Air Academy High School has enjoyed significant success in sports in the past decade, as league and state championships come seemingly every year and with every season. This year, the Boy’s Soccer team won the state championship, and the Girl’s Basketball team made a deep playoff run. As well as finding success in the postseason, many teams were able to dig themselves out of holes. The Boy’s Basketball team had a huge turnaround season, as they went from a 1-22 record last season to a 10-14 record this season, including a trip to the playoffs. Our football team had a great year, and nearly made the playoffs for the first time in what seems like forever.

But what were Kadet sports like in the decades past?

Though sporting success has become a norm in this school, the Kadets weren’t always winning state championships every year. But the championships that were won in past years have created a strong foundation for the reputation that Air Academy High School has built itself in athletics.

The Kadets first championship season came from the football team in 1962, more than 50 years ago. The game of football has changed so much since then: going from a rushing-based offensive scheme to a more well-rounded passing and running attack.

“It is crazy to think about how different football was back in those days,” says senior Max Raber. “I wonder how our team this year would fare against the teams from back then.”

Another notable state championship for the Kadets was the first basketball championship back in 1989. This team was led by Rodney Zimmerman, the Gatorade Player of the Year recipient from that season. Zimmerman took this championship quality skill set to the esteemed program at UCLA. After four years there, Zimmerman took his talents to France and played professionally for a season.

“Rodney Zimmerman was such a great player. Our program’s Most Valuable Player award is named after him for a reason,” said basketball player Niko Lunt.

In individual sports, we’ve had some dominating athletes in past years. In swimming, Jenn Beiner dominated the 50 and 100 Freestyle races in back to back seasons (00-01). In her 2000 season, she swam her personal record :52.64 100 Freestyle and personal record :24.62 50 Freestyle.

It is quite hard for high school players to reach the level of play to be able to win championships, let alone go on to play in college. Obviously this only scrapes the surface of Kadet sports success, but past Kadet athletes have been able to give us a model of success to which every athlete at our school aspires to reach.