STURGEON BAY, Wis. — Bailey Rikkola was recently on the softball diamond, putting the finishing touches on an impressive high school athletic career. It's a scene many around Sevastopol High School have become accustomed to seeing; the three-sport athlete has never missed a practice.
“Practice is always more important than the games. Practice is where you prepare," said Bailey Rikkola.
Her younger sister, Naomi Rikkola, played alongside her in volleyball, basketball and softball. She said she saw her sister's dedication at home and at practice.
“She’s definitely a hard worker. Some days when she’s not feeling it, she’s going to show up and act like it and show us the way," said Naomi Rikkola.
The two sisters make up the left side of the infield for the Pioneers, and both admitted they can get a little competitive with each other.
“I like to get whatever I can at third base and steal some balls from Bailey. Last year there was a pop-fly hit kind of in between us. I think I pushed her out of the way and got it. She got mad at me," said Naomi Rikkola.
Big sister Bailey Rikkola remembered the play.
“We are very competitive with each other, but I think that helps both of us to improve and to play our best," said Bailey Rikkola.
Sevastopol is a small school. A total of 601 students from kindergarten through high school make up the student body. Both of Bailey and Naomi Rikkola's parents teach there.
Bailey Rikkola’s basketball coach was her dad. Her dad’s assistant coach, well, that was her mom.
“We talk about basketball all the time, especially during the season. [We] wake up in the morning, [go to] basketball practice and then games sometimes, and come back from games, more basketball," said Bailey Rikkola.
It seemed to work for the family, and for the team. In four years, the Sevastopol basketball team went from bottom of the conference to being undefeated during Bailey Rikkola's senior season.
“As soon as Bailey walks in the gym, the Mighty Pioneers, as we call them here, the little kids' youth sports, they look at Bailey, and their eyes light up," said Nick Freimuth, a family friend.
Freimuth said the kids would respond to Bailey Rikkola better than they respond to adults.
"If Bailey says something to them, they catch onto it right away, because she is the authority at Sevastopol School for sports," said Freimuth.
A versatile athlete, Bailey Rikkola scored 1,000 points in basketball and notched 1,000 digs during her volleyball career.
“If it wasn’t for COVID, she would have lettered in every single sportm in every single year," said Freimuth.
Even though she is a two-time, All-State nominee for volleyball and first-team All-State for basketball, there's more to Bailey Rikkola than sports.
She’s a straight-A student and will attend the University of Wisconsin-Madison next year. She said she plans to study to become an optometrist.
Heather Fellner-Spetz has worked with her in the classroom and as an assistant coach on the softball diamond.
'She’s one of those kids that has a magical sense about her in that she lifts others around her just by her sheer efforts, by her sheer example," said Fellner-Spetz.
Bailey Rikkola also works on many community projects. She said her favorite is helping with the Mighty Pioneer sports camps.
“No matter where she is, people know Bailey is in the room because she can light it up with her smile. Her love for life is going to carry her farther than anything she’s ever done in sports, for even that matter, in school. She’s just a great human being, and we all love her for it," said Freimuth.
Bailey Rikkola will look to replicate that impactful behavior next year in Madison, after setting the standard in high school