For Clinton senior Kenzie Kauk hard work pays off and this year she’s been seeing the rewards of her efforts. Kauk is a pitcher and first baseman for the Red Tornadoes, but she has been putting in work in recent times to improve at the plate.

“My swing has improved so much from my sophomore year to now and it’s so exciting to see all of the hard work pay off,” Kauk said. “Hitting is so difficult, but I love the challenge.”

Kauk first started playing softball when she was seven years old and her love for the game has only grown over the years. The game has provided her with many lasting memories and taught her many valuable lessons that she will carry on with her for the rest of her life.

“Playing softball has taught me that failure doesn’t define who we are. In softball, there is a lot of failure, but all that matters is how we respond,” Kauk said. “There is also a lot of success, so when we fail, we can’t be too hard on ourselves. Softball has given me the mentality that one game doesn’t define who I am.”

While every athletic competition has its highs and lows it’s important to keep a positive mindset and that isn’t a problem for Kauk. This season she was proud of how her team competed each and every day.

“I enjoyed this season a lot. We grew so much as a team from the beginning to the end. Coach Misak and coach Green helped us grow and improve in every aspect of the game. We put in hard work, but we also had a lot of fun,” Kauk said. “It is a season I will never forget. My favorite memory from this season is winning Bi-Districts and making it to Regionals for the first time since 2013.”

In the classroom Kauk also always gives full effort and likes a variety of subjects, but said her favorite is probably math. Last year Kauk took a photography class and found that really enjoyed taking pictures. After high school Kauk plans on continuing her softball career at Seminole State College where she plans on pursuing a degree in Communications.