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ECC'S COPPOLO NAMED D9SPORTS.COM DISTRICT 9 FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR |
| ST. MARYS -- A high school student-athlete who chooses to
play three sports is getting more rare these days as the age of
specialization is taking over. Not so at many small schools in District 9
where low enrollments create the need for student-athletes to play more
than one sport. At Elk County Catholic (formerly Elk County Christian), that's certainly the case. And for graduated senior Julie Coppolo, playing three sports -- volleyball, basketball and track and field -- wasn't the only thing she did. She did them very well. "It's tough to do, because most people focus on one or two sports," Coppolo said. "Not many do all three. I need to be busy and I love sports." Coppolo was named the inaugural D9sports.com District 9 Girls' Athlete of the Year, teaming up with Clarion junior Kyle Cathcart as the website's first award for overall performance through the 2000-2001 school year. Coppolo earned District 9 Class A Second Team All-District honors in volleyball last fall, anchoring her team from the setter position. But even at 5-foot-4 inches, her jumping ability gave her some playing time at the hitter positions. Coppolo admitted that basketball would be at the top of her list if she had to pick one sport as her favorite. She helped lead the Lady Crusaders to their first-ever District 9 League title and a 20-5 record. Coppolo averaged 17.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.0 steals per game and made 41 three-pointers. She finished her career with 971 points. "I have to say basketball is at the top because I've been playing it since second grade. Whatever season it's in, it's my favorite. But basketball is pretty much my love," Coppolo said. At the Alice R. Kozel Foundation District 9 All-Star Game in DuBois in late March, Coppolo led her team with 21 points and also won the three-point contest. This spring, Coppolo capped off her senior year in impressive fashion on the track. Coppolo helped the Lady Crusaders win the Class AA team title at the District 9 Track and Field Championships and then made the trip to Shippensburg University where she won three state medals. "It was just awesome to get (to states), because I didn't get there as a junior, but I did as a sophomore. My career wouldn't be complete without getting back (to Shippensburg)," Coppolo said. Coppolo finished eighth in the 400-meter dash and then anchored the 1,600 and 3,200 relays on their way to second- and seventh-place finishes. She joined Katie Eckert, Kate Ehrensberger and Megan Nissel on the 1,600 relay and Eckert, Erica Hoffman and Kerry Fox on the 3,200 relay. Coppolo said that the relay medals were the most satisfying and the 400 medal was a surprise. "Halfway through the season, we realized our relays were doing pretty well," Coppolo said. "In the 400, I didn't think I had a chance to win a medal." Coppolo will attend Gannon University in Erie this fall and major in communication arts. |