BY DAN STICKRADT
CORRESPONDENT
dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com
Twitter: @LocalSportsFans
ST. CHARLES — Coming from a small town has its advantages and disadvantages.
“It does. Growing up in a small town like St. Charles, everybody knows everybody,” said Slick, a senior at Class C St. Charles High School south of Saginaw. “You can know a lot about people because it’s so small.
“But can that be a bad, thing, too?” laughed Slick.
There’s one thing about Slick that is not bad — and that is her athletic ability and her academics achievements. A three-sport standout at the school rotating her efforts between volleyball, basketball and softball, Slick will graduate in June with nine varsity letters.
Slick has garnered numerous accolades playing and juggling three sports, summer softball and a high level of academics classes. That has all taught her how to multi-task and handle numerous responsibilities. She earned four varsity letters in volleyball, one in basketball her junior year and will earn a fourth in softball this spring as well.
She will attend Division II Northwood University 45 minutes to the north in Midland and will play softball at the school.
“I’ve wanted to to play in college. This school is the right fit for me,” said Slick. “Plus, it’s close. My family will get to see me play. The whole (GLIAC) is in states around here and Midland is not very far away at all.”
On the softball diamond is where Slick is at her best. It his her first love.
“Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve loved softball. Something about being on the diamond,” she said. “I love all sports and don’t just concentrate on just one. But softball is my favorite.”
Slick has earned All-Tri-Valley Conference honors the past three years and earned All-District as a sophomore for softball. She was also Academic All-State in volleyball last fall.
She hit over .390 at the plate as a junior and led the Bulldogs in RBI. She is a heady player and leader for St. Charles, as her hard work and dedication happens not only on the playing surface but in the classroom as well.
Slick registered a 25 on her ACT and resides in the top 10 of her graduating class with a stellar 3.96 GPA.
With many of the top catchers from Mid-Michigan graduating last year, Slick would love nothing more than to guide a young team under a new coaching staff to a district title — and garner All-State accolades for a first time.
In translation, she would love for the powers to be outside of the confines of St. Charles and the surrounding farming communities to know of her playing abilities.
“We’re young, but I think we could be better than we were last year,” said Slick, one of two seniors in her graduating class to earn a scholarship for athletics. “Our new coaching staff has been great. There’s a new (sense of energy) this season. Everyone has responded to the new coach.
“I would really love to win a district, help my team go as far as we can. And I would love to be All-State,” said added. “That hasn’t happened before.”