HIGH SCHOOL ROUNDUP: Lee County’s Polk signs with ABAC; Westover wrestling wins Area Duals

LEESBURG — Dry socks.

That was the turning point in Kelly Polk’s soccer career. Honest. She was 5 and playing on her first soccer team at St. Teresa’s when she decided to give up the sport. The reason?

“She didn’t like getting her feet wet,” said Kelly’s mother Carla Polk. “The fields were always wet during those Saturday morning games.”

The same little girl who didn’t like soccer or wet feet now plans to swim with sharks and dolphins and play soccer in college, thanks to a scholarship from Abraham Baldwin Agriculture College, where Polk will major in marine biology and play defense for the Fillies.

“Kelly fits the perfect mold for the kind of player we’re looking for, great character and a hard worker,” said ABAC coach Jim Ballenger, who watched Polk sign her scholarship Friday amid her parents (Carla and Brad Polk), family and friends in the Lee County High library.

“Every athlete I’ve ever seen come out of Lee County has a good work ethic. We’re very happy she’s joining our family. We like her toughness and she’s got the speed we’re looking for. We’re looking for her to step right in next year.”

Polk, an honor student who has been nominated for the Governor’s Honor Program, also stars for Lee County’s basketball team and has won awards for defense, assists and overall play on both teams.

She has been playing on the Hotspur travel soccer teams since she was 7 years old, and has a long list of high school honors, including being named to the all region team the past two seasons and being named to The Herald’s All-Area team as a junior. She has led Lee County to two region titles and an appearance in the Sweet 16.

“I guess (the dry socks) were the difference,” she said with a laugh. “I was still pretty girly then, but when I was 7 I got tired of dance (classes) and started playing soccer again.”

No one doubts her toughness now. Polk worked at the Westover Animal Clinic last summer to earn the money to go to SeaWorld’s summer camp in Orlando. She spent part of her time swimming with dolphins and even tested the shark waters, standing in an underwater cage as more than 30 sharks darted around her. Some even pushed up against the cage.

“It was cool,” she said.

So what’s better, scoring a goal? Or swimming with sharks?

“They’re both about the same,” she said.

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WESTOVER WINS AREA DUALS:

ALBANY – Westover High School’s third consecutive GHSA Area 1-AAA duals championship rested on Harrison Stadnik’s shoulders at Robert Cross Middle School.

Never mind that he was pushed from 215 pounds to 285 in hopes of a better matchup. Stadnik responded by pinning is opponent in the second period to set the tone for a 41-40 victory against Perry. Although Westover’s title was clinched by a Reginald Sherman pin at 125, Patriots coach Kevin Fretwell said Stadnik’s win before that fired everyone up.

“He just went in there and pinned the kid,” Fretwell said. “His opponent was 60 pounds heavier, but (Stadnik) still did it.”

Westover, which beat Crisp County in its only other match, 48-36, advance to state next weekend in Macon.

“Considering I’ve lost the amount of kids I have in the past few weeks due to either injuries or grades, and a lot of moving kids from junior varsity, the kids were fired up,” Fretwell said. “That’s what it was.”

Sherman won both his matches Friday, as did Dylan Snapp (130), Colby Faircloth (135) and Derrick Akins (189).