By Claudia Loucks
Correspondent

Annie Wirth can best be described as an elite athlete, as she excels in not just one sport, but in many.   She doesn’t have a favorite sport, but said, “I just really like competing and being with my teammates.”

Her recent athletic events have been tennis, track and field and basketball and she is going to try volleyball this fall when she begins her senior year at Geneseo High School.

The accolades Wirth earned this last year are many, including being named “All-Metro Girls; Track and Field Athlete of the Year; was one of the 12 finalists for the Salute to Sports Athlete of the Year…”These are tremendous honors in a field of incredible athletes, including my teammate and friend, Ali Rapps,” she said.

Geneseo High School Varsity Track Coach Kyle Morey described Wirth as “an incredibly gifted athlete. The sky is the limit for her athletically. She sets a great example for her teammates by the way that she competes. She always seems to rise to the occasion as the level of competition increases.”

Coach Morey continued by pointing out that “Annie is one of three female athletes in Geneseo history to win two individual state championships and she still has one more season to go. This is an incredible accomplishments made even more impressive by the fact that she was shorted an entire season due to Covid-19. Annie was also a member of the only two relay state championship teams we have ever had in our program.”

“An accomplishment that speaks to Annie’s versatility and competitiveness is the fact that she is a perfect 8 for 8 in earning state medals,” he said. “An athlete can only compete in 4 events at the State Meet and she has earned a State medal in every event she has entered both of her high school seasons.”

Wirth became involved with sports at a young age. Her athletic journey began with “rec” and travel soccer and she was in the Geneseo Community Center’s gymnastic program.

When she was in fifth grade Wirth was approached by Geneseo residents Paul Rapps and Brad Toone “who asked me to play for their basketball team, The Swish. Their dedication to the cohesiveness and development of this team play a key role in how well we work together as a high school team, and we have built some amazing friendships.”

She shared how friends and family have been a key part of her athletic career…“Brian and Jackie Beach have also played huge role in my life, as they coached many of the youth teams I played with,” she added. “All the years of growing together makes it easy to work together on the court and on the track, we can almost read each other’s minds. My family is extremely supportive, and I love having them at all of the games and meets. My Grandpa and Grandma always make sure I have my favorite snacks and meals at my competitions. My cousins make me the cutest signs and are always cheering for me!”

“Jesse Dobbels has a big impact on the GHS Lady Leafs Basketball Team program and he has supported me throughout basketball, track, and any sport I’ve been involved in, and I appreciate that,” she added.    Wirth has been in the Mississippi Valley Track Club (MVTC), The Swish, Outwork Elite and QC Ballers AAU basketball teams.

“There are so many incredible athletes involved in the different sports I participate in, and the crossover between the sports, like basketball and track, really strengthens our relationships,” she said. “We have learned to work together on and off the field or court in a setting that really provides the opportunity for natural friendships.”    And it hasn’t all been “work,” as Wirth shared, “We have done some pretty fun stuff off the court, like having a team fish. Many of my track and basketball teammates have also been my closest friends since I was little.”

Wirth is a little superstitious, she admits, and said, “I like to always have one of my friends, Millie Henkhaus, braid my hair before games and meets.”

The outstanding athlete also credits her coaches for her success…”I have the best coaches. My middle school track coaches, Coach Todd Ehlert, Coach Waggoner, Coach Gillespie and Coach Schmidt, helped me get excited about track. I value all the things they have taught me, on and off the track. I will never forget how Mr. (Travis) Mackey (GHS Principal) and Mr. (Nate) O’Dell (Geneseo Middle School Principal) came to the Middle School and High School State Track Meets to support our teams. This is one of those things that make Geneseo such a uniquely special place to live.”

In addition to her accomplishments and accolades in track and field, Wirth also has been on the GHS Girls’ Basketball Team that earned Western Big 6 championship honors all of her three years at GHS…”We won the State Farm Tournament in 2021, and set a new school record of 31 wins in the 2021-2022 season,” she said.

She has been the State High Jump Champion every year since she was in seventh grade, with the exception of her freshman year when there wasn’t a State Meet due to Covid.

“I recited the Athletes Creed a the IESA State Track Meet, which was a wonderful experience that really made me step out of my comfort zone,” she said.

During her sophomore year of State Track competition, she earned first place in high jump, second place in long jump, first place in 4x200 and 4x4 relays, and the GHS team took second place.

“My junior year (this last season) ended very well with a 5’10” jump in high jump, which earned me first place and a new school record,” she said.

She also medaled in the long jump, 300m hurdles, 4x200 and the GHS team took third place.

“Throughout the seasons, and especially at the State Track Meets, Coach Rakestraw, Coach Reakes, Coach Morey, Coach Vermillion and Coach Hurlbut really helped me through some mentally tough moments, and I am so grateful,” Wirth said.

In addition to her success at State, Wirth earned first place in every high jump competition this last season, which she admits “is pretty cool.”

When asked about the “Covid year,” she said, “If I am honest, Covid provided some much needed rest, and I was able to focus on developing some new track events, like hurdles. I also had some pretty tough classes and I was able to focus on those as well. My family did a lot of puzzles and had some pretty fun Covid adventures too!”

The hard work has not been without pain for Wirth as she said, “My ankles have consistently been difficult during basketball seasons, and most recently I have had a few hamstring issues. I have had tremendous experience with Rock Valley Physical Therapy, and they have helped me find good ways to nurse my injuries, and prevent them from occurring so easily. All my jumping provides plenty of chances to get hurt.”

She also suffered a broken nose at a basketball tournament last summer, which required surgery and made for a short summer season.

This summer she is taking some time off from workouts to allow a hamstring injury to heal, which she said “unfortunately changed my summer competition plans…I am practicing some heptathlon events, javelin and shot put, to prepare for collegiate competition. I am excited for next season, and cannot wait to be competing again!”

Wirth is the daughter of Jason and Sara Wirth and she has two brothers, Mitch and Kyle, and a dog, “Cinnamon.”

She loves art and said, “I have an art room at my house. It is my little hideaway, and I have painted murals on many of the walls. It is a really good way to take a break and relax.”

In addition to her athletic schedules, Wirth has a year-round part-time job doing social media work for Urban Farmhouse, Ugly Duckling and Black Sheep, all in Geneseo…”It is very flexible, and allows me to be creative,” she said.

When asked to share a “favorite memory,” Wirth said, “I have two funny memories. The first memory is that in middle school, Coach Gillespie knew that art was my outlet. She brought sand toys to practice for me to make sand castles. It was a great distraction and I still love thinking about the fun we had!...The second memory is from winning the WB6 title by beating Rocky on their home court. Due to Covid, we had to use their pool locker room. After winning the game and the title, we were on the way to the locker room and our team jumped in their indoor pool! We did apologize, realizing that wasn’t respectful, but it sure makes for a fun memory! We all said that season ‘made a splash’.”

The young lady’s future plans include exploring her options for college and she said, “I am excited to see where the future takes me. I want to choose a career that allows me to be creative, and a school that not only has a good track program, but also a good educational reputation.”