As a sophomore at Broken Bow High School, Addison Skelton has already packed a career’s worth of memories into a few days’ time span.
“My best sports memory would be the last week of my sophomore year. That week I competed in two separate state championships. On Wednesday my team won the 5A slow pitch state softball championship. On Saturday I ran a personal best in the 4A track state championship and placed 2nd in the 100m hurdles. These events were a showcase of how preparation and determination can lead to triumph.”
Preparation is the key to Skelton’s enjoyment of the competition. It allows her to focus on the moment of the event and just react.
“My favorite sport is track. I love running track because once you step to the starting line there is no thinking involved. You really just have to trust the work you have put in, your training, and then be aggressive.”
The hectic final week of school was emblematic of Addison’s spring semester as a dual-sport athlete.
“A challenge I faced this season was balancing the two parts of being a student-athlete. When playing two sports at once, you miss a lot of school. This means you complete a majority of assignments online while on a bus. It was a struggle, but through many long nights and the support of my family, I was able to persevere and maintain my GPA.”
Skelton is multi-talented beyond the track and softball field. An accomplished singer, she was 1st Runner-Up in the Miss Broken Bow Pageant and also qualified for the second round of All-State Choir.
Broken Bow track coach Duce Lee says of Addison “She’s a leader in practice, and she leads by example. She works as hard as anyone on the team.”
The sophomore star has no intention of slowing down.
“My plans for next year include to just keep working on being a better teammate, leader, and develop the skills to help Broken Bow succeed,” said Skelton. “But, the best piece advice I would give to a younger athlete would be to show up on time, work hard and have fun.”
Above her work ethic and talent, Addison attributes her success to her deep personal faith.
“To me, the most important characteristic to being successful is an unwavering faith in Christ. My faith in Christ has brought me through many trials and tribulations,” she said with heartfelt sincerity. “A verse that has carried me through my life is Psalms 55:22 “Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you.” With this mindset, success is not just about wins and losses.”
The example of her coach is a inspiration for Skelton.
“My role model is our head softball coach Jimmie Wyrick. He is actually the reason I want to become a coach,” Skelton said of her Broken Bow coach. “He models the unconditional love of Christ. His day-to-day life is showing me how to fight through difficult circumstances with a great attitude.”
Addison’s feet will not only keep moving at a blistering pace before she begins her junior year, they will take her to the other side of the planet.
“This summer I plan on working out to get stronger and improving the skills needed to perform well. I am also taking two college classes and working at Big Foot Speedway in Hochatown,” she said. “I also plan to go on a mission trip to Tanzania, Africa with my church in July.”
Skelton takes just a brief moment to reflect again on the whirlwind finale of her sophomore year.
“Switching gears from the state tournament to the state track meet was amazing. It was such an emotional high. It added to my confidence. I needed to rest physically and hydrate. It was such a fun run. I would love to have the chance to do it again!”
Switching gears seems to come naturally to Addison Skelton, and she always seems to be able to shift into a higher one.
