This Bear knows only one speed: Moscow senior Addie Branen always puts her best foot forward

When Moscow High School senior Addie Branen does something, she never does it halfway.

“I really don’t know how to do anything less than 120%” she said.

That probably explains why she managed to secure a college softball scholarship while maintaining a 4.0 grade-point average in high school.

“I just think I really enjoy the grind,” she said.

After Branen graduates Friday from Moscow High School, she will attend Converse University in Spartanburg, S.C. There she will play softball for the NCAA Division II school and study food science.

When she started at MHS four years ago, her primary goal was to get the most out of her high school experience, she said.

Branen said she is always “hungry to be my best,” so she figured out how to balance being a two-sport athlete with being a successful student.

Along the way, she developed a passion for science, involved herself in numerous school clubs and even honed her skills as a guitarist and singer. She never shied away from being busy.

“It’s just all about knowing how to balance your schedule,” Branen said.

She did not set out to earn a 4.0 GPA, but she can’t help but push herself at everything she does, Branen said.

Branen knew it would be worth it in the end.

“I feel it’s much more rewarding when you push yourself so hard to see the outcome of it,” she said.

Throughout her high school journey, Branen always felt supported. She said Moscow High is a tight-knit community, and that includes the alumni who are living in Moscow. Even her father Josh Branen is a former Bear.

“Everywhere you go you see Moscow High School graduates in Moscow,” she said.

Those relationships she built over the years with current and former Bears were crucial to her success, she said.

Branen said she has dreamed about playing college softball ever since she watched the Women’s College World Series on TV at age 12.

She took a visit to the Converse campus after the university’s head softball coach saw her play in a Las Vegas softball tournament, Branen said. She immediately loved the team as well as the university’s science program.

Branen, who has lived in Moscow her whole life, said going across the country to a new school will be a culture shock, but she is ready to embrace the change.

“I really am excited for a new experience,” she said.

Kuipers can be reached at akuipers@dnews.com.