McCoy

GROVE CITY — Heinz Field has become an annual stop for Aubri McCoy.

For the sixth consecutive year, the Grove City High freshman will be competing for the Steelers Team Championship in the NFL Punt, Pass and Kick competition.

This year’s competition will be held before Sunday’s Steelers-Oakland Raiders game. The winners will be introduced to the crowd between the third and fourth quarters.

All PP&K participants receive a souvenir football and two tickets to Sunday’s game. They keep their PP&K outfits as well, and the winner receives a plaque.

“Aubri’s been involved in this since she was 9,” said her mother, Nancy. “She’s gotten this far in every age division since.”

McCoy is in the 14-and-15 age division this year. She won the local Punt, Pass and Kick competition in Grove City in August, then topped the sectional competition in New Castle last month.

Her combined pass, punt and kick distance of 306 feet recorded at the sectional is only 2 feet shy of the longest distance recorded by a female in her age group nationwide this year.

“That doesn’t guarantee anything because a punt or kick could be shanked at anytime,” Nancy McCoy said. “But Aubri has the ability.”

The participants receive practice time on the field before the competition begins.

“There aren’t a lot of people in the stands when we do the competition,” McCoy said. “The ones who are there do a lot of cheering for us.

“I get a little nervous before the Steelers competition. At the other ones, I’m OK,” she added.

A versatile athlete, McCoy has played basketball, volleyball, softball and soccer. She led the Grove City girls soccer team with 18 goals this fall and plans to play Junior Olympic volleyball this winter. She also is a shortstop on the softball team.

“She’s been playing soccer for nine years and she plays it year-round,” the elder McCoy said. “That’s definitely helped her with the kicking part of this.”

“It’s the same type of kicking motion. You just use a different part of your foot,” Aubri McCoy said.

She reached the Punt, Pass and Kick national finals in 2007 and 2008, finishing third in both competitions, which were held during NFL playoff games in Charlotte, N.C., and Indianapolis.

McCoy will be competing against three other girls Sunday for the right to advance to nationals this year.