By Kendall Lang
Paige Davidson, Senior
Paige Davidson, senior athlete at Sandpoint High School, approaches her final season of track and field of her high school career. Competing in a few events, Paige’s focuses are pole vault and hurdles. As her coach, Angie Brass, says, “She is truly a decathlete at heart!” Paige is a two-sport varsity athlete, track and cross country, lettering in both since freshman year. This year, she serves as team captain for both sports.
Paige has maintained a 4.0 GPA throughout high school, while taking a handful of Honors, Dual Credit and AP courses. Next year, she will be continuing her love for learning at Utah State University, majoring in outdoor product design. “I enjoy the outdoors, and with this field of study, I will be able to use my art and design skills along with it,” Paige exclaimed.
For most, sports come with challenges and hurdles athletes need to overcome. For Paige, her largest hurdle was to overcome her breathing issues. “I would be in the middle of a hard workout or race and my throat would suddenly close up,” she said, “preventing me from working at my best.” In order to leap that hurdle, she trained herself to take care of her body and to calm herself mentally in order to reach her full competitive potential.
One thing that sticks out the most to Paige about sports is the team aspect. The friendships, the positive culture and connections all mean the world to Paige. As she refers to it, “The power of the pack is the idea that an athlete is able to perform better when the connection is strengthened by meaningful connections with the people you work beside.”
Paige’s efforts are clearly seen by those around her. Coach Angie Brass said, “She has a strength and devotion to the team and training that comes with someone who is fully committed. She races with grit, focus, determination and demonstrates the girls’ team motto of “For Each Other.”
Connor Bird, Junior
A junior at SHS, Connor Bird makes an impact and has excelled both on the baseball team and in the classroom. Although what seemed to be a setback, one event transpired into a tough but beneficial chapter in Connor’s athletic story. Being originally placed on JV as a sophomore, throughout the season he was asked to join the varsity team for the remainder of the season.
Then, the athlete’s nightmare happened. Connor injured his shoulder and was kept on JV to recover. “Although I had to give up my love of pitching for the rest of the season, being on JV proved to be one of the best things for me at the time. I was able to gain confidence in batting and fielding and strived to be a positive leader on that team. It allowed me to discover who I really was as a player and a leader.”
Off the field, Connor is a huge participant in the school newspaper, Cedar Post, and also being the producer and host of a weekly radio program called “CP@3.” “It is hard work,” he said, “but I enjoy it. It is fulfilling to help out a community radio station and give students of Sandpoint High School a voice.”