MIDDLETOWN >> Running cross country for the first time, Kailei Foltmer not only kept herself in shape for what would be an outstanding wrestling season, but the Middletown High School senior became one of the top runners for the Mustangs.
Foltmer, the daughter of longtime Midldetown varsity football coach Bill Foltmer, is a candidate for the Lake County Record-Bee’s female Athlete of the Year for her accomplishments during the 2015-16 school year.
A three-sport athlete who had previously played volleyball in the fall, Foltmer tried her hand at cross country in 2015 and became one of the Mustangs’ top runners. While Tiyanna Meese was the clear No. 1 on the girls’ team, Foltmer often finished second for Middletown during its Coastal Mountain Conference regular-season meets. She capped a strong year with an 11th-place finish among North Central League I runners at the CMC Championships.
The wrestling season was a non-stop series of high points for Foltmer, who peaked with a first-place finish in the 131-pound division at the North Coast Section Championships. A year earlier she had placed third at the same meet. Winning the sectional tournament put Foltmer into the CIF State Championships for a second straight year.
While Foltmer closed our her senior year and athletic career as a member of the school’s track team, she pulled down a major honor in April by being named a California Interscholastic Federation Spirit of the Sport award winner, one of only four athletes so honored in the entire state.
Never afraid to try something new, Foltmer also played softball during her time at Middletown.
An excellent student, she graduated with a 3.9 GPA.
The Record-Bee will profile female and male candidates for the Athlete of the Year award leading up to the naming of the 2015-16 winners. Coach of the Year winners in boys’ and girls’ sports also will be honored.
Athlete of the Year candidates must be juniors or seniors who play at least two varsity sports and are in good academic standing at their respective schools.
