Hartley’s accomplishments speak volumes
Three-sport Buckeye stand-out also graduated No. 3 in her class
Olivia Hartley is The Post’s 2016-17 Buckeye Female Athlete of the Year. Photo by BRUCE BILLOW
Olivia Hartley likes winning. She did a lot of it during her career as a three-sport athlete at Buckeye. All three of her teams – soccer, basketball and track – had successful runs while Hartley was a part of them.
Winning wasn’t always everything, though. There was a time Hartley was perfectly content to come in third place. With her nearly off-the-charts 4.8 grade-point average, Hartley landed third in her graduating class this spring. The perfect spot.
“I didn’t have to give a speech,” Hartley said, noting the responsibility bestowed upon the top two in the class.
Hartley’s senior athletic year started with a seven-goal, three-assist season for Buckeye’s girls soccer team, which went 15-3 overall and rolled through the Patriot Athletic Conference unbeaten at 9-0.
During the winter, Hartley was a mainstay on a Bucks basketball squad that went 15-8 overall and finished with a 13-3 record in the PAC.
This spring Hartley was a multi-event performer in track. She was PAC runner-up in the high jump.
Add that up, and even without the ridiculous grade-point average, you get The Post‘s Buckeye Female Athlete of the Year for a second consecutive time.
And with Hartley’s final relay leg at the Lexington Division II Regional, the curtain came down on a very nice athletic career, one she has no plans on continuing at the college level.
“When I think about what I’m going to miss about high school, it’s going to be being with my team every day,” she said. “All my friends are from a team I played on. That’s one of the things I’m nervous about college.”
Hartley will make new friends. She may not like speaking in front of large groups, but small ones should be no problem.
The competition aspect is another thing. She’s been involved in sports as long as she can remember and now … nothing.
“I am going to miss it like crazy,” Hartley said. “I already do and now that I’m not thinking about pursuing anything in college, I’ll have to look at intramural soccer or club track.”
Hartley will head next month to Bowling Green State University with plans on pursuing early childhood education, focusing on sign language (which also has nothing to do with her aversion to public speaking).
She said she received some interest from smaller college track programs, but none offered the academic opportunities she sought. That, and, as she joked, she peaked in ninth grade, when she flirted with going to state in the high jump.
“My freshman year was my glory year,” she said. “I didn’t even know regionals was a thing that season.”
Hartley never got closer. She was a regional qualifier this year as a relay member. And that seemed OK with her. Just like, while dealing with the oddity of a summer with little to do, she’s OK with heading to college and not playing an organized sport.
“I’ve always put school before the sports anyway,” she said. “I’ve always been able to keep the school separate.”
Winning wasn’t always everything, though. There was a time Hartley was perfectly content to come in third place. With her nearly off-the-charts 4.8 grade-point average, Hartley landed third in her graduating class this spring. The perfect spot.
“I didn’t have to give a speech,” Hartley said, noting the responsibility bestowed upon the top two in the class.
Hartley’s senior athletic year started with a seven-goal, three-assist season for Buckeye’s girls soccer team, which went 15-3 overall and rolled through the Patriot Athletic Conference unbeaten at 9-0.
During the winter, Hartley was a mainstay on a Bucks basketball squad that went 15-8 overall and finished with a 13-3 record in the PAC.
This spring Hartley was a multi-event performer in track. She was PAC runner-up in the high jump.
Add that up, and even without the ridiculous grade-point average, you get The Post‘s Buckeye Female Athlete of the Year for a second consecutive time.
And with Hartley’s final relay leg at the Lexington Division II Regional, the curtain came down on a very nice athletic career, one she has no plans on continuing at the college level.
“When I think about what I’m going to miss about high school, it’s going to be being with my team every day,” she said. “All my friends are from a team I played on. That’s one of the things I’m nervous about college.”
Hartley will make new friends. She may not like speaking in front of large groups, but small ones should be no problem.
The competition aspect is another thing. She’s been involved in sports as long as she can remember and now … nothing.
“I am going to miss it like crazy,” Hartley said. “I already do and now that I’m not thinking about pursuing anything in college, I’ll have to look at intramural soccer or club track.”
Hartley will head next month to Bowling Green State University with plans on pursuing early childhood education, focusing on sign language (which also has nothing to do with her aversion to public speaking).
She said she received some interest from smaller college track programs, but none offered the academic opportunities she sought. That, and, as she joked, she peaked in ninth grade, when she flirted with going to state in the high jump.
“My freshman year was my glory year,” she said. “I didn’t even know regionals was a thing that season.”
Hartley never got closer. She was a regional qualifier this year as a relay member. And that seemed OK with her. Just like, while dealing with the oddity of a summer with little to do, she’s OK with heading to college and not playing an organized sport.
“I’ve always put school before the sports anyway,” she said. “I’ve always been able to keep the school separate.”