More than an athlete
The list of Riki Schiermeister’s accomplishments during her four years at University High School is enough to exhaust three adults and four teenagers.
A total of 10 varsity letters won, a four-year starter in two sports, All-Greater Spokane League in three sports for two consecutive school years, captain of two teams her senior season, four years on the honor roll and class valedictorian, volunteer in a lengthy list of programs in and out of school.
“I’ve grown up in a family where we’re all involved in our community,” Schiermeister said. “My mom is involved in so many things. She volunteers at school, in church – it just feels natural to want to be involved and to want to be part of the community around you.
“It’s a lot, I admit. But between sports and school and volunteering, I’ve somehow managed to fit it all in and still found time for family and friends. It’s all worked out for me so far. I got involved everywhere I could and I enjoyed every bit of it.”
Athletically, Schiermeister has been an integral part of both the fast-pitch softball program and the girls basketball program since the day she first set foot on campus. Slow pitch wasn’t offered as a fall sport until her junior year.
She helped both fast pitch and basketball into the postseason and all three to league titles. She played in the state Class 4A championship basketball game as a junior.
Teammates universally describe her as the type of player that makes those around her better. More importantly, she makes her teammates want to be better.
“It does feel kind of weird coming to the end of my career,” Schiermeister said. “Especially since I probably won’t be playing sports in college.”
That’s right.
When U-Hi’s fast-pitch season ends, however far they advance in the postseason playoffs, Schiermeister will hang up her cleats, just the way she hung up her court shoes following basketball season.
“I’m looking forward to concentrating on my classes and I’m really looking forward to embracing the whole college experience,” she said. “It’s going to feel strange, but an athlete’s career has to end sometime. I just think that now is that time for me.”
As an athlete, Schiermeister has worked tirelessly to help whichever teams she’s been on better.
“When I first got to U-Hi, two players came over to me and really made me feel like I was part of the team as a freshman – Leah Archibald and Dara Zack,” she said. “They were more than teammates, they became two of my very best friends. I’ve tried to do the same with every team I’ve been on – make everyone feel as if they are part of one team, no matter of what class you’re in.”
She’s done the same with young fans, always taking time to talk with them and encourage them to do and be their best.
“I’ve been able to play on such great teams at U-Hi,” she said. “Slow-pitch softball has done well, basketball, softball. I’ve been a part of championship teams and had a lot of fun along the way. I’ve also been blessed with great coaches and great teammates. Everything really fell into place for me in that sense.”
Schiermeister has gained notoriety through her athletic performances. But the truth of the matter is that she will have left an indelible mark on U-Hi if she’d never once picked up a ball.
She’s worked tirelessly in the school’s mentoring program, Crimson Crew.
“That’s something I started when I was a sophomore – I was one of only five sophomores who were selected to do that,” she said. “We have a great adviser who works with us on that and I have a tremendous amount of respect for him for all that he’s done.”
Not one to take on airs, Schiermeister is always willing to help do the grunt work to get things done. She’s volunteered at the Valley Food Bank, helping to stock shelves. When her church has big events planned, she shows up to help stack chairs or set out silverware. She volunteers to help with her church’s nursery. She and her father helped with Habitat for Humanity’s youth program.
She teaches in vacation Bible school and now helps teach Spanish to youngsters.
“I really enjoy working with the kids,” she said. “Some of them know me from playing sports, but a lot of them don’t. But they’re all so thrilled to have someone there to help them.
“I remember what it was like to be a young kid in this community and how much we looked up to the kids in high school.”
In addition to being class valedictorian, she also was the school’s homecoming queen.
“That was really unexpected,” she said. “I never thought I was the kind of person who gets to be homecoming queen. But it was a real honor.
“At school I feel like I’m just another kid in the classroom. I’m no one special. It really felt great to get that kind of an honor.”
Next stop for Schiermeister is Eastern Washington University, where she plans to study pre-med.
“Right now, I really want to become a physician’s assistant,” she said. “That could change, I’m sure, but for now that’s my goal.”
For now, she’s concentrating on softball and the district tournament that started Friday at Whitworth. Next up is the valedictorian’s speech at graduation.
“It’s one thing to play a game in front of a big crowd in the arena,” she laughed. “It’s another to stand up and give a speech in front of everyone there.”
One thing she will not leave school with will be regrets.
“It’s been even more than I could have expected,” she said. “Coming into high school you don’t know what to expect. I just took it all one day at a time and look, here I am. It’s been more than I could have hoped for.”