There are many multi-sport high school athletes in Central Florida, but unlike Father Lopez’s Hailey Bruce, few can call themselves a national champion.

In June, she won the Adidas Outdoor Nationals in North Carolina with a throw of 113 feet in the javelin, a sport she took up only few months earlier.

“In February, I joined the track and field team," said Bruce. "I decide to pick up this sport because at practice I threw it, and being really good at it."

“Hailey actually came it me during the school year and she was possibly interest in coming out for track and field because some of her fiends asked her,” said track and field coach Suzanne O’Malley.

This isn’t the only sport Bruce plays in the spring — she is also the starting catcher for the softball team. O’Malley and softball coach Duke Landorf agreed Hailey could play both sports, with softball being the priority.

“So we kind of talked about that and the dynamics of how that was going to fit in playing softball and track in field, and we really made it work,” said O’Malley. “Through the grace of God we could work this out.”

Hailey, at her first meet, set a school record with a 73.81 foot throw on her first attempt. After that, she struggled because of her commitment to softball.

“After the first meet, I couldn’t really make it to the other meets because they were conflicting with the softball games, or they were only freshman and sophomore meets,” said Bruce.

But she qualified for the state championship in Gainesville in May, placing ninth overall. 

“I didn’t win at states but I qualified to go to nationals, so I was really excited, even though I didn’t win at states," said Bruce. "I was excited at the chance to go to nationals."

O’Malley said he believes playing catcher helped her in the javelin.

“I think that made her so successful — all the explosiveness comes from below the waist,” said O’Malley. “Pretty surreal for a young lady to make this accomplishment, to go to 73 feet to 113 feet in a four-month period.”

Bruce also plays on the volleyball and weightlifting teams as well. 

