All-Region female multi-sport athlete of the year: Jossilyn Blackman

Jossilyn Blackman has earned so many varsity letters, she almost has half the alphabet.

Four years at Battle Ground High School. Three sports each year. And each of those 12 seasons saw her earn all-league honors.

Katie Anthony, Columbia River

All-Region soccer; All-league track and field

Lindsay Asplund, Prairie

All-Region track and field and basketball; All-league cross country

Tiffany Becker, Mountain View

All-Region bowling; All-league softball

Sydnie Cole-Vogler, Hockinson

All-league soccer, basketball, softball

Nicole Corbett, Camas

All-Region basketball and track and field

Jessica Flanagan, Woodland

All-Region basketball and softball; All-league soccer

Marion Lilly, Columbia River

All-Region soccer; All-league basketball

Jamie Phares, Prairie

All-Region softball; All-league basketball

Alissa Pudlitzke, Camas

All-Region cross country and track and field

Ellie Walker, Columbia River

All-Region track and field;

All-league soccer

Evi Wilson, Columbia River

All-Region volleyball; All-league track and field

Katie Whitten, La Center

All-Region baseball; All-league cross country

Like trees change during the year, Blackman changed her identity with the seasons.

In fall, she was a blocker on a Battle Ground volleyball team that placed third in state, the highest in school history.

In winter, Blackman took to the basketball court. The 6-foot post player was honored as the Class 4A Greater St. Helens League player of the year.

In spring, she was one of the state’s top track and field athletes in the throwing events. She earned three top-six medals at the state meet, placing third in javelin, fourth in shot put and sixth in discus.

The Columbian has named Blackman its All-Region Multi-Sport Female Athlete of the Year. When asked what sports have meant to her life, Blackman had a simple answer.

“Everything,” she said. “My life has always revolved around them. My family has always been in sports. My parents played. My brother played. I’ve always felt, not that I needed to, but I wanted to follow in their footsteps.”

But despite all of its triumphs, Blackman’s senior season also had a few travails. She suffered her first significant injury, a compression fracture to the navicular bone on the inside of her foot.

“My foot had been hurting the last month of basketball,” she said. “I didn’t pay much attention to it because I wanted to finish the season.”

But after the diagnosis, Blackman endured a recovery period that she called the longest six weeks of her life.

“It was definitely a heartbreaker,” she said. “It gave me a reality check about what can happen. I’ve seen so many athletes get hurt their senior year and it ruins their career. I was lucky to get back at the end of the season and compete.”

Blackman remained involved in Battle Ground’s track team as she recovered. She wanted to offer support to her teammates. Plus, her mind was on returning to competition as soon as she could.

Her parents took the back off a spinning chair so she could practice throwing technique while seated. At a dual meet on April 21, Blackman returned to competition in the shot put and discus while still wearing a walking boot to immobilize her foot.

“It was definitely a challenge,” Blackman said. “But it helped me learn the little aspects of technique when it comes to throwing.”

Blackman’s first love is basketball, which she has played since the fifth grade. It’s the sport she will continue to play at Lewis-Clark State in Idaho.

After all, Blackman can’t imagine not having a gym, field or weight room in her sights.

“I wanted to take the opportunity to keep playing sports,” Blackman said. “One day, there will come a time when I won’t be able to.”