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Kennedy Blahnik has been selected as the 2013-14 recipient of the Pat Richter Award presented by WisSports.net as the Triple Play Triple Threat Female Athlete of the Year.

The Triple Play Triple Threat of the Week is an honor given on WisSports.net to the top senior boys and girls three-sport athletes in the state and is sponsored by the local community telephone companies of Wisconsin. At the end of the school year, those awarded with the weekly honor are eligible for the Pat Richter Award, which will go out to the top boys and girls three-sport athlete of the season.

Hugh V. "Pat" Richter is one of Wisconsin's most storied student-athletes in state history. He was a three-sport athlete at Madison East High School, competing in football, basketball and baseball. He went on to fame at the University of Wisconsin, earning nine varsity letters in three sports and would later become the Athletic Director at Wisconsin.

Past winners of the award include Jenna Orr of Rice Lake (2012-13), Kailee Kamps of Belmont (2011-12), Kendall Wienkes of Highland (2010-11), and Andie Varsho (2009-10).

Algoma's Kennedy Blahnik was well-known in the athletics community even before entering high school, as she was one of the country's top track & field athletes going back to middle school.

Fortunately for all of us, she eschewed specializing in a sport in which she was among the most elite of the elite in the entire country, and instead enjoyed her high school career while participating in basketball and volleyball as well.

This spring Blahnik became one of just four athletes to ever win four consecutive track & field individual state titles in two different events, capturing gold in both the shot put and discus once again.

She'll continue her athletic career next year as a scholarship track & field athlete at the University of Wisconsin.

Still, there are many hoops fans around the state who best know her as a fixture at the state basketball tournament over the last several years. Algoma finished as the state runner-up her freshman season when she played a reserve role, captured a title her junior year as she was a starter, and finished as runner-up her senior season as well.

During her senior campaign Blahnik averaged better than 14 points and 5 rebounds per game, earning Unanimous WBCA First Team All-State recognition in Division 4, with Blahnik selected as co-Player of the Year in the Packerland Conference.

She wasn't too shabby on the volleyball court either, earning First Team All-Conference recognition as a senior when she was a team captain and the team's most valuable player.

Blahnik was just as good in the classroom, finishing with a 4.0 GPA and earning WIAA Scholar-Athlete recognition. She was also a four-year member of the band, a class officer, and even helped with football stats.

While one might think that Blahnik missed out on things by participating in multiple extra-curricular activities, but she thinks its the opposite.

"I don't think I missed out on too much being a three-sport athlete," she said. "Being from a small town, most of my friends played all the same sports so it actually gave me time to see them."

While Blahnik experienced an incredible amount of success, sports also taught her about dealing with adversity.

"Success doesn't always come right away or easily," she explained. "My first full varsity game freshman year for basketball I played for 2 minutes. In that time, I traveled, got 2 fouls, and gave up two straight-line drives to the basket. I went home that night and cried and told my parents that I wanted to be back on JV. Later that year, I came off the bench in the championship game and scored 8 points."

We asked her to look back on her career and highlight some of the top moments from each of her three sports.

• "My favorite memory from Volleyball was in our Regional Semi-Final win this year. We had to go to extra points and the game was back and forth, exchanging point for point. I got the set and was going for the kill, but instead I tipped it right past the blocker for the win."
• "My favorite memory from Basketball was definitely winning state Junior year. After graduating six incredible seniors, no one was really expecting us to win. It was great to be able to play 30 miles away from home and win the championship in front of the majority of the Algoma community."
• "My favorite memory from Track would have to be this past state meet. To be able to reach my dream of being an 8-time state champion was amazing. Even more amazing was that I was able to share it all with my dad, who is my coach, and the rest of my family that made the trip to La Crosse."

It is no surprise she mentioned being with family on the track.

"Track has always been in the family," she said. "My grandfather started the first women's track team at Algoma High School. My dad is the throws coach (for 27 years), I have an uncle that coaches high jump, and my other uncle is the head coach. My mom is on the school record team for the 4x400. My brother, Zach, holds the school record in shot put and discus as well as the Division 3 state record in discus. He was a 3-time state champion. My older sister, Alex, made it to state twice in her career and held the school record in discus. My little sister, Bobbi, has been throwing for a couple years now and starts middle school track this coming year."

It has been an incredible career for Blahnik, with state records, state titles, and lasting memories, as as sports fans we are lucky to have been able to witness it all.

To view our initial profile of Kennedy as part of our Triple Play Triple Threat Athlete of the Week series, please click here.