On the move: Trio of sports keep Trinity athlete busy

May 13, 2017

Hailley Peters hasn’t had a whole lot of free time after school while attending Trinity Lutheran.

The senior has been involved in three sports in each of her four years there.

She played volleyball all four years and added soccer as a fall sport the past two years.

She also has been on the track and field team all four years, played basketball for two seasons and was involved in the school musicals.

Peters said she enjoyed participating in volleyball, basketball and track at Lutheran Central School in Brownstown, and that is why she chose to play them at Trinity.

She has received more than an armful of special honors, including most valuable player awards in track and volleyball, Cougar Awards in volleyball, basketball and track and she holds the school record in the long jump and high jump.

She has been a sectional champion and a state qualifier in the high jump and helped the school win three sectionals in volleyball and one in basketball.

Peters, who was named the most valuable performer in the Sam Sumner Invitational at Borden April 15, holds the school record in the high jump at 5-5.

“A lot of (high jump) now that I’m more experienced is just muscle memory, so I just have to stay calm. I can’t overthink it,” she said. “I have to relax myself and just remember that I have to have speed and the power and just to fly high and hold my head up for as long as possible.”

Peters also has been throwing the discus and running the 100-meter dash this spring.

“That keeps me busy, but halfway through the meet, I’m done, so then I get to cheer on my teammates,” Peters said. “I do like that that I can focus on myself, but then there is also the team aspect where we have the relays, and I can cheer them on, and we get to bond with each other. I can focus on my own, and I can come in on my own time and get better.”

She is hoping to advance to state in the high jump again this season.

“Last year, I didn’t quite get the height I wanted at state,” Peters said. “I was a little bit nervous the first time making it to state. I want to get top eight because they get to go on the podium, so that’s a goal of mine.”

Peters said the big meets, like the Salem and Borden invitationals, are more stressful, but they are more like state because of the number of competitors.

“There are more kids there, there is better competition and more things going on, so there is more things to worry about,” she said. “Those meets better prepare me for sectional and regional.”

During the fall months, Peters would go to volleyball before soccer every day.

“I loved playing the game of volleyball,” Peters said. “I loved just getting out there and giving it all I had and making the team successful, being a positive influence on the other girls and just helping the team out in any way that I could, whether it be passing or serving or hitting.”

Peters played all-around her senior year after just playing in the front row her junior year.

“Playing all-around was exciting,” she said. “That was so much fun because I felt if I was having an off night in my hitting, I could make it up with my passing, or if I wasn’t doing my greatest in passing, I could make it up from my hitting. I felt I could control a team and be a really good leader.”

Peters said she decided to play soccer after coach Jeff Nolting came into the school during chapel one day and talked to the girls about the sport.

“I had no interest in soccer. It was a pretty spur of the moment idea that I had,” Peters said. “It was a fun thing for me to do. It was more a hobby. I knew I wasn’t the greatest at it, but I just went out there and tried my hardest, and it was just a fun time to run around.”

As a goalie, Peters took on a lot of responsibilities on the pitch.

For Peters, a packed schedule required discipline.

“Time management was really important to me because I was also in a musical,” she said. “I was the lead in the musical, so we had like 7:30 a.m. practices every morning, and it was volleyball after school and soccer practice after that, then homework.”

She said she has enjoyed attending Trinity Lutheran.

“It’s blessed me incredibly,” Peters said. “I like how Trinity prepares you so much for college. I feel we’re prepared for the AP tests. There is not only a lot of book stuff but mental stuff that they have helped you with. Faith-wise, too, they’ve helped me strengthen my faith. The teachers help you grow socially and strengthen your faith, strengthen your confidence to go out into the real world.”

[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”Peters file” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]

Name: Hailley Peters

School: Trinity Lutheran High School

Parents: Tony and Melanie Peters

Siblings: Daniel, Max

Sports: Track and field, four years; volleyball, four years; soccer, two years; basketball, two years

Athletic highlights: In track and field, most valuable player award, Cougar Award, MVP at Sam Sumner Invitational, school record in long jump, high jump sectional champion, state qualifier; in volleyball, three sectional championships, MVP award, Cougar Award; in basketball, sectional champions, Cougar Award

Organizations: National Honor Society, student government, dance committee, choir, drama, student ambassador

No posts to display