SMALL-SCHOOL GIRLS TRACK ATHLETE OF THE YEAR: Kelsey Card

CARLINVILLE - Call it Sudden Impact. Carlinville High's Kelsey Card marked at indelible imprint on the IHSA girls track meet in Charleston last month.

Just a freshman, Card won two events, finishing first in the shot put (44 feet, 6 1/4 inches) and the discus (142-4). Card's pair of championships have set the stage for a bright future and earned her The Telegraph's Small School Girls Prep Track Athlete of the Year.

"It was really exciting to win both of them and it makes me want to work that much harder," said Card, eyeing three more state finals at Eastern Illinois University's O'Brien Stadium.

Cavs' coach Shelly Wills said the future is limitless for Card, also a top volleyball player. She was a first team, all-Telegraph selection the past fall.

"She's the most calm athlete I have seen," said Wills, a Geneseo High graduate serving her second season as Carlinville's head coach. "Kelsey's an athlete who sets her goals and goes after them."

Card kept accelerating her goals the past season. She won time after time, capturing both titles in the Hillsboro Sectional - 42-11 in the shot and 134-6 in the discus - putting her in position for a memorable state finish.

As a junior high competitor, Card claimed IESA titles, yet the state scene at EIU proved to be a more heightened atmosphere. Nonetheless, Card prevailed in both IHSA events and did her share of interviews, something she wasn't accustomed to at the lower level.

"It was a lot different, but really cool," Card said.

Wills helped Card maintain her cool. "I had coach Wills as a middle school coach and she's a fun coach," Card said.

"I wasn't surprised by what she did at state," Wills said of Card's first-year success. "I knew her potential and from Day 1, she knew what she was going to do and how she was going about it.

"Kelsey understands what's going on and she can handle the pressure," Wills said.

Playing high-powered volleyball certainly has prepared her for high-class track. The sports tend to complement each other, Card said.

"People ask me which one I like the best and I tell them I like both," Card said. She also enjoys basketball and intends to play for the Cavaliers this winter.

Much of the summer will be spent honing her volleyball skills since the season unfolds this fall, but Card won't neglect her track work. There'll be opportunities to work on throwing the discus and shot, she said.

"I can do both sports at the same time," she said of practice routines.

And what does she need to do in track?

Card said she's not going to rest on her state championship laurels.

"The people that help me have plans for my future and they want to get me stronger and try to improve my form," Card said.

If improvement develops, Card could evolve as one of the top athletes in Carlinville High history. For a freshman, that's saying something.