Samantha Smith voted top WDN Female Athlete

Smith tabbed WDN Female Athlete of the Year
By KEVIN TRAVIS, Sports Editor
Samantha Smith seemed to be everywhere this season. Maybe that’s because she made her presence known wherever she went.
The Washington Pam Pack star capped off a terrific season by being named the WDN Female Athlete of the Year.
“It feels great,” Smith said. “I can’t believe that I would win an award like this. To me, it feels really good to win this award.”
Smith excelled in basketball, volleyball and track for the Pam Pack. While she enjoyed playing each, Smith did have a favorite.
“Basketball was my favorite sport,” Smith said. “It’s something where I can express myself. I can go all out.
“It’s not an individual sport, but I can be more like myself in basketball than any other sport. I feel really good about how I played my senior year.”
Smith, who played in the post for Washington, was named to the WDN All-Area First Team. She dominated down low, pumping in 14 points and ripping down 12 rebounds per game.
Smith, called the “heart and soul” of the Pam Pack by her coach, Allison Jones, helped lead Washington to a 13-13 record. More importantly, she helped guide the Pack to a spot in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association Class 3-A state playoffs.
“That felt like I really accomplished something,” Smith said. “I felt like I accomplished one of my goals in life. Out of my four years of high school, I accomplished something to get that far.”
Smith said her favorite memory from basketball season came in a 45-41 win over Havelock during the first round of the Coastal Conference tournament. She finished with a game-high 17 points and 14 rebounds in the win. The victory gave Washington the third seed for the state playoffs.
“That game was so amazing,” Smith said. “It was amazing we actually beat that team.”
Smith earned honorable mention status on the WDN All-Area volleyball team. While the Pam Pack didn’t win a match all year, Smith said she had fun.
“Even though we didn’t win any games, I loved the game,” Smith said. “We played as a team. No matter win or lose, I still felt good about it.”
Smith finished her athletic career at Washington outdoors, helping the track team to some impressive showings.
Pam Pack track coach Jon Blank said he was happy he could work with Smith, and was pleased she was named the Female Athlete of the Year.
“Sam is a great choice,” Blank said. “This was the first year I really worked with her. I got a chance to see her leadership.
“She’s a super athlete and she brings the intangibles with her. She was a true role model to the younger athletes.”
Despite performing in track for just the second time, Smith qualified to the regional and state meets in the shot put and 100-meter hurdle events.
“I’m so glad I made it there (to the state meet),” Smith said. “That was a big accomplishment since this was just my second year doing track.”
Smith won the Coastal Conference championship with a toss of 33 feet, 7 inches in the shot put event. She also took third in the hurdles.
Not many athletes are able to excel in a weight and a speed event. Smith attributed her success to her track coach.
“I did that with the help of coach Blank,” Smith said. “He pushed me really hard. He pushed me to go all-out in all my events.”
Through it all, Smith said she’s been able to lean on her parents, Pamela Cobb and Floyd Smith.
“They have been my backbone through all sports, through everything I do,” she said. “They’ve been great.”
Smith, who said she’ll miss her high school teammates, is hoping that her athletic career hasn’t come to an end. She’s looking to play basketball in college somewhere.
“I’m hoping to go to a college to play ball,” she said. “I hope to make that decision very soon.
“I know it’s going to take more endurance, being more coachable and learning to adapt to changes quickly.”