Ponca City High School senior Ava O’Neill has learned that success on the softball field often comes down to resilience, routine and a whole lot of fun.
O’Neill, a pitcher for the Lady Wildcats, said her biggest inspirations are close to home, her parents. “My mother for having big ideas and then carrying through with them, and my father for working hard and seeing the reward of his hard work,” O’Neill said. That example has shaped the way she approaches both athletics and academics, where she gravitates toward government and natural sciences and points to math teacher Mrs. White as a favorite from her sophomore and junior years.
Inside the circle, O’Neill embraces the challenge of leading the defense. She said the most difficult part of pitching is “to keep pitching a good game even when the umpire calls a small strike zone,” adding that it is important to keep her head up and not get frustrated with the calls. At the plate, she follows a deliberate routine: she lines herself up by extending the bat, sets her hands on her shoulder, slightly wiggles the bat to stay loose and then focuses only on where the pitcher will release the ball at her hip.
O’Neill considers herself one of the most vocal players in the dugout, often leading and creating new cheers, while teammate Mashta keeps everyone laughing and usually has the dirtiest uniform after games. What she enjoys most about the team is that “we keep fighting, even if we are losing,” and she loves how “hype” the Lady Wildcats get after a win, especially during their postgame “Hulk Smash” celebrations.
Away from the field, O’Neill likes to unwind by reading comics or hosting event parties for friends. She said athletics has taught her a lesson she will carry beyond high school: “To just keep swimming. Even when it gets hard, just push through because it will be worth it in the end.”
