Kelsey Russell, a three-sport athlete, was named the Free
Lance/Pinnacle’s Female Athlete of the Year
For a brief moment on Tuesday, San Benito High School senior and
three-sport athlete Kelsey Russell thought about whether she would
have tried out for the wrestling team while attending Rancho San
Justo, had it not been for a conflicting schedule.
Kelsey Russell, a three-sport athlete, was named the Free Lance/Pinnacle’s Female Athlete of the Year
For a brief moment on Tuesday, San Benito High School senior and three-sport athlete Kelsey Russell thought about whether she would have tried out for the wrestling team while attending Rancho San Justo, had it not been for a conflicting schedule.
It’s not necessarily something she always thinks about, of course. But she did pause and ponder the possibility before saying she probably would not have tried out.
“I played every sport I could in middle school,” said Russell, who was eventually forced to pick just three sports – water polo, basketball and track – when she reached high school.
Although she never did go out for the wrestling team, Russell excelled at every sport she played, and is the Free Lance/Pinnacle’s Female Athlete of the Year.
Her absence from the mat, meanwhile, may leave some wondering, “What if?”
“I can usually pick up stuff quick,” Russell said, “and I always give 100 percent.”
As somewhat of a dying breed, Russell’s three-sport status kept her constantly busy throughout the school year, with very little down time in between sports or on the weekend.
“I’m kind of burnt out,” she said. “The most time I’ve had off is like two weeks [over four years.] That’s a long time.
“But I’m glad I got the opportunity to do each [sport] once.”
“She kept us in the game. We had a lot of great girls and a great team, but Kelsey was outstanding.”
Vandercook recalled one game against Salinas in which San Benito trailed by a score with 20 seconds remaining. Following a timeout, Russell drove center and drew a foul deep in the zone, leading to a five-meter shot.
“Using her cannon to score,” Russell deposited the penalty shot and sent the match to overtime, where San Benito went on to win, 7-5.
“She knew the exact amount of time on the clock and she was patient,” Vandercook said. “She understands the game and has the talent and patience to draw the defense and make the penalty shot.
“She definitely made my job easier and she’s the type of girl why I love coaching water polo. She’s outstanding.”
In the winter, Russell likely made varsity girls basketball coach David Kaplansky’s job a little easier as well. Playing in an ultra-intense, high-pressure defensive scheme, Russell never led the Lady Balers in points, but usually prevented the opposing team’s leading scorer from doing the same.
“She was our stopper,” Kaplansky said. “Her athleticism allowed her to pick up [her opponent] full-court and hound the basketball. She had an extra gear that gave us a great defensive presence.”
In late February, Russell was asked to guard the TCALs second leading scorer, Salinas’ Rochelle Welsh, who was averaging more than 15 points per game. Forcing a slew of turnovers in the process – San Benito drew a total of 35 turnovers in the game – Russell held Welsh to just three points total, her only basket coming with five minutes remaining in the contest.
The Lady Balers won 38-27, and clinched a share of the TCAL title with the victory.
“What I liked most about Kelsey was her consistency,” Kaplansky said. “She was always going and her tempo was always high. She was a great leader for our team.”
Although water polo may be Russell’s passion, the one memory she’ll take from SBHS was the girls’ basketball team’s improbable run through the CCS playoffs last season; she has a massive championship ring on her hand, so she may never forget. But Kaplansky noted that Russell injured her ankle late in the season last year, yet still played throughout the playoffs.
“She did everything she could to play in each game,” Kaplansky said. “She left it all out in the game, and then was rehabbing and icing to play in the next game.
“I don’t think most kids would have played [during] that stretch.”
Russell, who was also named the Senior Female Athlete of the Year at SBHS, previously competed in softball for two years at the high school before switching over to track and field her junior and senior years, where she was a two-time Central Coast Section qualifier in the 100- (junior year) and 200-meters (senior).
A three-sport athlete usually doesn’t have much time to rest, but Russell plans on taking a year off from sports to recuperate. She says she’ll probably miss competing, but if and when she decides to come back, she has plenty of options.
“I gave up volleyball [for water polo,]” Russell recalled. “I’m not that tall anyway, but I would have tried out if I could.”
Check out the San Benito Score
Each week, Free Lance and Pinnacle Sports Editor Andrew Matheson will host a weekly roundup of action in San Benito County. This week, check out interviews with Kyle Reuther and Kelsey Russell, the Free Lance/Pinnacle’s Male and Female Athlete of the Year at www.freelancenews.com.
