The Star is profiling Southern Arizona high school athletes whose seasons were cut short by the coronavirus pandemic. Each high school was asked to nominate an exceptional spring sport athlete who exemplifies greatness on and off the field, court or track.
As a freshman at Amphitheater High School, Kristiana Watson hit for a rare local Triple Crown, and her stock only rose from there.
That same year, she was also named a Max Preps All-American, the Class 4A Player of the Year and earned a spot on the All-Arizona team. She received several of the same honors her sophomore season and was named a finalist for Arizona Player of the Year.
Watson spent her junior season on the sidelines recuperating from a torn labrum. She was excited to be back out on the field for her last year of high school when the unthinkable happened. The coronavirus pandemic forced the suspension β and then cancellation β of spring sports in Southern Arizona.
Watson missed out on Senior Day and a chance to make a comeback, but it was a few other things that hit a little closer to the heart.
Watsonβs cousin was on the Panthersβ roster this season. And her mother, former UA softball star Laura Espinoza-Watson, was coaching the team.
βI feel I missed out on mostly the chance for my cousin and I to play softball together, and also having my mom coach me one last time,β said Watson, who will play at Arizona State next season.
Watson watched her cousin play last season, but β because of her injury β was unable to play with her.
βIt was like we switched off,β Watson said.
A five-sport varsity athlete, Watson also participated in volleyball, basketball, golf and cheer.
βNot only is she a phenomenal athlete and a 4.0 student in the classroom, she is above all a great person,β said Espinoza-Watson, who was a three-time All-American at the UA between 1992-95. βShe is kind-hearted and caring for her teammates, and she is a great leader on the field.β
In her two full seasons with Amphiβs softball team, Watson hit a combined .736 with 31 home runs, 105 RBIs and 35 doubles. She also had a .797 on-base percentage and 1.709 slugging percentage.
Amphitheater High Schoolβs Kristiana Watson earned the rare Triple Crown of Southern Arizona her freshman year. The lone Sun Devil in a family of Wildcats, Watson will be attending Arizona State in the fall on a softball scholarship.
These days, Watson is going for daily runs and doing body-weight workouts with her dad, former Wildcats lineman David Watson, since she canβt go anywhere to lift right now.
βAround the house, weβve been doing a lot of yard work and cleaning, so thatβs been keeping me busy too,β said Watson, who admitted that sheβs also a fan of punk music and loves to go into the mosh pits with her brother at concerts. Since athletic prowess clearly runs in the Watson family, itβs worth noting that Watsonβs brother, David Watson, is a redshirt sophomore and offensive lineman for the Wildcats.
With all of her success in softball, it might come as a surprise to some that Watsonβs favorite memory from high school was being able to participate in five different sports.
βThat gave me a chance to be able to experience new things and make new friendships,β Watson said. βI always tried to make my studies a priority so I was able to play the sports that I did, but I was able to manage it pretty well.β
Former UA slugger Laura Espinoza-Watson soft-tosses to her daughter Kristiana, who is going to play at Arizona State.
Watson said sheβs looking forward to getting back to her normal workout routines and getting out onto the softball field, but she also canβt wait to see her extended family, having been socially distant from them for going on two months.
βThen, I want to go to Harkins and see a movie,β Watson said.
βIβm up for seeing anything at this point, just for the experience.β
