Not only has she broken barriers as a baseball pitcher for West High, she’s also among the school’s most decorated students.
West Anchorage’s Athena Clendaniel pitches the ball to an Eagle River batter during their game at Bartlett High School in Anchorage on April 22. Balancing athletics and academics can be a difficult enough task. Excelling in both arenas is an even greater challenge.
Her passion for baseball was ignited when she was 5 years old, after her dad signed her up for T-ball. Athena Clendaniel walks to the dugout alongside her West Anchorage High School teammates after shaking hands with the Eagle River baseball team after their game at Bartlett High School in Anchorage on April 22.
“I kind of naturally fell into that leadership role as a captain, and this year I know we have the talent to win games, do well and hopefully make it to state,” Clendaniel said. “I’m hoping that I can inspire some greatness out of these guys and get us some W’s on the field.” “Just some friendly heckling, and I actually kind of enjoy it because I think that it means that the guys respect me,” Clendaniel said. “Some teams heckle other pitchers and not me, and that’s fine too, but when they heckle me I actually enjoy it. I really haven’t faced any negative comments from opposing teams and coaches.
Despite her love for the game, she never strongly considered making it a priority as she transitioned out of high school. As a left-handed pitcher, she takes that interest in the mental approach to her own game. After games, she spends time thinking about what worked, what didn’t work and which specific hitters do well with certain pitches.
“There was 25 to 30 girls there, and some of them never played baseball before — they were going the softball route and were pretty excited,” Kreischer said. “By the time they left, the Anchorage little league had more girls sign up than they had in the last five years, so the impact is immediate for what she’s doing.”
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