Everett’s Hudson commits to C. Michigan
Published 9:00 pm Monday, December 8, 2003
She’s played softball since she could walk. Now she’s got a chance to play four more years.
Everett third baseman Amy Hudson last week verbally committed to play fastpitch softball at Central Michigan University. A stalwart at third base for the Seagulls since her freshman year, Hudson will play either second or third base at CMU, which is located in Mount Pleasant, Mich.
“I’ve been thinking about playing in college since I was little,” said Hudson, who plans to sign an NCAA letter of intent during the spring signing period.
Hudson, who also plays basketball at Everett, and University of Washington-bound teammate Victoria Coury were part of arguably the best infield in the Western Conference South Division last season. Hudson set a school record as a junior with 38 hits. She batted .437 and reached base 58 percent of the time while batting second or third in the Seagulls’ order.
“She is the strongest defensive player I have ever coached,” said Margo Leiter, the former Lake Stevens High School softball coach and longtime coach of the Lake Breeze, Hudson’s select fastpitch team. “Her softball savvy is unbelievable.”
Hudson estimates she first picked up a bat at age 1. Her father, Ken Hudson, a youth baseball coach, worked with her further back than her memory goes.
“I’ve taken a lot of ground balls from my dad”, said Hudson, the oldest of six children. “He’s helped me out a lot.”
Hudson, who will be an Everett team captain along with Coury in the spring, took official visits to Kentucky, Portland State and Albany. She also visited Brigham Young.
Oak Harbor graduate honored: Brett Waller, a 2000 graduate of Oak Harbor High School and now a senior at the United States Air Force Academy, was named last week to the second team All-Mountain West football squad as an offensive tackle. He is a 6-foot-7, 280-pound two-year starter for the Falcons. As a high school player for Oak Harbor, he was an All-Wesco offensive tackle and defensive end.
Gridiron Legends selected: Drew Bledsoe, Steve Emtman, Mark Rypien, Ahmad Rashad and Jack Thompson have been voted the “Washington Legends of the Gridiron.” More than 12,000 fans cast votes on the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association Web site between Aug. 20 and Nov. 20, according to the WIAA. The “Washington Legends of the Gridiron” contest provided prep football fans the opportunity to select five legendary football players from a list of 18 nominees who played high school football in the state of Washington.
Hammer gains ground: The hammer throw has been added to the National Youth Championships and will be added to the National Junior Olympic Championships in 2007. The decisions were made last week at the USA Track and Field conference in North Carolina. The hammer is not currently sanctioned as an official high school sport in most states, including Washington.
