When graduating student-athletes are set to leave high school behind, they’re faced with tough decisions about where they want to spend the next four years of their athletic and academic careers.
And though the process can be a stressful one, it was doubly so for White Rock Christian Academy’s Stephanie Beck, who not only had to choose a new school, but also a sport.
Since arriving at WRCA in Grade 8 – she went to elementary school in Delta – Beck has been a two-sport star, excelling in both volleyball and track and field, where she’s been among the province’s best discus and hammer throwers.
And she had scholarship offers for both sports, too, before ultimately deciding to further her track and field career with the University of Washington Huskies
The decision to give up volleyball – where she’d helped WRCA to a fifth place at provincials last fall – was not easy, she said, but in the end, the solitary aspect of track won out.
“I love the team aspect of volleyball, but I also really like working by myself, depending on just me,” she said.
“In track, if you screw something up, it’s all on you. And it’s the same if you win.”
Beck officially agreed to join the Huskies earlier this spring, but officially signed the papers during a ceremony at WRCA last week.
“It just seemed like the right fit for me,” said the Richmond Kajaks track club member, who previously trained with South Surrey-based Ocean Athletics.
Earlier this month at B.C. High School Track and Field Championships, Beck – who called her performance at the meet, “OK, but not great,” – placed fifth in discus with a top throw of 32.67 metres, and sixth in hammer throw, with a distance of 42.06 m.
Neither were personal bests for Beck, and she planned on training throughout the summer, possibly with an eye towards Junior National Championships next month in Winnipeg. She’ll head to Washington in mid-August.
“I’m really excited… a little nervous, too, but mostly excited about it,” she said. “I’ll be close enough to home – just a few hours – but also just far enough away. I wanted to go somewhere else and experience something new. I’m really excited for the next chapter – it’s going to be a lot of fun.”