FOXBURG — Baylee Blauser figured she had nothing to lose.

As a freshman at A-C Valley, she entered the PIAA Track and Field Championships seeded near the middle of the pack in the Class AA long jump.

The prospects of her earning a medal were more unlikely than likely. The state meet has a way to chewing up and spitting out freshmen because of the enormity of the Shippensburg University venue and the enormity of the meet itself.

Blauser, though, was undaunted.

She did win a medal on that warm May day, placing eighth in the event with a leap of 17 feet, 1 inch, and tied the school record held by her coach, Shanna Klinger-Tharan.

“I was totally surprised,” Blauser said. “I just kind of went in there with the mindset of what ever happens, happens. That definitely helped. I didn't go there thinking, 'Oh my gosh, I have to do better than I have all year. I have to beat all these people.' I just had fun.”

The fun was just beginning.

Not long after she stepped off the podium and received her medal, Blauser had to sprint to the car to make the journey to DuBois to pitch in a softball game for the Falcons just a few hours later.

She arrived at the field with five minutes to spare.

“I was stiff from the two-hour ride,” Blauser said. “I guess people were clapping for me. I didn't notice because I was focused on getting there and warming up.”

A-C Valley softball coach Bob Bowser bought her a little more time.

“My coach found a mistake with the field,” Blauser said.

That bought Blauser another 20 minutes to warm up and get the kinks out from her trip from Shipp.

A-C Valley, though, lost 7-4 to Otto-Eldred. But Blauser competed in two state playoff events in the same day.

She better get used to it.

Blauser, who also plays basketball and is an avid horse rider, is constantly busy.

Sometimes it can be challenging.

“I just try to spread it out as much as I can,” Blauser said.

That means going down to the track at the break of dawn to get a workout in if she has a softball game that day.

That means getting in some jump shots between a morning pitching session and a ride on her horse, Koda.

Decisions can be challenging for Blauser in the spring.

“It's definitely hard,” Blauser said. “Normally, I'll pick softball because it's more of a team sport. If one person is not there, it affects the whole team.”

Blauser has been playing softball since she was 9. She picked up basketball around the same time and fell in love with track and field in the seventh grade.

On the second day of her track and field career, Blauser was introduced to the jumps.

She's been hooked ever since.

Klingler-Tharan said even bigger things are ahead for Blauser in the jumps.

“I'm glad to have been coaching her when she tied my record and I know without a doubt she will break that record and own it herself,” Klingler-Tharan said. “It was also impressive to have watched her medal at the PIAA meet as a freshman. I look for her to repeat that accomplishment as well as move up the podium over the next few years.”

Blauser said she decided not to let the difficulty of playing two sports in the same season stop her from pursuing both softball and track and field.

“I told myself I was going to do both either way,” Blauser said. “I feel fortunate to be able to play both.”

On the basketball court this winter as a sophomore, Blauser is finding her form on a young team that is also discovering what it can do.

Blauser's athleticism is on full display in her game. Her jumping ability and quickness sets her apart as she slashes her way to the hoop.

Blauser is averaging seven points per game, but shows flashes of being an explosive scorer in the future.

“I'm really working on my jump shot,” Blauser said. “Whenever I'm in rhythm I'm shooting upward and not out to the side. I don't really shoot from the perimeter, but I'm trying to figure that stuff out.”

If Blauser had to pick just one sport, she said she'd pick track and field.

Luckily, she said, she doesn't have to pick just one.

“I really couldn't do it without my coaches for pushing me in each sport,” Blauser said. “Without them I couldn't do what I'm doing. To have their support really helps.”