Skagit Valley College recently hired Annie Lockwood as its new head softball coach. Her first day was July 28.

“We are thrilled to be able to hire a coach that knows what it takes to win a championship,” said SVC Athletic Director Mitch Freeman. “Annie has seen what it’s like to win a championship as a player at Arizona State University and as a coach this past year at Redmond High School.

“She is very competitive and understands the importance of creating a successful softball culture that starts with developing well-rounded student-athletes.”

Lockwood was most recently the assistant softball coach at Redmond High School. She has also served as a program manager for Softball University, assistant softball coach at University of South Dakota, volunteer coach for Arizona State University (ASU) softball, and head varsity softball coach at Skyline High School in Ariz.

Lockwood was recognized in 2014 as Arizona Big Schools Coach of the Year and as 5A Division 1 Section 3 Coach of the Year. She was also a successful student athlete and was part of ASU’s 2011 National Championship Team and a member of the All-Tournament Team.

“From a young age, softball has been engrained in my life,” Lockwood said. “At the age of 10, I told my parents that I was going to not only play Division I softball, but more specifically that I would go to a Pac-10 school.

“Due to my persistent and relentless work ethic, competitive nature, and dedication to my goals, I went on to attend ASU from 2008-2013 where I was fortunate to play in three championships and attend one as a graduate assistant, so I am very familiar with post-season play and what it takes to get there. I’m looking forward to sharing my skills and experience with our student-athletes at SVC.”

Lockwood holds a Master of Arts degree in Sports Coaching from University of Northern Colorado and a Bachelor of Arts/Science in Special Education from Arizona State University.