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Butte’s Ally Cleverly nearing the end of terrific 3-sport career

Posted at 10:51 PM, Dec 12, 2018
and last updated 2018-12-13 12:46:52-05

BUTTE — A three-sport athlete isn’t out of the ordinary in high school sports, but being a four-year starter and captain in three sports, that’s a little more unheard of.

For Butte High’s Ally Cleverly, that’s been a reality all throughout her four years of high school. Cleverly is a star soccer, basketball, and track athlete for the Bulldogs, and she thrived with the leadership that comes with the territory.

“You have to realize that people look up to you, not only on the court but off of it, as well,” Cleverly said. “Everyone’s watching your actions and listening to what you have to say. I think it’s been really great that I’ve been put in that position in multiple sports for multiple years.”

As one might expect from years of being a multi-sport athlete, Cleverly’s competitive edge over her competition no matter the sport is something Lady Bulldogs basketball coach Maury Cook notices every day she steps on the court.

“The fact that she’s a soccer player helps her tremendously in basketball. She comes in in phenomenal shape every year,” Cook said. “She’s one of those kids that never has to, even when she’s had a couple weeks off, she doesn’t have that down period where she’s not ready to go. Her conditioning is unbelievable.”

Cleverly’s hard work paid off when she signed on to play soccer at Carroll College. However, she knew one day when she was young she would have to choose only one sport to play in college. For a driven athlete like Cleverly, that can be one of the hardest decisions to make. But Carroll women’s basketball coach Rachelle Sayers wanted Cleverly to give basketball a shot, as well.

“It was really exciting. It was really nerve-racking when I was there, but I was excited to be there,” Cleverly said. “It’s a great school. I was just excited I got the chance to play both and didn’t have to pick one.”

Until she’s on the field or the court for the Fighting Saints, Cleverly will finish her senior year and then walk across the stage at graduation as one of the best three-sport athletes in Butte High history.