Staunton graduate leaves impressive legacy behind
STAUNTON, Ill. (BVM) – Many of us have difficulty finding enough time in the day to get everything done, but imagine having a schedule like Staunton graduate Hollie Bekeske did during high school.
The 18-year-old was a multi-sport athlete who competed in six different sports during her time as a Bulldog. But maybe more impressively, she was also valedictorian of her 2020 graduating class, while making a lasting impact on her school through her involvement in extracurriculars.
Bekeske started walking at 8 months old, and has been involved with sports ever since she can remember. High school was no different, as the athlete competed in her main sports of volleyball and basketball all four years, soccer for three years and softball and cross country for one year. She even planned to compete in track and field this spring had the season not been canceled.
The 18-year-old takes pride in competing in so many sports, and just has a passion and determination to be great at whatever she does.
“I have a very competitive edge and I do like to be the best at most things that I do. I’ve always considered myself an athlete and figured if I don’t try to play as many sports as possible and try to do my best in them, I’m not really an athlete,” Bekeske said.
But the most unique part of her multi-sport resume is kicking for Staunton’s football team this past fall. Towards the end of her junior year, Bekeske got called to the office and overheard two of the school’s football coaches discussing finding a place kicker for the upcoming fall season. They saw Bekeske in the office and joked that she should kick for the team since she played soccer.
Being the competitor she is, Bekeske saw kicking for the Bulldogs as a challenge she was ready to take on. A week later, she went out on the field with the coaches to test out her skills, and earned the position.
Bekeske would train with family and friends throughout the summer. She did feel a lot of pressure to be ready to perform well come fall because of the main reason she decided to become a kicker.
“I thought it was going to be really cool and I was super excited but I mainly did it because I knew this would be the first time something like this was done at the school,” Bekeske said. “I wanted to do it not just for myself, but also for the people behind me who want to try something new and show that it can be done. So it did put a lot of pressure on me in the summer to make sure I trained so I wouldn’t mess this up.”
The nerves predictably continued as the start of the season began. After Staunton’s opening game of the year was rained out, Bekeske’s first action would come in a home game the following week. Just trying to figure out how to put her shoulder pads on before the game, the kicker was forced into action early as the team scored in the first minute of the contest. Then, it was her time to shine.
“We scored pretty early on in the game and they held up the No. 1 on the sideline and I wasn’t even sure what that meant,” Bekeske said. “But I ran out there and just blocked everything out. I just kept saying in my head to keep my head down and follow through. The kick went through and it was one of my best kicks ever.”
Bekeske went on to convert 11 of 14 extra points she attempted during the season. The three that she didn’t convert were bad snaps which were unkickable.
Playing as a girl in a male sport did not phase Bekeske like some might think it would either. She had a lot of friends already on the team who made her feel comfortable on the sidelines and treated her like any other player. As a kicker, she also avoided the physicality of the sport – mostly.
However, there was one point-after kick during the team’s homecoming game where the Bulldogs only had 10 players on the field – missing an extra blocker – and the senior kicker was run over. Although she had the wind knocked out of her, Bekeske chalks it up as “a story to tell.”
With the 11 extra points she made, Bekeske became the first female in school history to score points for the football team. Being able to look back on it now, it is a proud accomplishment for the former Bulldog.
“I take a lot of pride in it. Again, it’s not just about me. The entire community accepted me and the fact that the coaches actually reached out to a girl to do it and all the faculty and staff were supportive made me really proud,” Bekeske said.
Becoming a kicker for the football team was the cherry on top of what has been an amazing athletic career at Staunton for Bekeske. In volleyball, the 18-year-old played on varsity all four years – including two years as libero – and was a first team all-conference player. Bekeske also won multiple all-tournament titles as well as one tournament MVP in her time with the Bulldogs. In addition, her team set the school record for most wins in her junior year, and would improve on that mark in her senior season.
In basketball, Bekeske was a third team all-conference player and again won multiple all-tournament titles as well as a team MVP award. Her favorite memories on the hardwood often came during her senior year, as the team – a core of girls that had been playing together since their youth – had a lot of fun under new coach, Corrie Allan.
Of course, Bekeske was a star when it came to soccer, too, winning an offensive team MVP award in addition to being honored with third team all-conference in her junior year. In her lone season of cross country, Bekeske was the second-best runner on her team and helped the Bulldogs qualify for state for the first time in school history.
An incredible athlete, Bekeske’s success does not stop with sports, as the Staunton graduate has put in plenty of work in the classroom over her four years of high school. Bekeske, a 4.0 GPA student, was valedictorian of her 2020 graduating class. In addition, she was honored with a Silver Medallion Award, which honors the top eight percent of students academically from local area high schools. The 18-year-old is proud of what she has accomplished, and knows her academics are just as important as athletics.
“Academics have always been No. 1 and I take a lot of pride in them. I knew being able to juggle my academics and my athletics was going to be difficult, but if I could push myself to do that it would make my future a lot easier,” Bekeske said. “There are a lot of academically gifted people in my class at Staunton and I knew I would have to work for it. I’m very proud to be my class’ valedictorian and I’ve always wanted to be first in my class ever since I saw my sister do it.”
Somehow, in addition to her academic and athletic efforts, Bekeske also found time to take part in several extracurricular activities at Staunton. One in particular was being drum major for the band, which she would have to do in her football uniform on Friday nights.
“I was very thrilled to be able to be a drum major. One of my sisters had also done that so I was glad to follow in her footsteps. The field shows were always my favorite part because I got to do band and football at the same time,” Bekeske said.
The Staunton graduate was involved with several other extracurriculars at the school as well. Most notably, she was president of the National Honor Society and was also voted to become a student member of the school board. This allowed her to give a first-hand perspective to fellow board members about what was going on in all facets of the school.
As with sports, Bekeske finds it important to get involved in as many activities she can to not only stay busy, but to also make a change.
“During the school year, I always wanted to be in as many clubs and activities as possible to push myself but also meet new people,” Bekeske said. “There are some clubs I was involved in that I wasn’t super passionate about but I was so glad I was in them because I get to see other peoples’ passions and gain a different perspective.”
Whether it is atheltics, academics, or extra-curriculars, Bekeske knows she would not be where she is today without the support of her family. The 18-year-old credits her parents and sisters for always being her biggest fans, and pushing her to become the best person she can be no matter what the activity.
In the fall, the impressive Staunton grad will attend Maryville University in St. Louis. She will study physical therapy and hopes to become a physical therapist for a major sports team someday, or perhaps even back home in Staunton.
As she did in high school, the 18-year-old will look to get involved with several different clubs and activities at Maryville. She will also play as many club sports as she can, and would like to play volleyball for the Saints.
A bright future awaits in college and beyond, but through her involvement in so many different activities, Bekeske’s name will not be forgotten at Staunton.
“I hope that when people hear my name they think ‘she did it all, and even if she didn’t succeed, she kept trying and never gave up,’” Bekeske said about her legacy in Staunton. “I like to be known as somebody who works really hard for what they want and likes to help other people. I hope that all the programs and sports I have been in are better in the future. … I’m very proud to be from Staunton and I will always be there for them as they have been for me.”
