A series to share #smiles across our community through the achievements of our local youth, brought to you by Olsen Orthodontics.
Written by Carl Cote
(Lander, WY) – Lander Valley’s Ava Gerlach signed to compete at Dickinson State University, where she will join both the volleyball and track programs.
Gerlach’s path to playing two sports at the college level came together in an unexpected way. Her recruitment began as a track opportunity, but during a visit to Dickinson three weeks ago, she got the chance to practice with the volleyball team and they offered her a spot.
“I was really hoping to do volleyball as well,” Gerlach said.
The opportunity was a perfect fit for her. Gerlach has been a standout in both sports at Lander Valley, and some of her favorite high school memories came on the volleyball court. She pointed to the Lander vs Riverton rivalry games as highlights, when the student section gets loud and the intensity around every point.
On the track, her best memory came as a sophomore, when her 4×400 relay team won a state title and set a record along the way.
“I didn’t even know we were close to getting the record, and I looked up at the board and I was like, a 4:03? There’s no way we just got that,” Gerlach said.
She credited her coaches for pushing her to pursue college athletics, adding that her love for her sports grew because of their influence. Track, in particular, was something she nearly walked away from.
“Last year, if you’d asked me, I would have said no,” Gerlach said. “But I’m so glad I came back.”
Gerlach plans to study psychology at Dickinson State, with a long-term goal of earning a PsyD in children’s psychology.
She said she’ll miss the mountains, the people and her family, who will be about eight and a half hours away. But Dickinson, a city of about 20,000, already feels familiar to her in aprt because she has family there.
“It’s pretty similar to here,” Gerlach said. “It just kind of feels like home.”