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Amanda Chambers
Amber Kolpakas
Amelia Canetto
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Anna Jankovic
Ariana Dingley
Kara Bacon
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Class:
2023
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Sport(s):
Scholastic
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Induction:
2023
Written by Jim Schiltz for The Daily Gazette
Warrensburg senior Kara Bacon recorded a rare and impressive triple this past school year when she was named an Adirondack League first-team all-star in three sports while maintaining her academic standing as one of the high school’s top students.
“My parents when I was very young said good grades are the way to go,” said the 18-year-old. “As I got older, it became part of me. I can be described in so many ways, but above all I want to be described as intelligent. There’s more to me than athletics.”
Bacon will be attending Le Moyne College to play softball while studying in its six-year physician assistant program. The four-time NYSPHSAA Scholar-Athlete Award winner will head that way after graduating third in her class with a 97.5 average, and with a resume that includes George Eastman Young Leader and Innovation and Creativity scholarships.
“Kara embodies all of the characteristics necessary for being a student-athlete,” said Warrensburg athletic director Scott Smith. “She is motivated, dependable, focused, and goal oriented.”
Bacon is a big hit on the softball field, as well, twice earning first-team league all-star status for her superb hitting, base running and work as a catcher. Her twin sister, Warrensburg valedictorian West Point-bound Kailey, handled the pitching duties.
“Kara’s knowledge of the game of softball is astounding,” Warrensburg varsity softball coach Teresa Colvin said of the Section 2 Class C all-star. “Her affinity for game strategy has earned her the respect of her coaches and our softball league. Kara called every pitch of every game that she caught on varsity with much success, and the ability to call the game placed her firmly among the top catchers in the area.”
Bacon is a versatile performer and plays both catcher and outfield with her Glens Falls Titans travel team. She will be a member of Le Moyne’s first Division I team in 2024 after its move up from the Division II level.
“We all had a good idea that they would be going Division I sometime in the next four years. It happened to be this year, and I’m thrilled about that,” said Bacon. “Warrensburg is a pretty small school and the last Division I softball player was a pitcher when my mom was in school.”
Bacon was a member of Warrensburg’s varsity soccer, softball and basketball teams for five, four and three years, respectively. In soccer she was three-times selected a league first-team all-star and twice made the Section 2 Class C all-star team including in 2022 when she was additionally named the Offensive Player of the Year.
“Statistically, it will be very difficult to replace Kara next year,” said Smith, Warrensburg’s varsity soccer and basketball coach and an assistant with its softball team. “She fills up the stat sheet in every sport she plays. What will be even more difficult to replace will be her leadership skills and her ability to make those around her better. She not only leads by example, but she is also a vocal leader with her teammates,”
Bacon served as a team captain in all three of her sports, and is a volunteer official for youngsters who play them..
“If I wasn’t going into the medical field, I would go into coaching,” Bacon said. “I have a passion for sports, and I love to share my knowledge.”
Bacon was a member of Warrensburg’s French and Varsity clubs and has volunteered for Red Cross blood drives and the Honor Society Book Fair. She has been a student ambassador for the Wounded Warrior Project and the Community Halloween Trail.
“I don’t like to sit at home,” said Bacon, who was a 2021 HOBY Leadership recipient and 2020-21 President’s Award winner. “My big thing is if someone asks for help, I’m going to give it. This community has given me so much, and I want to give back.”