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There was a time, not that long ago, when Sally Trout thought she might never be able to compete in athletics again.
The lingering effects from a concussion, which Trout suffered during a field hockey match, made her wonder if she would ever get cleared to play sports again.
"That was a scary thought, that at 17, sports might be done for me," the Dallastown High School senior said.
Fortunately for Trout, the worst-case scenario didn't materialize.
She eventually received the clearance, but not until late December, more than three months after the injury ended her high school field hockey career halfway through the season.
Trout was able to compete in indoor track over the winter, and outdoor track this spring. She's entered in the Class AAA 100 hurdles and 300 hurdles for this weekend's District 3 Track and Field Meet at Shippensburg University.
To get from where she was last fall to where she is now, Trout had to do some serious catching up in the classroom and with her training regimen.
"After the concussion, I wasn't allowed to take tests, and I was able to do a limited amount of homework," she said. "I had to make everything up. I took 30-some tests, and it wasn't until the end of March that all the work was made up."
Trout also dedicated herself to making her final high school track and field season her finest one.
"Everything I went through made me work 10 times harder," she said.
Trout has had some issues during the season (tendinitis, pulled quad muscle), but she didn't let them prevent her from putting up her best times in the hurdles.
She captured the York-Adams championship in both events last Friday night with times of 15.11 seconds in the 100 hurdles and 46.11 seconds in the 300 hurdles.
"I wanted to make my last county meet (on her home track) count," she said.
Trout is now focusing on districts, where she aims to earn medals, but more importantly, qualify for the biggest meet of the season: the PIAA State Track and Field Championships on May 25-26. The district meet will also take place on the big stage at Shippensburg's Seth Grove Stadium.
"This will be my third year up there (for the District 3 meet), so there will be less of a shock factor," Trout said. "I remember going up there as a sophomore, and I was blinded by the big crowd and all these great athletes. Shipp is a great track, a fast track."
Whatever happens in Shippensburg, Trout's career won't close there.
She plans to compete in field hockey and track and field beginning next year at Lafayette University.
"They (Lafayette) gave me the opportunity to play both sports. Plus, it has great academics," said Trout, who will major in biology.
-- Reach Dick VanO linda at dvanolin da@yorkdispatch.com or 505-5407.
