Junior Abbey Herrle didn’t just play five sports this year. She excelled at them.

Herrle qualified for WPIALs in gymnastics, diving, and track. She also participated in tennis and swimming, for a total of five sports over the three sports seasons of the school year.

These accomplishments have led to Herrle being named the 2020-21 Purbalite Female Athlete of the Year.

Herrle started her athletic career with gymnastics at the age of 4, but said her main sports today are diving and track.

“Since I’ve grown so much and am continuing to grow, my abilities in gymnastics have been limited, so I’ve been performing better in other sports,” Herrle said.

She said that qualifying for WPIALs in three sports this past year has been a great accomplishment, and that it’s something to build on next year.

“It’s a great feeling, especially in diving because you have to get a specific score to qualify, and track was a really big deal for me because I had never been to track WPIALs before. I qualified in the high jump and discus. I didn’t medal, but I was happy with myself,” Herrle said.

Herrle said that the busy nature of participating in five sports helps keep her active and maintain her physical fitness.

“It is really nice always being busy, especially during the winter but also throughout the entire year. It can be tough to stay motivated at times, but when you see the outcome of all your hard work and look back at the season, it is definitely worth it,” Herrle said.

“Staying in shape also provides a lot of motivation for me. Staying so active allows you to see your muscle growth, and it allows you to see your scores increase. It is a great feeling to not only see your physique get better but also seeing your scores jump from an 8 to an 8.5,” Herrle said.

Track teammate junior Kayli Woods and swimming teammate junior Ava Jo Russin both said  Herrle brings a lot to whatever team she is on.

“She is always there if somebody needs help with anything, or if a coach needs help, Abbey is always the first one to offer help,” Woods said.

Woods said Herrle is versatile and will do anything for the benefit of the team.

“She will be at any event she is needed to do, even if she is not the best at that specific event, and she will always give her hardest to earn points for the team,” Woods said.

Russin said Herrle is one of the most positive people on the swim team.

“She is very close with the people in lane two because she dives next to them, and she always brings a positive attitude, and she is very encouraging of the team,” Russin said.