PARKER GURNETT
Staff Writer
When you think of a two-sport athlete in college, cross country and track and field typically come to mind first, as those two sports commonly feature many of the same athletes.
What about competing in both basketball and softball, and even being a starter on both teams?
That is exactly what junior Allie Wandell does.
Wandell is a junior English adolescent education major who excels both on and off the field.
“Most dual-sport athletes you see at the collegiate level are women,” said former Sports Information Director Jerry Reilly. “It truly is amazing to see how successful they are at the college level.”
The time commitment for one college sport is significant, but to go from one to another in back-to-back seasons is even more impressive.
This past basketball season, Wandell was a star forward for the team, helping lead the Blue Devils to their best season since 2016.
Starting all but one game, she led the team in rebounds while being second on the team in free throw percentage, points, and steals, all behind star freshman Grace Alexander.
Not only does Wandell’s play on the court help her team win, but her leadership both during games and practice helps the team grow and compete at a higher level.
She uses her voice to help the team to improve over the course of the game and season.
“She goes to every practice and always talks the truth which helps the team grow,” said Mary Culeton, a junior guard on the team. “[Wandell’s] always working the hardest in practice and games, always there for her teammates through encouragement.”
This level of encouragement and truth helps a team grow closer together and work harder. It is one thing to hear these words from a coach, but to hear them from a teammate themselves goes a long way.
“It helps the team become better because she shows up everyday putting in work and encouraging others around her to become better,” said junior guard Jaden Sciotti of Wandell’s leadership. “Overall, she wants to compete and pushes that upon her teammates.”
Wandell shows up to every practice and game with the same energy. That energy is focused on the basis of creating a winning culture.
Not only does she bring her leadership and skill to basketball, but to softball as well.
Last season, she led the Blue Devils in nearly every major statistical category, including batting average, hits, walks and runs batted in (RBI).
“She had great leadership as a sophomore last year … She started to really become a leader [and] continued into the fall … Even with basketball, she did things to stay involved with the team,” he said. “She is always in for extra hitting and practice, which really motivates other players on the team.”
Ciccarello also spoke glowingly of Wandell’s character, and said that her will to win is “off-the-charts.”
He mentioned how this is the first year in a while that he has gone back to having captains on his team for consecutive seasons.
Wandell is co-captains with graduate student Emily Chelius, and Ciccarello mentioned how Wandell and Chelius “basically forced [his] hand” into making them captains again because of their exceptional leadership.
“[Being a two-sport athlete] shows you her athleticism and dedication to both sports. College sports is a lot at times for one, let alone two [sports],” Ciccarello said. “[Wandell’s] a player the freshmen can look up to. Being a junior for that is rare … [I’m] extremely glad to have her.”
“I think leadership is truly what can make or break a team. I’m hoping my team feels that they can lean on me through the lows and celebrate with me through the highs,” said Wandell. “Having a good culture is extremely important to our team, and I’m excited to see how I can help improve our culture through having this leadership role.”
Still, the hectic nature of being a two-sport athlete cannot be overstated.
“To be completely honest, it’s a lot but it is all so worth it. I am so glad Fredonia has given me the opportunity to play two sports at the college level and I wouldn’t trade it for the world,” she said.“I love both of my teams and I feel so privileged to have been able to create lifelong friendships with both the basketball and softball teams.”
In her future, Wandell plans on being a teacher and coach, and she believes that the dual-sport experience will help with her career goals. “I will eventually have to teach a full day and then go straight to practice, and that is basically what I’m doing now,” she said.
Wandell’s leadership contributes to a positive team culture and parlays into her play on the field, as shown by her excellence at the plate last season.
Wandell’s next game with the softball team is April 12 at 3 p.m., in a double header against Potsdam.