Brittney Willaert Named Simley's Athena Award Winner

Brittney Willaert Named Simley's Athena Award Winner

April 28, 2011

Brittney Willaert is a four-year letter winner at Simley High School in volleyball, basketball and softball. She has been a captain in all three sports and was named MVP of the school's volleyball team in 2010 and the basketball team in 2009 and 2011.

These are some of the accomplishments that helped Willaert earn the title of Simley's most outstanding female athlete - the 2011 Athena Award Winner.

"Brittney has taken her athletic experiences and chosen strong values and traits from those experiences to mold herself into a great captain," says Simley Head Softball Coach Kelly Darrow.

KARE 11's Randy Shaver and Fox Sports North's Marney Gellner presented Willaert and other top female athletes throughout the state, with the prestigious Athena Award at Oakdale's Prom Center on April 27.

"Brittney is an intense competitor and has a strong drive to win," says Simley Assistant Softball Coach Dan Gaisbauer.

Willaert can attribute much of her success to the effort she puts in at practice.

"What you learn at practice comes into play during the games," she says.

Coach Darrow remembered back to one of Willaert's at-bats from last year's tournament in Austin.

"Brit hit a homerun that cleared the fastpitch fence and hit halfway up the slowpitch fence that was another 15 feet back," she says. "She did it with an almost effortless swing."

Willaert's favorite memory from high school athletics was playing basketball and softball with her sister, Jenny, a sophomore at Simley.

"You get one shot at (high school sports)," says Willaert. "You have to make the most of it."

Next year, Willaert will attend the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse where she will play basketball.

Here are some stats on Brittney:

Volleyball (position: libero)

Four-year letter winner
Most Improved (ninth-grade)
All Conference - Honorable Mention (2008)
All Conference (2010)
MVP (2010)
Captain (2010)

Basketball (position: 2-guard)

Four-year letter winner
All Conference Honorable Mention (2009, 2010)
MVP (2009, 2011)
All Conference (2011)
Captain (2011)

Softball (position: shortstop)

Four-year letter winner
Austin All-Tournament Team (2010)
Golden Glove 90% Fielding (2009, 2010)
Captain (2011)