Recent graduate named 2008-09 Female Athlete of the Year
Danika Stelton is undecided on playing three sports at Rainy River Community College next school year.
If the Arrowhead Conference had anything to say about it, they would push her to do so. The Arrowhead Conference recently named the Broncos three-sport athlete its 2008-09 Female Athlete of the Year.
“That’s exciting,” Stelton said when hearing the news. Stelton played volleyball, basketball and softball for the Broncos, and earned All-Conference honors in all three sports her senior year.
“It’s a great accomplishment. Very thankful,” she said.
Stelton, who recently graduated from Falls High School, plans to play volleyball and softball at RRCC, but is undecided on basketball. She spent five years on varsity in volleyball and softball for the Broncos, and four years in basketball. She scored more than 1,000 career points in basketball and was recently named to the MNFCA All-State second team for softball, becoming the first Bronco to do so.
Stelton was nominated by FHS athletic/activities director Don Rolando. Each athletic director in Arrowhead Conference schools nominates a male and female athlete for the honor. There are 10 schools in the conference — Cherry, Ely, International Falls, Eveleth-Gilbert, Mountain Iron-Buhl, Cook, Orr, Mesabi East, Tower-Soudan and Babbitt-Embarrass. The winner was decided by votes from each athletic director, who can’t vote for their own nominations.
Asked to pick the highlight from her senior season and there was no surprise she couldn’t pick just one.
“I always have fun in sports, so pretty much every sport is a highlight for me,” she said. “I love being on a team sport and having fun is nice with friends and teammates. It makes the year a whole lot of fun.”
