There are around 400 Bonners Ferry High School students. While many play sports for the school, a small group of those students take on the demands of participating in three sports each year. 

One of them is senior Conrad Hiatt, who wrapped up his final football season this fall before moving straight into basketball. The Badgers played seven of their 10 football games on the road, and the basketball team will face a similar schedule.  

“We're gonna be away, just like football where we only had three home games and then the rest were all away,” Hiatt said. “It's gonna be really hard, especially being away. We’re road warriors.” 

Senior Micah Thomson ran cross country in the fall, traveling to eight of 10 meets in the season. He will also play basketball in the winter. During the short break between seasons, he works to prepare his body for the change. 

“I start getting back into lifting more, doing plyometrics and trying to get my weight back up,” Thomson said. 

Conrad Hiatt does the opposite after the football season. 

“I'm going from football to basketball, so I lose my football weight, so I'm a little bit more agile,” Hiatt said. “It's more of a physical thing for me. Mentally, it's usually the same kind of transfer over.” 

For junior Eva Willis, time off during the offseason is crucial for her play.  

“During the offseason, if you have an injury from your past season, you can baby it just a little bit, take care of it so you're all ready to go during the regular season,” Willis said.  

Junior Nolie Hiatt said the social interaction from competing in multiple sports is important for her development. 

“I think that it really helps with teamwork skills,” Hiatt said. “It helps with your interaction with other people, because you need to realize at some point in your sports career that you can't be doing everything by yourself and you need to rely on others.” 

Balancing academics can be a challenge as well, especially during seasons with significant weekday travel.  

“During golf season, you play only during weekdays because it's harder for a course to close down during the weekends,” Nolie Hiatt said. “I'm just gone so much during the weekdays, during school days, the whole day. It's fun, but obviously stressful when you start thinking about the school aspect. “ 

Despite demanding schedules and frequent long travel times that can come with living in Idaho’s northernmost county, all four athletes said sports have not negatively affected their schoolwork. They’ve simply had to adapt.  

Conrad Hiatt uses free periods to get much of his work done, while Willis uses longer travel times to be productive. 

“I don't hold it off,” Willis said about schoolwork. “I just try to get it done on that day. If I'm on a bus, then I'll just try to do it on the bus.” 

Thomson said three-sport participation sets him up for lifelong fitness. 

“I feel like it’s gonna help me stay physically active throughout the rest of my life too,” Thomson said. “I can't really imagine life without being active.” 

Willis said transitioning between sports comes naturally. 

"There's no mental reset for me,” Willis said. “It's just straight to the next.” 

Conrad and Nollie Hiatt, Willis and Thomson will all play basketball this winter season. 

    Junior Eva Willis (Number 10) celebrates with her teammates after a powerful spike    Micah Thomson (middle) standing next to Gordon Woelfle (right) and Brock Tuma (left).

    Nolie Hiatt won Athlete of the Week last year in golf.