Coronado’s annual Cougar Classic Cross Country Invitational in 2016 in Monument Valley Park. Both runners signed letters of intent to compete at the collegiate level last week.
On April 22, Air Academy High School’s auditorium staged its annual college signing party with 19 seniors taking part.
Air Academy’s Paige Embaugh celebrates with Jessica Luedke after taking 4th in the Girls 4A race at the 2017 CHSAA state cross country meet at the Norris-Penrose Event Center. Both runners signed letters of intent to race at the collegiate level last week.