Looney tunes out competition in multiple sports
Ali Looney loves basketball. The 5-foot sophomore at Parkers Chapel enjoys a number of other sports, including tennis and cross country. But, she loves basketball.
So, when contacted for a comment after she earned All-State honors in cross country for the second year in a row, Looney’s answer was somewhat predictable.
“Yes, I’m very excited,” she said. “Can’t wait for basketball, now.”
Cross country and tennis might not be her favorite sports. But, she did very well at both of them, and at the same time. Looney earned All-State in both sports, earning the Sports Alley/El Dorado News-Times Female Fall Athlete of the Year.
Looney teamed up with Kenlee McAuliffe to claim the 2A state tennis championship in girls doubles. The duo was undefeated before losing in the Overall.
In cross country, she finished second in the Southeast Arkansas Cross Country Conference Meet before placing 15th out of 174 runners in the 1A/2A State Cross Country Championships.
“Being All-State in tennis wasn't really a goal this year. Honestly, I was just hoping to go further than we did last year,” Looney said. “I really wasn't even thinking we would be competing for a championship until next year.
“In cross country, since I surprised myself making All-State last year as a freshman, it was a goal to do it again. I knew the competition was harder this year, so I actually trained more than I did last season.”
Since she also had basketball practice, Looney was actually competing in three sports simulta-
neously.
“Ali is one of the types of individuals, she wants to do so well in everything she does. As the cross country season carried on, you could tell she was getting stronger and stronger,” said PC cross country and girls basketball coach Justin Welch. “When tennis was over with and she won the state championship in that, you could tell she was able to devote a lot more time to the cross country. Her times started dropping dramatically. I’m pretty sure she was running almost every single day. You started to see the times getting better and better every single meet.”
Looney was a doubles specialist in tennis. She advanced to the second round of the state tournament as a ninth grader. PC tennis coach Casey Rapp said the spirited dynamo is just a Lady Trojan, no matter the season, on and off the court.
“Ali is a great representative of an athlete from Parkers Chapel. She is involved in many different athletics and activities,” said Rapp. “Not only does she play almost every sport but she is also her class president, a Beta Club officer, and a Campfire member. Her work ethic allows her to handle the many different responsibilities with ease. There were many days when she would practice tennis for 2 or 3 hours after a long day of school and then run a few miles before going home to work on her school work.”
Although a natural athlete, Welch credited hard work and determination for Looney’s success this fall.
“It takes so much time to be as good as what she is in each one of those. I really have no idea how she was able to do it. But, she is so determined,” he said. “You can tell she has a great work ethic. It’s not like anybody is making her do this. I would say she’s almost a perfectionist when it comes to getting better at sports and working at it.”
Of course for Looney, the best thing about running in her final cross country meet was it meant it was time for basketball. She managed to take her mind off hoops for a second to reflect on her Fall athletic season.
“I hadn't really thought about making All-State in two sports at the same time,” she said. “But, it is cool to think that I am one of the best in the state at two sports. It is very exciting.”