AHOSKIE – There are all kinds of athletes.

Some are the physical specimens college coaches dream about. Some are especially gifted in a certain sport or certain area. And some are made.

Recent Ridgecroft School graduate Kathryn Vick may well fall into the last category.

While she may not be making plans to play at the next level, Vick has proven through her time, effort and determination that she was the best female athlete in the Roanoke-Chowan area.

During her four years as part of the Lady Rams’ program, Vick became synonymous with hustle, desire and leadership.

&uot;The leadership ability that Kathryn has developed over the last couple of years has been a major reason for the success of the volleyball and basketball teams,&uot; RHS Athletic Director Doug Cobbs said. &uot;She leads by example.&uot;

Vick’s leadership helped lead both the Ridgecroft volleyball and girls basketball teams to the Final Four during her senior campaign. She was named Most Valuable Player not only of those two squads, but also the softball team.

&uot;Like I told her, she is one of the few players who not only is talented, but also has taken on a leadership role,&uot; Lady Rams’ volleyball coach Nancy Brittenham said.

&uot;She has been an inspiration to the younger players,&uot; Brittenham continued. &uot;They look up to her and allow her to help them out.

For her part, Vick said she had enjoyed every minute of this season, but was not expecting the honor of being named MVP of three different sports.

&uot;It was a surprise to me,&uot; she said. &uot;It was a big honor, but I didn’t know anybody thought that much of what I did. Still, our volleyball and basketball teams were so good, everyone should have been the MVP.&uot;

She said she would have good memories of her final year as a Lady Ram.

&uot;I’ll remember leading all the teams as best I could and all the trophies we brought home as a team,&uot; Vick said.

Often referred to by Cobbs and others as a &uot;coach on the floor,&uot; Vick said it was a role she relished.

&uot;I’d kind of like to think that’s my role,&uot; she said. &uot;I don’t know if I accomplished it in every sport, but a coach is a nice thing to be.&uot;

As for her coaches, Vick said she enjoyed playing for both Brittenham and Cobbs.

&uot;One of them is as nice as can be and the other one yells a lot,&uot; Vick said. &uot;Mrs. Brittenham does get mad, but she’s always there if you need help.

&uot;Coach Cobbs is too, but in a different way,&uot; she said. &uot;I wouldn’t want any other coaches. You couldn’t ask for anyone any better.&uot;

During each season, Vick had a moment that stood out.

In volleyball, she remembered trailing in a state playoff game and coming back to win while in basketball it was a victory over Albemarle in the Tarheel Independent Conference tournament championship.

Her best softball memory was this year’s contest with Northeast Academy.

Vick, who was effective in all areas in volleyball, was the starting point guard for the Lady Rams’ basketball team that went 20-5 and won the TIC regular-season and tournament championships. They advanced to the North Carolina Independent School Athletic Association Final Four thanks to victories over Wayne Country Day School and Halifax Academy.

In softball, Vick anchored the team as the starting catcher.

For her efforts, Vick was named to the All-Tarheel Independent Conference team in basketball as well as being named All-Roanoke-Chowan and Best Defensive Player by the Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald. She was first team All-Roanoke-Chowan in softball as well.

While she was superb in three sports, Cobbs said he would choose basketball as the sport Vick excelled in.

&uot;I would probably have to say basketball because she can exhibit her leadership skills there more than any other sport,&uot; he said. &uot;We wouldn’t have been nearly as successful if she hadn’t taken a role as a leader guiding and nurturing her teammates.&uot;

While Vick said she would miss Ridgecroft and the opportunity to wear the blue and white, her coaches said they would also miss her and the impact she had on her team.

&uot;Saying goodbye to all the coaches and knowing I won’t get to put on that Ridgecroft jersey again is hard,&uot; she said. &uot;I will miss it.&uot;

&uot;I will miss her,&uot; Brittenham added. &uot;She is one of those players you don’t get very often.&uot;

Cobbs agreed.

&uot;I think we’ll miss her a great deal because every night she brings her game to the gym and that’s what you need,&uot; he said. &uot;You can’t replace that desire and will to excel.&uot;

Her desire and hard work is why Vick is the Female Athlete of the Year.