Sophomore athlete, Ava Stosich, shooting hoops since the third grade, swinging the tennis racket and sweeping the track, is a phenomenal student athlete here at Shadow. This past track season, Stosich and the women’s Track and Field Team earned their spot as this year’s regional team champions.

Derived partly from the influence of friends and family, Stosich had come to begin these engaging sports, leading to her overall enjoyment in doing so.

“I thought tennis would be fun to play, and I knew some of my friends were trying out, so I thought I would do it for fun,” Stosich says. “My sister played basketball and so she made me want to play, and same with track. I always liked running and have always wanted to do it in high school.”

With basketball and track seasons right around the corner, she most looks forward to “training and getting better; and also playing with teammates again.”

Stosich most often finds inspiration within the people around her, always there to give that extra push in order to help her perform at her very best. Likewise, the support gathered from others can always play a role in helping someone go the extra mile.

“It’s a lot of the people that I run with or are on my team that really push me to be better,” Stosich explains. “My coaches are also a big part of that as well, they are always very motivational and help me to reach my full potential.”

Track and Field Head Coach, Mike Smith, found working with Stosich an all around great experience, stating, “Ava is an amazing athlete. She works extremely hard in practice, which shows when she competes. Ava was one of the youngest athletes on my team last season as a freshman, but had great leadership, and even the older athletes looked up to her,” Coach Smith adds. “Ava never complains about the workouts and knows how to push herself to the limits. Overall I can’t ask for more from her. Great student athlete.”

A piece of advice that she would give another student would be to “really put in the work, because you never know what great accomplishments can come out of it.”

In her high school track experience, Stosich has found that “the stress of sports can sometimes be overwhelming, like at track meets before a race or playing in front of a lot of people. But it’s something I have to constantly work through, and the best way is just trying to have a good mindset and really focus on the game or race.”

Gallery • 4 Photos

Sophomore Ava Stosich playing in a tennis match. (Courtesy of: Carlee Stuart)