COLUMN: Some near-misses for Monticello four-sport athletes

   My annual feature for Panther seniors that accomplished participating in four sports in all four years of their high school careers has presented me with a challenge.

   Officially, this group of seniors technically would be unable to make this happen due to Covid taking away the spring sports season in 2020. But I’ve decided to go ahead and include their Covid spring season just to see how this all works out.

   First out of the gate would be Jaelyn Aitchison. Jaelyn would most certainly have been a four-sport athlete if it wasn’t for Covid. She played five seasons of softball, four of volleyball and basketball but only three of golf. Add in her missing golf season and she is a 4/4 athlete.

   Next up is Katie Roher. I have her also playing five years of softball, four years of both basketball and cross-country and splitting her spring seasons between two years of track and one year of golf. Assuming she picked one of those two in 2020, and Katie becomes the second member of her class to be a 4/4 athlete.

   As for the rest of the Class of 2023, many other notable student-athletes played just three sports for all four seasons or did not complete four years of a fourth season. I’ll call that my honorable mention list and it includes: Chesney Capron, Tate Petersen, Issabella Mullen, Dylan Roher, Reagan Schneiter and Brea Stahlberg.

   Congrats to both Jaelyn and Katie; even though Covid got in the way, you both dedicated yourselves to your team and your teammates.