Mustang of the Year: Claire Dudley
By SOPHIE LEE '18
As the year draws to a close, we must award one of the many talented Milton athletes with the great honor of being Mustang of the Year. This year’s lucky Mustang is a tri-varsity athlete whose presence in the Milton Athletic community cannot go unnoticed. She is a fierce fighter on the field hockey field, a ninja on the ice, and a spot-on hitter on the softball diamond.
She is the one… the only… Claire Dudley!
Claire, Class I and known to many on and off the field as Duds, was a tri-varsity athlete since her freshman year and, to this day, is still an integral part of each team she has played for. This year, Duds was given the opportunity to be captain of the field hockey team, the hockey team, and the softball team. By being captain, Duds was able to spread her constant tenacity and positivity to each of her teammates. She, according to teammate Mary Thompson (Class II), “is the best leader. She knows how to read the room very well and knows exactly what to say.” Knowing how to balance being a captain and having fun during games and practice is a hard task to accomplish. However, according to many of her teammates, Duds knew exactly when to be that hard-core captain that the coach demands and when to be that carefree girl who just wants to have fun with her friends, playing a sport that she loves.
Duds is not only known for her personality on and off the field (or ice), but also for her skill and agility. Whenever the ball or puck is at her feet, no defender can stop her and when she is running those bases, all the basewomen can see is a blur. Her dedication to each and every sport she plays inspires all of her teammates. By watching their captain go 100% every minute of every game, all her teammates are inspired to work harder to match the effort that their captain puts in for them. Although Duds is a force to be reckoned with on the field and on the ice, she, according to teammate Olayeni Oladipo (Class II), “knows how to listen and receive feedback, and [to] implement that feedback almost instantaneously.” Her ability to remain humble while being a very valuable player on each of her teams is one of her many defining traits.
Not only is she humble but she is also game-changing, influential, and hardworking. These are traits that many of her teammates see on the field and ice, and also within everyday life. Whether or not she plays in college, she’ll inspire any who have the chance to call her friend.
She is more than qualified to be our female Mustang of the Year. She is, according to Mary Thompson, “the perfect person to represent Milton athletics in terms of sportsmanship and competitiveness.” Her respect and dedication towards each sport she has played during her Milton career will influence countless Milton athletes in years to come.
As she takes her first steps into a future without Milton Athletics, those of us she leaves behind will never forget her presence on the field and ice.