Duluth gets Austin#039;s bulldog
Published 12:00 am Thursday, April 17, 2003
Amy Kelly knows nothing but full speed, unless she throws the changeup.
Austin High School's senior pitcher pledged her allegiance Wednesday afternoon to the University of Minnesota at Duluth by signing her national letter of intent to play college softball for the Bulldogs next fall. She will take with her an AHS record book she continues to make new marks in as the season progresses.
"If you put them side by side, she has to be one of the best players, pitchers, athletes Austin High as ever produced," said softball coach Todd Waterbury. "She's got a terrific work-ethic. There are very few athletes that put in as much time as she has, and not just in softball but in anything she does."
Kelly thanked her teammates, friends and family before inking her intent to play at UMD Wednesday at Austin High School. The Duluth Bulldogs play out of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference but have hinted at joining the North Central Conference, alongside the likes of St. Cloud State -- another one of Kelly's suitors.
"I really like it up there (in Duluth), but I didn't want to do the early signing in case something else came up," Kelly said. "It's been a long wait and I'm glad I've got it done with, and I'm looking forward to next year.
"Now I can kind of forget about this and relax a little bit and have fun with the senior season."
Kelly and the Packers are off to a 4-0 start in hopes of returning to the state tournament for the third time in the last four years, but relaxing is not something Kelly often does.
"I think I'm more relaxed this year," she said.
Kelly may have relaxed, but she hasn't let up. She already has set a number of career pitching records for AHS, and a few hitting statistics are soon to be hers as well. Kelly owns the career marks in strikeouts and shutouts, and the single-season records in strikouts and shutouts. She has three no-hitters to her credit and is closing in on the mark for career wins.
"The thing that probably impresses me the most about her, it doesn't matter what she's doing, whether it's basketball or softball, she may have signed her letter of intent for softball, but you look at that work-ethic, it doesn't matter if she does it in school or if it's one of her activities, it's nothing but everything," Waterbury said. "She gives everything that she possibly has.
"There's no half-speed. It's full speed in whatever she does."
Unless she throws the changeup.
Call Ross Thede at 434-2234 or e-mail him at :mailto:sports@austindailyherald.com.