If you just read her track times or watched her basketball highlights, you might think it all comes
naturally to Community Christian School junior Kate Hollingsworth.
“I have played basketball for CCS since seventh grade. I am a shooting guard. Last year was
my first year to do track,” Hollingsworth said. “I ran the 300 meter hurdles, the 100 meter
hurdles, the 100 meter dash and the 4×400 relay as the second leg.”

It didn’t take Hollingsworth long to get out of the blocks. She broke the school 300m hurdle
record with a time of 54.14 in her first race. By the state meet, she had that time shaved down to
48.95 and a bronze medal around her neck.

“My relay team also broke the school record for the 4×400 relay and made it to state,”
Hollingsworth said. “I have also played softball my freshman and sophomore year but took a
break this year. I play center field.”

The busy student-athlete also serves as secretary of her junior class and is a member of
National Honors Society.

Hollingsworth’s father played both football and baseball in college. It’s easy to see where her
natural gifts come from.

“But I have had to put in a lot of hard work to get where I am today,” Hollingsworth said.
She credits her speed, athleticism and length as critical to her success on the basketball court,
where she plays her favorite sport of them all. But her “shooting, being a good teammate and
defensive tenacity” are just as vital, and hard-earned at that.

“I am also working extremely hard to improve my ball-handling to bring me to the next level,”
Hollingsworth said.

Hollingsworth’s hoops career started in the third grade, notably a few years later than many of
the top players her age. Since her seventh-grade year, when she first aspired to play college
ball, she has prioritized and poured countless hours into the sport.

“I am a very competitive person and knew that this was something that I wanted to spend time
on and focus on,” Hollingsworth said. “I was way behind everyone else’s skill and experience-
wise and that made me realize that if I wanted to be a great player, I had to put in the time and
be dedicated in order to be the best player I could be.”

Hollingsworth has grown to love track, too. In the short time she’s ran, she has taken to the
individual aspect of the sport.

“It is a great way to work on mental toughness, and I also love to put my speed to use,”
Hollingsworth said. “I would love to play both basketball and track [in college]. I am more
focused on basketball, though, and would like to play at the highest level possible!”
In her recruiting process, Hollingsworth is prioritizing schools that share her family-like values
and “strong, competitive” programs.