Arlee's Carly Hergett: An all-around athlete

If you haven’t figured out who Carly Hergett is yet, you might want to take notice.

It’s not like she is hard to spot. At six feet tall, Hergett usually stands out in a crowd.

Over the last year, the Arlee junior has started to raise a few eyebrows through athletics. Last year at this time, Hergett had the fastest 100-meter hurdles time in Class C and ranked in the top ten all-class in that race, and both the long and triple jumps. She ended up taking second in the hurdles at the state meet and sixth in the triple jump.

This year, she currently ranks in top five in all three events for Class C – second in the long jump, third in the triple jump, and fourth in the 100-meter hurdles.

Hergett’s athletic career started at a young age. “As soon as I was able to get into sports, my parents put me into them,” she said.

She stuck with sports through the years, encouraged by her parents, who were both stellar athletes, and by her older brothers, who both signed on to play college sports. “My brothers were in high school when I was in elementary school. I would play against them all they time, and they would teach me things,” she said.

Transitioning into middle school, Hergett’s passion for sports grew as much as she did. When asked if she remembered when she really started to get tall, she said, “It’s kind of hard to remember because I stand around short people all day. I don’t notice how much taller I am, to be honest.”

While she might not notice, others have, especially after her season on the basketball court this year. With six girls on the varsity team over the height of 5’10”, Hergett was moved out to a guard position. She said the move was tough. “When it came to learning plays, it was so difficult. I had to know every position. I didn’t need to do that being a post.”

Assistant volleyball and basketball coach, Jordan Pfau, said she thought Hergett handled the transition pretty well. “It was frustrating for her – there was twice as much to learn. I think she did really well.”

The Scarlets made a great run at the Class C state championships, due in part to a tall athletic lineup and a great point guard in senior Becca Whitesell. Hergett averaged around nine points, six rebounds, and with the help of a huge wing span, almost three steals per game. Those stats and her excellent play earned her an All-State selection this year.

As a three sport athlete for Arlee, Hergett has an interesting approach. She does not value one sport over the others. “I can’t pick just one sport that I like better. Whatever season I’m in is my favorite. I honestly can’t decide.”

Hergett is only a junior, but a few colleges are already interested, especially in track. Part of her motivation to excel in sports is to get her name out. “I just want people to know who I am,” she said.

With her athleticism, it’s likely that she will have a choice of which sport to play in college. “It’s been in the back of my mind for sure,” she said, “My main plan is to figure out which college I’d like to go to then get in contact with them and hopefully get my name out that way,” she said.

Part of the reason Hergett might have that chance is due to her hard work. She said she puts a lot of time in at the gym by herself. Pfau, who has coached her through two sports this year, said Hergett has the a great attitude. “She always wants to get better. She doesn’t settle. She’s also very coachable, which as a coach, we appreciate a lot.”

Last summer, Hergett put some serious time in. Between working, she went to volleyball and basketball open gyms, and played games all summer long.

Sometimes that meant early mornings and late nights. “Going to practice is just part of my life now. It’s a daily thing, I’ve gotten used to it,” she said. “Sometimes the motivation isn’t really there, but the reward for doing it is nice.”

As a great all-around athlete and an honor roll student, there’s another part to Hergett that makes her easy to cheer for.

“She’s a really great person, very supportive of her teammates, and one of the sweetest girls I’ve ever met,” Pfau said.