First CMR Four letter female athlete

Senior athlete breaks new ground

Pyette becomes first girl to letter in four varsity sports at CMR

By POLLY KOLSTAD

For the Tribune

At 5-foot-1, Lexi Pyette has proven that being small doesn’t mean you can’t accomplish big things as a high school athlete.

Entering her senior year this fall, Pyette is the first C.M. Russell High School female to letter in four varsity sports, earning accolades in golf, soccer, basketball and tennis. This feat is not only a testament to her athleticism and tenacity but also her abili­ty to manage an incredibly busy schedule.

“Lexi is a phenomenal athlete that could do well at any sport,” CMR golf coach Brian Halverson said. “She’s athletically tal­ented, works hard and never complains. In August, she moves from my practice to two a days in soccer. She’s a positive example.”

Pyette is planning to major in medicine when she graduates next spring and has maintained a 3.85 GPA, despite missing as many as one to two days of school a week during her busiest sports seasons.

She can count on one hand the days she’s had off from practice in the past school year — the week between the end of soccer season and the beginning of basketball.

Pyette began playing soccer at age 7 and is a for­ward on the CMR squad, averaging almost a goal a game. She helped the team advance to state last sea­son.

She plays point guard for the CMR basketball team and said the intense workouts are the hardest practices of the year. Pyette, who averages close to six points a game, does­n’t seem to mind that she’s the shortest player in the program.

“I like to play against the taller girls,” she said. “It makes me work harder.”

Up until this spring, about the only activity missing in Pyette’s reper­toire was tennis. But a round of golf one day with CMR tennis coach Deb Erwin changed that.

“She encouraged me to go out and play,” Pyette said.

And that’s all it took. Erwin taught her the basics of the game and was impressed with how quick­ly Pyette picked it up.

“She was just an incredi­ble find,” Erwin said.

Pyette was already in shape from her basketball conditioning, but said the move to tennis wasn’t the easiest transition.

“All those quick change basketball drills really helped,” she said. “I hate to lose so I would keep chug­ging along until I won.”

She played No. 3 singles and won three matches at divisionals.

Summer is her time to relax and play golf with her dad, Willie, which she has done since she was 4.

Pyette’s sports strength and conditioning routine includes the Results class with Dan Groux and Jamey Galbraith at the Benefis Orthopedic Center.

Galbraith has worked with Pyette since she was 12 and said she’s a very “coachable kid.”

“She gives it her all and works hard no matter what,” he said.

Pyette keeps her energy level high and her weight stable by eating lots of pro­tein and avoiding most carbs. She drinks plenty of water and gets eight to nine hours of sleep a night. “It feels good when you are in shape and can push your body to the limit,” she said.