MONTEREY >> Fulfillment came with the experiences and celebrations Ella Myers was able to share with teammates.

The accolades of earning a podium finish at the state wrestling championships, or coming within a homer of tying the county record for home runs were magical.

Yet, while the multi-sport standout left a legacy at Monterey High, as well as a part of her heart on campus, Myers always felt there was more to achieve.

“I will never be content,” said Myers, who will pitch next year at UC Santa Barbara. “Even though I wanted more. I did what I could. I will always be a part of Monterey.”

Becoming the first female wrestler at Monterey to podium at the state championships, and the all-time leader in homers and wins in softball for the school, Myers was named The Herald’s Female Athlete of the Year.

A two-time Female Athlete of the Year, Myers also put together a solid water polo season for the Toreadores, who came within two wins of a school record.

“It (multiple sports) wasn’t just to fill time,” Monterey softball coach Travis Elder said. “It was the need to compete and push herself. I don’t think Ella could be complacent if she wanted to.”

Myers became the second highest state wrestling finisher in county history after placing sixth at 140 pounds, while hitting .552 and posting a 0.89 earned run average in the circle for the Pacific Coast Athletic League Gabilan Division champion Toreadores.

With a softball scholarship locked up during her junior season, it never crossed Myers’ mind to turn her attention solely to just one sport.

Instead, she evolved into a key component on the Toreadores water polo team, while becoming one of the top wrestlers in the state — where she won over 100 matches in four years.

“A lot of the mechanics in softball translate in water polo,” Elder said. “The core strength, let alone the arm strength, while not standing on the ground. We encouraged our baseball kids to play polo. It transformed their bodies.”

Water polo might have been the most challenging sport for Myers, who is pitching next weekend for the Philippine National softball team. By her own admission, she’s not a great swimmer.

“I just tried not to drown,” Myers said. “There were girls better and faster than me. But I think I helped lay a foundation and created a positive environment.”

Myers became a defensive demon with 32 steals, at times resorting to her wrestling skills in the water to hold down an opponent and limit their scoring opportunities.

Blessed with a powerful right arm, the 18-year-old evolved into an offensive weapon with 35 goals, converting 51 percent of her attempts.

“I made a lot of friends in water polo,” Myers said. “I’m a seasonal player. These girls embraced me as part of the team. It’s a bulldog program. The team bonding is what sticks out for me.”

Had softball not been a part of Myers’ life from the time she was old enough to pick up a ball, wrestling might have been her sport of choice.

A four-time Gabilan Division champion on the wrestling mats, Myers won a Central Coast Section title and reached the state meet three times.

“I could tell from my first year that I could be really good at this,” Myers said. “You can’t be successful in wrestling if you don’t have that drive. My competitiveness helped with that.”

Because wrestling is also a seasonal sport for Myers, meeting the challenge of facing opponents who will likely compete in college tested her mental fortitude.

Myers has never had the time to work on her craft in the off-season. Yet, it didn’t change her vision in chasing a podium finish at the state wrestling championships this past winter.

“I would have looked at this season as a failure if I didn’t podium,” Myers said. “Oy my gosh, girls at state are scary. They will try and kill you. It’s not their hobby. But I wanted to be on the big stage.”

So much so that Myers actually took time off from her normal off-season routine in softball to put her full attention into wrestling for the stretch drive.

“I probably took more time off than I should have for wrestling,” Myers said. “But there is no next year for me in wrestling. I wouldn’t call it a distraction. It helped me more than it hurt me.”

With the understanding that each match could be her final after suffering a loss in the third round, Myers staged off elimination with three straight wins at the state finals.

“It was a lot more adrenaline and a little less strategy,” Myers said. “I felt the urgency. I don’t have an offseason. I was so done after my last match. But I wanted that medal.”

Emotionally drained and physically spent, Myers placed sixth at 140 pounds to become the first female at Monterey to place at state.

“It’s probably the last time I will wrestle competitively in my life,” Myers said. “I didn’t want to have any regrets. I’m going to miss it so much. None of this happens without the support of my coaches and family.”

Myers was part of a program that also brought home the school’s first Central Coast Section team title — just the second in county history.

“I’m proud of that accomplishment,” Myers said. “I feel like we’ve set the foundation for the other girls coming up. The bar has been raised in a sport that is growing.”

Of course, with wrestling extending into the spring, Myers had to shake off the rust when stepping back into the circle for softball.

While she homered in her second game a week after her last wrestling match, she needed to polish up her mechanics in the circle.

“Throwing a bullpen session and throwing in a game are so different,” Myers said. “Pitching an inning here or there, it doesn’t work for me. I knew from past years not to ease into it.”

Elder, who was in his first season as the team’s softball coach after two decades as a baseball coach, didn’t want to lean on Myers too much as a pitcher.

“One of the hardest things is balance,” Elder said. “Ella is a little different. In order to build her up to strength, she needed to be used. The usage is the detriment.”

Elder leaned on his wife and assistant coach Katherine to gauge Myer’s stamina earlier in the season.

“For me, I learned to ask the right questions and not just trust ‘I’m good to go,’ but ‘why?’” Elder said. “My wife was the only one on staff that played softball. She had a better feel. A lot of teenagers don’t have the answers. Ella had the answer.”

As her mechanics improved, Myers became nearly unhittable, posting a 12-2 record with an 0.89 earned run average, striking out 142 hitters in just 93 innings.

“I was in the best shape of my life coming out of wrestling,” Myers said. “But that’s cardio and mindset. After the first game, my back was so sore. It’s about mechanics and timing. I told Travis I need innings.”

A four-time member of the all-county team, Myers tore up pitching, hitting .552 with a .629 on-base percentage, helping the Toreadores to a share of the Gabilan Division title.

Myers, who hopes to hit and pitch at Santa Barbara, ripped nine homers in 21 games, drove in 28 runs, scored 39 runs and stole eight bases.

“I’ve talked to the coaches at Santa Barbara,” said Myers, who pitched Monterey to two CCS titles and a NorCal crown during her four years. “It’s not a given that I’ll be in the lineup. But I’ll get a fair shot. It’s the same for being a position player.”

In an effort to get her bat in the lineup on her travel team, Myers has played first base, second base, and left and right field during the summer.

“I still consider myself a pitcher first,” Myers said. “That’s my main focus. Hitting comes a very close second. If I want to be in the lineup, it helps that I can play a position on the field.’’

Having hit 65 mph on the radar gun, Myers paints corners and finds her spots with a riser, curve, screwball, fastball and change-up.

“It just feels right when the ball is in my hands,” Myers said. “That is what I’ve been meant to do. I believe I can do what I want if I set my mind to it. I have no fear of messing up. I like being in control. It’s the best feeling in the world.”

While there are few regrets, failing to tie or break the county home run record is something that Myers thinks about.

“It’s actually something I think about a lot,” said Myers, who came up one homer short of tying the county record of 36. “I’m not going to lie. But I think DaNae (Lee) will break it next year anyway.”

For as driven and competitive as Myers is with anything she attempts, she emphasized the importance of creating a culture on campus that made high school sports fun.

“Sports is just one of the vehicles in her life,” Elder said. “She was always working to better herself in some capacity. But she enjoyed the moment. I don’t think the competitive juices will ever stop flowing, no matter what she does in life. She’ll probably be the first one in line to pick up her kids someday.”