Three's company

There’s no three ways about it. The Aurora News-Register’s male and female athletes of the year have their own unique pathways to success. 
Hailey Lindburg never takes a play off -- literally. Carsen Staehr knows in his mind he will make the play when it matters. Jack Allen is just out there having fun until the bell goes off, then it’s all business.
All three of these athletes accomplished quite a bit over their careers at High Plains and Aurora, now adding to it the prestigious honor of the ANR Athlete of the Year Award. 
As much as I enjoy being around Jack and Carsen, I had the most fun letting Hailey know she had won the ANR AOTY award. 
The little engine that could from High Plains certainly did. Hailey is the first athlete from outside the Aurora school to win this award. 
She played all six rotation spots on the volleyball court and through most of her senior season played all 32 minutes of basketball. With only eight players on the team total, she knew her role, embraced it and shined. 
Her basketball career and relationship with HPC coach Mack Alspaugh was so important to Hailey that she included parts of it into her valedictorian speech. 
Hailey’s advice in her speech to the underclassmen was to step out of their comfort zone, like she did trying out for basketball. 
“But seriously, if I wouldn’t have stepped out of my comfort zone and gone out for basketball, it would’ve never turned into my favorite sport,” she said in her speech. “I wouldn’t have all the memories I do today and I wouldn’t have grown into the player I became or have the perseverance I do today.”
“Hailey loves having success but also seeing her teammates have success,” Alspaugh said. “High Plains girls basketball hadn’t seen a lot of success in its history and Hailey wanted to make that history. She put it upon herself that High Plains could come around.”
For as short as she is, and she certainly poked fun at herself, Hailey can get up and kill the volleyball.
Nobody had more fun playing ball than Hailey did. It didn’t matter if she scored 20 points or helped her teammates play well. 
What’s unique about all three of these kids is their personalities don’t really match up, which is great. There’s more than one way to be great. 
Hailey is pretty reserved, but she has a look. I noticed it several times. When it comes out, look out. 
Her teammates followed that. 
“It takes a person to push other people and I knew if I wanted to get as far as I wanted to, I needed to be that person for my teammates,” Lindburg said. “I tried to do that vocally as well as through my actions.”
Mack also said that it’s nothing new. He saw that deep inside Hailey back way before she had enough confidence in herself. 
“Those last three years, we put a lot of faith and belief in her with what she could do,” Alspaugh said. “She took it upon herself to really blossom into a great basketball player and athlete for High Plains.”
Carsen doesn’t say much unless you pry in there a little bit. If you can get him to share, though, he may never stop. 
It’s kind of like how he is out there competing. You’re not sure what he’s going to do, but the one thing for sure is it’s going to be eye-opening. 
As for his leadership qualities, they’ve certainly improved over time, he admitted. Helping his younger brother, Ryan, get started in high school sports where he was a few years ago certainly helped. 
“I like to think I’m a leader, but I’m not as vocal as others,” Staehr said. “I feel like I’m a positive feedback guy. It really helped with my brother being a freshman because I know those guys. I just want those kids to be their best.”
Aurora football coach Kyle Peterson explained that Carsen has a unique ability to garner the attention of everyone around him.
The respect is palpable.
“He doesn’t talk a lot, but when he does say something, people listen,” Peterson noted. “Because of that, everyone respects him. His leadership skill set comes from the respect he has and his work ethic.”
In the two years Aurora basketball coach Kevin Asher has been here, he’s seen similar growth from Carsen in his ability to command a huddle. 
“From my first day here until his last game, he grew and wanted to be more vocal,” Asher said. “Even though sometimes he wasn’t, he really did develop into one of those guys who held others accountable. He set our program in motion as far as leading within.”
Carsen isn’t going to be the ‘rah-rah’ guy, despite enticing a slow clap multiple times on the jump runway his senior year. 
Aurora coach Gordon Wilson said some kids have it more than others. Carsen certainly has it. 
“He doesn’t let any outside noise rile him up. He just goes about his business,” Wilson said. “Carsen is an incredible competitor. He wants to be successful in everything. Some guys have to be ‘rah-rah,’ but that’s just not Carsen. He has a drive to be successful.”
What about Jack?
Well, Aurora wrestling coach Derek Keasling called him a goof ball, but said that made him a good leader, too. 
You don’t know Jack. 
“He’s just a giant goof ball, which you would think is not good for leadership,” Keasling said. “Actually, his ability to keep the wrestling room or any practice he was in light and loose where kids were having fun was great leadership. Kids want to be around him and gravitate toward him.”
What does Jack think?
“I definitely lead by example,” Allen said. “I’m not the guy to sit someone down and tell them what they’re doing, right or wrong. I put my head down and do the work and hopefully people notice.”
It was tough for me, but ultimately there was no way I could not recognize both Jack and Carsen for their accomplishments this year. 
Jack winning a state title in wrestling and Carsen winning two state track titles. Both were instrumental on the football team that was a runner-up finisher. 
Ignoring one would have been an indictment on myself. 
“What’s really neat about these two kids is how talented they were at multiple sports,” Peterson pointed out. “They are two of the most humble kids in their class. They were probably the best flag football coaches, showing things to middle school kids.”
When talking to both Carsen and Jack, each said they would have been happy for the other if they were solo selected. 
Don’t worry, fellas. Enjoy the spotlight. 
“That speaks to the caliber of young men we’re talking about with Carsen and Jack,” Wilson said. “They both appreciate the opportunity to win, but have the respect for what the other has accomplished.”
Two is fine. Three is company. 
RICHARD RHODEN can be reached at sports@hamilton.net.