Cat Cavinder possesses the skills and disposition.
It’s why Kankakee Valley coach Brian Flynn even entertained the notion.
Flynn, who’s wary of specialization, is a staunch proponent of athletes playing multiple sports. But he had all but “banned” softball players from participating in a second sport concurrently.
Until this spring with Cavinder, a multisport standout for the Kougars who has become the first athlete in the 25-year history of the softball program to also compete in track.
Track comes first for Cavinder, who as a freshman qualified for the state meet in the 800 meters and as a sophomore made the state cross country meet.
But the junior outfielder has contributed to Kankakee Valley’s 21-2 record through Thursday and No. 9 ranking in the Class 4A state coaches poll.
Cavinder played travel softball through eighth grade before choosing track as a freshman. She grew up as teammates with several players on the Kougars, the back-to-back Class 3A state runner-up, and is friends with all of them.
“It’s been a blast,” Cavinder said. “I like being busy all the time. I’m doing fine.”
Including academically, with Cavinder maintaining straight-As.
Flynn — Kankakee Valley’s first and only softball coach — has known Cavinder since she was in fourth grade. He coached her in basketball in fourth and fifth grade, and she was in his fifth-grade class.
Flynn, who’s in his 37th year in the district, even taught Cavinder’s father, Clinton, in fifth grade.
“I’ve been familiar with Cat for a long time,” Flynn said. “She’s a really nice kid — just a positive, hard-working, coachable person.
“I didn’t see why we wouldn’t do it with this particular athlete. I wouldn’t do that with everyone. I would have to know that person pretty well to feel comfortable they’re going to be able to handle it and they’ll be able to understand their role, and their parents would.”
With speed and a strong arm, Cavinder serves as a courtesy runner and defensive replacement. She saw an uptick in at-bats when junior outfielder Kaylee Barrett, an Indiana State commit, missed time with a left elbow injury.
“She’s helped our program and I hope her experience has been a bonus for her,” Flynn said of Cavinder. “That’s what I told her at the beginning. The No. 1 thing, I want this to be a good thing for you.
“If it’s too much, you can’t get your homework done, we’re going to drop one and it’s going to be softball.”
More Top Picks Best Side By Side Refrigerators
It hasn’t been an issue.
When the Kougars have an away softball game, Cavinder trains in the morning before school for track. When they have a home game, she works out right after school. When there’s a track meet, there’s no softball.
“I haven’t missed as much as I thought,” Cavinder said. “It’s a crazy schedule, but it’s worked out really well.”
As a freshman, Cavinder first considered trying to do both.
“At that time, I really couldn’t wrap my head around how that would work,” Flynn said.
As a sophomore, Cavinder tore her left ACL during the basketball sectional. That injury forced her to miss track in the spring and cross country this fall. She returned for this basketball season, starting at point guard to help the Kougars win a sectional title.
With Cavinder healthy, the involved parties, including track coach Lane Lewallen, revisited the possibility again of doing both. She won the 800 at Tuesday’s Northwest Crossroads Conference Meet and hopes to add sectional and regional titles to the ones she secured as a freshman.
“It’s always track first and whatever she can do to help our program,” Flynn said. “She’s just a great kid to have around, a lot of fun.
“When she comes from track practice, without fail, you see her when she pulls into the parking lot. She’s grabbing her stuff and running to softball practice because she doesn’t want to miss anything. That’s just the kind of hard worker she is. She wants to excel in whatever she does.”
Softball Top 10
With records through Thursday and previous rankings in parentheses.
1. Lake Central 20-3 (1)
2. Kankakee Valley 21-2 (4)
3. Crown Point 19-4 (2)
4. Chesterton 15-4 (3)
5. Morgan Township 18-1 (6)
6. Munster 13-7 (5)
7. LaPorte 14-8 (7)
8. Lowell 14-5 (8)
9. Valparaiso 10-8 (9)
10. Highland 13-7 (10)
Player of the Week: Marquette senior Lauren McConnell pitched a six-hitter in Monday’s 6-0 win against Mishawaka Marian. The Fort Wayne recruit then pitched a perfect game with 15 strikeouts in Tuesday’s 10-0 win over Hammond Academy.
Twitter @MichaelOsipoff