Athletic Scholars A Few Students Use Their Potential To Excel On The Playing Fields And In The Classroom

Each May, 18 area high school seniors gather, a select fraternity with a common thread.

Each dispels any myth about the exclusivity of athletics and academics. Not content merely to excel in the classroom or on the playing fields, they do both. Their list of achievements, cited last week at a luncheon in their honor, runs long.

All agree they wouldn’t have it any other way.

This year’s achievers, who received a ring commemorating their accomplishments, include Mead’s Allison Beatty and Adam Morris, North Central’s Lori Kostelecky and Chris Greiner, Rogers’ Jenny Hutchens and Vilay Vue and Shadle Park’s JoEne Heimbigner and Josh Schneider.

A composite of the eight reveals a three-sport all-star and state champion in track, cross country, football, basketball, baseball, soccer and tennis, equally at ease on competitive mathematics and physics teams.

They are class valedictorians and associated student body presidents, West Point nominees and community college enrollees.

In addition, most have found time to be involved in local service projects or to work at jobs.

They are, in a word - special - even if they don’t particularly see themselves as such.

“I’m just an average guy,” said Schneider. “I think everyone has potential. Some don’t realize it.”

His principal at Shadle Park, Mike Dunn, however, says these are students set apart.

“You have to look at the whole student body and say it’s not the norm,” he said. “Kids like that who do as well as they do are kids we hold up for everyone to pattern after.”

If there is something the students have in common, it is an ability to manage through use of daily lists.

“Knowing what things have to be done, you set aside the time to do the work,” said Heimbigner, who went to state in volleyball and basketball and is Shadle’s student body president.

Heimbigner’s older brothers were her inspiration. Chad was NC’s scholar-athlete in 1991.

Her father, Jon, said none of his children was naturally smart, just hard working and very organized.

“We never had to browbeat our kids to study; they just know grades are important,” he said.

It was a comment echoed by Mead’s Morris.

“My parents always stressed good grades,” he said. “If I slipped below their standards, I was done with sports.”

He seldom slipped. The 5-foot-6 Morris was All-GSL in football, basketball and baseball and, according to activities coordinator John Miller, “brought life to Mead High School.”

His three-sport counterpart at Mead, Beatty played for 10 league champions, including state title teams in soccer and basketball. She also won an individual javelin championship in track.

Almost without exception, the scholar-athletes come from strong family backgrounds of parental encouragement and support.

Schneider said his parents “always told me they were there for me and I could do a lot if I put my mind to it. I always took it at face value.”

The three-sport athlete will enter West Point this summer.

Added Hutchens, “My dad was an athlete and my mom into academics. They always said put school first but be as well-rounded as possible.”

NC’s Kostelecky and Rogers’ Vue held down jobs while participating in sports and excelling in the classroom. Kostelecky also does a volunteer project each month.

Greiner was in three sports and on the JETS math and Physics Olympics teams. Hutchens, a three-sport athlete and co-valedictorian at Rogers, did volunteer work at Discovery School. She admitted keeping tabs on everything was stressful, but it paid off in a scholarship to Whitworth.

“They have an innate commitment to succeed and a youthful drive and desire that I do think is pretty incredible,” said NC Principal Sandy Fink. “I don’t think it is exclusively these kids but for a whole variety who are truly exceptional.”

And that’s the point all the athletes tried to make. Finding time to study, practice sports and be involved takes discipline. Others can do it too.

“It’s easier to be a victim or act like you’re being held back,” said Schneider. “It’s far harder to break through barriers and achieve everything you can.”

That is why the co-existence of activities and academics is vital.

“You can’t expect to be well rounded with just academics or athletics,” Schneider said. “It is a balance of the two. There are lessons to be learned on the field and in the classroom that are priceless.”

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo