Dedication, consistency are the key
Juggling cross-country and soccer, Taos athlete’s ability to focus kept her steady
Special athletes have a way not only of getting the best out of themselves, but also of inspiring their teammates to go above and beyond, as well.
Such was the lengthy, five-year career of Taos athlete Cora Cannedy, whose all-round excellence across several high school sports, as well as her leadership and drive, makes her the choice as the Journal North female athlete of the year.
Cannedy not only achieved individual success in soccer, cross-country, and track and field, not to mention equestrianism, but also she led the Tigers to Class 4A state championships in cross-country and track as a senior.
“She’s a special athlete,” said Taos track coach Benny Mitchell. “Very respectful, an excellent student. She’s a really a person for the community. She’s an awesome individual with her peers. She has a beautiful personality and a very infectious laugh. She’s always a pleasure to have around.”
In sports, numbers tell so much of the story and they certainly speak big about Cannedy.
After winning the individual cross-country title as a freshman, she finished second the next three seasons.
As a senior on the soccer pitch, Cannedy scored 40 goals, with another 15 assists.
And in track, she won the 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs.
To top it off, she’s also the school’s salutatorian, with a 4.6 grade-point average.
“She’s an example for being a studentathlete,” said cross-country coach Bruce Gomez. “I think it’s been, by example of her work ethic. Of her willingness to work. To get in there and try. She’s always been a dual-sport athlete, playing soccer that entire time. It’s not easy, trying to juggle two sports. And you’re coordinating this and that that needs to be taken care of for things on the soccer end.”
For Cannedy, who will be attending Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., it was all just a part of who she is.
“As a child, I always wanted to do as much as I could,” she said. “Whenever I would see a sporting event or activity or club, I would want to go out there and do it. I did gymnastics and soccer. I also did softball. It wasn’t until the eighth grade that I had to narrow it down to the few sports that I actually could focus on: soccer and running. They help each other a lot.”
She can’t say which of the two sports she likes best.
“They’re different,” Cannedy said. “It’s hard to compare them and choose a favorite. Running, it’s hard all the time. But soccer, you have skill-based things to work on. You get to work toward a skill and you have a much bigger team for soccer compared to cross-country. That’s why I had to do them all, because I could never choose which one is my favorite.”
Even though she excelled on the field and in the classroom, it wasn’t always easy.
“It’s definitely a struggle to manage all of my time,” Cannedy said. “I mostly have to prioritize what needs to get done for school work first, then my athletics. I already know the set times I have practice. I make sure I spend my extra time doing homework or working on projects as opposed to just hanging out. I definitely had to sacrifice a lot of my social aspects to the athletic commitments that I have.”
Cannedy’s ability to focus kept her steady in all of her endeavors, said Taos soccer coach Micheal Hensley.
“She’s pretty dedicated with everything she pursues,” he said. “She always works very hard, very dedicated. But her demeanor is very light and playful. She’s a really sweet girl and well-liked by her peers. She was always really positive. And she definitely was a key cog in the offensive scheme of things.”
When he saw Cannedy run cross-country in eighth grade, Mitchell said, he recognized a star in the making.
“I knew eventually she would be a very successful state runner,” he said. “She’s been very consistent. She was a major part of our us winning the state championship. Both events, 3,200 and mile (1,600) provided vital points for the program. She accomplished a lot. We’re going to miss her. Every year, we have a senior that takes control of the young ones, the young kids and the team. We’re going to miss that because she was such a vital part of leading those young ladies throughout the year.”
Competing in college is still up in the air, Cannedy said, although she’s considering walking on for cross-country or even as an equestrian.
And she’ll always have her memories to keep her company, especially of soccer.
“I’ll definitely miss playing with my teammates,” Cannedy said. “That was one of the big reasons why I continued to play, to be out there with all those girls. There’s something special about being out there and being on the team, working hard and getting into the game, getting shoved around and all of us working together to accomplish a goal. There were all kinds of weird things we would laugh about. I’m going to miss all of them.”