Lenape's Walsh up to the challenge
She will compete in both soccer and track at Monmouth.
Coaching track and field for the last 33 years, Lenape's John Roberts isn't surprised by much of what his high school athletes accomplish.
Except for Lindsey Walsh.
Walsh, 17, an excellent jumper and hurdler, is the first to emerge from Roberts' program with dual scholarships to play sports in college.
In the fall, Walsh will become a member of the Monmouth University soccer team, and in the winter and spring she will switch to track and field.
The challenge of participating in two varsity sports at the college level while maintaining academic standards doesn't appear to faze the future special-education teacher, who has been doing it at Lenape for four years.
"Basically, it's the same thing, but at a different level with different people and the opportunity to do what I love," Walsh said.
Monmouth soccer coach Krissy Turner said she and track coach Joe Compagni are anxiously awaiting the arrival of Walsh, The Inquirer's soccer player of the year in South Jersey and indoor Meet of Champions winner in the high jump.
"Currently, we have three other girls we share with track," Turner said. "Coach Compagni and I are fans of it because it works out well [for both programs].
"The main thing is the athleticism involved in both sports. Lindsey is a tremendous athlete. She is different from the other three because she excelled in high school soccer without being involved in club soccer. So her best soccer is ahead of her.
"The down side is the lack of touches on the ball [during track season]. The advantage is athleticism, which enables [her] to improve."
Turner added that Walsh needs to spend the summer with a soccer ball at her feet because there is no guarantee that she will make the starting lineup with nine starters returning to the Northeast Conference champions' squad.
"I can adjust to the speed of the game," Walsh said. "I won't do anything special over the summer. I'll be working out regularly with friends from the neighborhood and Lenape. I've been playing soccer with my friends every summer since I was a freshman."
The athleticism, confidence and competitiveness that enable the honors student to shift gears on athletic fields are things that Roberts tests on the track and field.
"Lindsey is an outstanding multi-event athlete," Roberts said. "It's tough finding [just] four events to put her in. She can run the 400, the 800, and be part of the 4x800. She can do the high jump, triple jump and long jump.
"At the Penn Relays, she will run the 400 leg of the distance medley. She's also been accepted for the individual high jump."
Walsh tied for first place in the 1.67-meter high jump, which was part of the pentathlon, at the Nike Indoor Nationals on March 15-16 at Landover, Md. She and Ryann Krais of Methacton High (Pa.) cleared 5 feet, 53/4 inches. Walsh placed fourth overall in the five-event meet.
Walsh won the Meet of Champions with a 5-6 high jump earlier in the year.
"The high jump is my best event," Walsh said. "The long jump is my second favorite. I won Easterns and states [indoor Group 4] with an 18-53/4.
"My goal is to keep improving, and hopefully I can match what I did indoors," Walsh said. "By the end of the season, I'll probably be doing the high jump, long jump, [400] hurdles, and the open 400."