Sophomore Knoll making waves in short career

To say that it is an accomplishment for a high school athlete to be on the All-Conference list for both volleyball and basketball and go to the state track meet for the second year in a row in multiple events would be an understatement; especially if the student was just a sophomore.

These are just a few of the things that Bigfork High School's Mallery Knoll has to brag about. However, Knoll isn't the type to boast, but she does admit to being competitive.

"I'm really competitive, which is good and bad," Knoll said of her love of sports. "I like being active all the time and when you're playing sports you are still getting to be with all of your friends."

Knoll is one of 14 athletes from Bigfork traveling to the Class A State Track meet in Butte, which begins tomorrow, May 29.

"I want to keep getting better and I really want to win at state," Knoll said. "I especially want to win this year because it is our last year in Class A."

At last weekend's divisional meet in Polson she qualified to compete in five events at state. Knoll placed first in the 300-hurdles with a time of 45.9. She was second in the 100-meter and 200-meter, in 13.21 and 27.13, respectively. She placed third in the 100-hurdles in 16.5 and she was the anchor of the girls 400-meter relay team, which placed fifth with their time of 53.0.

"I'm pretty nervous," Knoll said, admitting that she has even more butterflies prior to this year's state meet than last. "I expect myself to do better this year and I'll be disappointed if I don't."

BHS Head Track Coach Sue Loeffler said that she will likely have Knoll substitute for one of her other athletes in the 1,600-meter relay race at the state meet, which will put Knoll competing in six events.

"I think it is going to be pretty tough, but I'm really excited," Knoll said. "I wouldn't want to drop any of my races because they are all fun."

During the regular season Knoll switched off competing in the long relay and the 200-meter. She was not a part of the Bigfork 1,600-meter relay team at the divisional meet because athletes are only allowed to compete in five events at divisionals, but are allowed to be in seven at state.

"She qualified in five events," Loeffler said of Knoll. "That's pretty complimentary of her, but that's because of her hard work and focus. That's why she is where she's at."

At last year's divisional meet Knoll took first in the 100-meter, second in the 200-meter, third in the 300-meter hurdles and fourth in the 100-meter hurdles. The then-freshman went on to take third in the 300-meter hurdles and fourth in the 100-meter at the state meet. She didn't compete in the 200-meter at state last year because she was suffering from shin splints.

"She has always been fast," Loeffler said. "Her improvement has come in the technical things, like hurdles and starting better."

Her times have improved steadily in all of her events this season, but most impressive is the three-and-a-half seconds that she has shaved off of her 300-meter hurdles time since she first ran it this season in competition.

"I'm really excited because I've been improving my times and Mrs. L has been trying a few things to get my times down," Knoll said. "I need to work on finishing now. Like in the 300-hurdles everyone said that I just sort of stopped after the last hurdle."

She narrowly missed breaking the school record in the 100-meter two week's ago at Polson's ABC track meet. Her hand-clocked time of 12.3 was one tenth of a second faster than the fastest recorded by Brittany Brendsel in 2004, however her official time was 12.84.

"She works real hard and does anything you ask of her," Loeffler said. "She's real coachable and gives 100-percent in everything she does."

Knoll's dedication and work ethic shines through in her other sports as well. She finished the girls basketball season with the best field goal shooting percentage in the conference, 49.34 percent. She had the fifth highest average for number of 2-point field goals per game, with 3.83, and was the second most accurate behind senior teammate Roxy Thurman.

Thurman and Knoll were instrumental in helping the Valkyries basketball team place second at the Northwest A Divisional Tournament and advance to state. The two athletes were also key players on the school's volleyball team, which placed third at the divisional tournament, falling just short of going to state.

In volleyball, Knoll had the second highest receiving ratio in the conference, 2.182, and she had the seventh best average for digs in a game, 3.58.

"My parents and my coaches help push me to keep getting better," Knoll said. "I guess if it wasn't so much fun it would be harder to push myself. That makes it easy to keep working hard."

Knoll has been participating in all three of her sports since middle school. In track, she chose to specialize in the short distance race for the speed.

"My brother and I used to race all the time when we were kids," she said. "I just really like sprinting. I'm into fast things and long distance just takes too long."

The brother Knoll speaks of is her twin, Travis, who also happens to play basketball and run track, as well as play football.

"I love it," Knoll said of her and Travis being in some of the same sports. "I always want him to do well. I'm pretty much his number one fan."

The twins take advantage of their shared interest in sports.

"We're always there for each other to practice or work out with each other," Mallery said. "It's nice having someone around that is the same age. We're really competitive with each other. It definitely pushes me because he is a boy and he is bigger and strnger and pretty much beats me in everything. Except for the hurdles. I'm pretty sure I can beat him in that."

Travis is not a hurdler, but he will be competing in the 100-meter at the state meet, as well as the anchor position in the 400-meter relay.