FARGO — Fargo South head coach Jason Smedshammer has coached hundreds of girls at Fargo South High School, during his time he has never seen anyone as ready for the moment as Adie Wagner.
"As soon as we had the opportunity to see if we could move her up we jumped all over it. We knew she could jump in at the varsity level and be a contributor," said Smedshammer.
A few signatures later Wagner made history at South , becoming the first seventh-grade girl to be moved up to the varsity level.
"It was nerve wracking," said Wagner. "Playing against these big, tall girls is scary. I was just afraid of messing up, but I overcame it.”
Wagner was five years younger than her teammates and competition, causing people to turn heads when she entered the game.
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"There might have been people doubting me, but I never really doubted myself," Wagner said. "I just always had the confidence that I could go out there and do my thing.”
That confidence led to an immediate impact. Wagner has led the Bruins every year that she's played.
"She immediately jumped in and it was clear she belonged right at day one," said Smedshammer.
Since then Wagner has made several accomplishments throughout her high school career. This season, she broke a school record making 16 field goals in one game.
“My first thought was I didn’t know there was a school record for field goals made in a game," Wagner said with a laugh. "So that was literally my first thought, and then I thought it was pretty cool."
Then the senior made North Dakota history. Wagner has made 2100 career points, the fourth most in Class A high school girls basketball.
“We did expect big things from her," said Smedshammer. "To say I expected 2000 points or something like that, nobody could say that”
Not only has Wagner has made an impact on the South court, but she also made a lasting impact on the coach that gave her a chance.
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"She’s been a blessing for my career," said the South head coach. "I enjoyed the last six years so much and it’s sad that its coming to an end."
Wagner is taking her talents to the collegiate level and will be playing basketball at MSUM. Smedshammer plans to continue to follow her career and cheer her when she takes on her next chapter.
