Colby earns American Legion Female Athlete of the Year award
By Dan Truttschel
Correspondent
In this day and age specialization in high school athletics, it’s difficult to find not only a three-sport participant, but someone who stood out in all three.
Unless you look at Big Foot and recent graduate Kathryn Colby.
Because she did just that.
Colby, who competed in cross country, basketball and soccer all four years at Big Foot, recently was named the American Legion Female Athlete of the Year for 2015.
She had a hard time describing the moment earlier this week.
“The honor of being named Legion Female Athlete of the Year is amazing,” Colby said. “I was kind of surprised, but mostly, I just felt excited and honored.”
For Colby, hearing her name called at the year-end awards ceremony, was the icing on the cake to prove that countless hours and tons of effort was all worth it.
She already knew that, but the honor just drove that point home.
“My whole life, I have been competing in sports, and in high school, I worked my hardest to be my best and be on varsity,” she said.
“So, being named Legion Female Athlete of the Year just gives me an honor an award to say, ‘Your hard work has been noticed and has been worth it.’ It means that people have been paying attention to my ability outside the classroom.”
A quick look at Colby’s high school resume shows a student-athlete who excelled in every arena.
As a member of the cross country team, she was a four-year varsity runner, most valuable as a freshman, a state qualifier as a sophomore and a member of two Rock Valley Conference title teams.
When the season shifted to the basketball court, Colby again didn’t miss a beat.
A three-year varsity player for the Chiefs, she was named most improved as a sophomore and was an honorable mention, All-RVC pick as a junior.
Finally, in soccer, Colby picked up four more varsity letters, was a three-time All-RVC pick, and as a senior, was named the team’s defensive player of the year.
Asked to pick a favorite, Colby said it was difficult because all three made an impact on her life in one way or another.
“They were all so great and made me so much better of a person and a player,” she said. “My favorite sport would be soccer, and I’m playing next year at St. Norbert College, but cross country was probably my best experience throughout high school.
“(That) was my first high school sport, and all the different people I met helped me become who I am today and gave me a challenge that I am not used to at all. I had to work to be good at (it).”
It’s the people Colby met – whether it was fellow teammates, coaches, teachers or the like – that made the biggest impression, she said.
And those are the ones she will remember when she backs her bags and heads to DePere to start a new chapter this fall.
“Some of my favorite memories at Big Foot were all the different kinds of people and being able to make friends with whatever I did,” Colby said.
“At Big Foot, there never was a time that I did not feel like people were not proud of all that I did. I think that having so many different types of people at Big Foot really make every day interesting.”
And those are the people she will miss when she begins her studies in psychology and economics with an eye on becoming a sports psychologist, Colby said.
But in the same breath, like many recent graduates, she’s ready to start a new adventure.
“So many people that I saw five days a week, (now) I will not see more than four or five days a year,” she said. “It was nice to always be able to count on people and know everyone.
“Going onto college, I will have to start over and meet all new people, but it will be an interesting experience.”
