Class of 2021: Best Multi-Sport Athletes

While sport specialization has its advantages, so too does excelling in multiple sports. The state of West Virginia has several such athletes, who largely credit their success on the hardwood to skills learned in other sports as well. Whether it’s hand-eye coordination gathered from softball or straight-line sprinting speed from soccer or track, players can pick up aspects of their game from just about anywhere. Looking at the current crop of next year’s seniors, here is a list of some of the best overall athletes in the state of West Virginia. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="153323" first="Kalissa" last="Lacy"] -- George Washington -- G</strong> It starts at the top in terms of multi-sport success in West Virginia. Lacy added a first-team, All-State selection in soccer and a state championship in swimming to her Mary Ostrowski Award this year. Also a starter on the Patriots’ softball team, Lacy is as hard-working an athlete as you will find in the Mountain State, competing in four varsity sports, all at the highest of levels. Lacy has often credited her participation in other sports for helping her avoid serious injuries thus far in her career (knock on wood). Her nonstop schedule certainly aids her stamina in the fourth quarter of basketball games and all of the skills gathered from participation in other sports make her a well-rounded threat on both ends of the floor. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="153348" first="Genevieve" last="Potter"] -- South Charleston -- G</strong> Potter is a three-sport athlete herself and has found success as a striker on the pitch and as an infielder on the diamond. The Black Eagles haven’t quite had the success that GW has had in recent seasons in soccer or softball, but her contributions in all three sports, where she’s been a starter since her freshmen season, have been hard to ignore. While Lacy is a cerebral, mostly even-keeled player, Potter brings an edge to anything she plays and it fits right in with SC’s defensive-minded, ball-pressuring philosophy on the hardwood. While Potter has piled up goals and assists in soccer, she has become a defensive whiz with the glove in softball and on the perimeter in basketball. She will be a pivotal part of any success SC has in any of the three sports next season. <strong>Emma Dotson -- Greenbrier East -- G</strong> While Dotson doesn’t make many headlines in terms of scoring for the Spartans, her on-ball defense and mental and physical toughness are vital to the team’s success. That can be said in a couple of different sports at Greenbrier East as Dotson was an honorable mention soccer player this year and is a big part of the school’s track team, where she qualified in three events at the state meet last spring. Dotson’s athleticism is unquestioned as she routinely draws the opponent’s best perimeter offensive weapon and wins more battles than she loses in one-on-one situations. She also relies on that sprinter’s speed to recover in transition defense and to run the break offensively as well. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="153367" first="Mary" last="Lyle Smith"] -- George Washington -- F</strong> Smith’s primary sport is likely soccer, where she is clearly one of the best goalkeepers in the state. But after recommitting herself to basketball as a sophomore two seasons ago after a year off, Smith has shown flashes of flourishing, using her 5-foot-10 frame to bolster the Patriots defensively on the interior. Her growth on the court has visible to all who’ve watched GW play over the past two seasons as she’s become more and more comfortable taking -- and making -- outside jump shots as well. Her defensive instincts are unquestioned and her improving offensive skillset combined with the graduation of GW’s three other frontcourt options could lead to a big year for Smith next season. <strong>Paige Humble -- Bridgeport -- F</strong> Humble has followed in the footsteps of former Bridgeport standout Emily Riggs, who was a driving force for the Indians in basketball as well as being a Division-I prospect in softball. Humble earned a first-team, All-State spot as a outfielder last spring and -- along with freshman point guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="153415" first="Gabby" last="Reep"] (2023)</strong> -- helped lead Bridgeport to the state tournament in basketball this year. The Indians came a long way over the course of the season and after losing by 40 points to No. 1 North Marion in the regular season, took the Huskies to overtime in an epic quarterfinal that nearly resulted in one of the biggest upsets in state-tournament history. With Humble and Reep back in the fold next year, Bridgeport has threats on both the inside and the outside and the Indians should be a team to keep an eye on. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="153328" first="Aaliyah" last="Brunny"] -- Parkersburg Catholic -- G/F/C</strong> Brunny is about as multiple as any player on any basketball team in the state and as it turns out, she’s well-rounded elsewhere as well. The 6-foot-1 junior was the Class A, second-team, All-State captain in volleyball for the Crusaderettes this year and at last year’s state track meet, was an individual state champion in the 300-meter hurdles. By now, Brunny’s versatility is fairly well known as she’s just as comfortable handling the ball up top or shooting from the perimeter as she is posting up or using her height to gather offensive rebounds. Add with that a hurdler’s leaping ability as well as the timing needed to be a force around the net in volleyball, and Brunny certainly has an enticing arsenal of weapons at her disposal to entice college coaches.