Who run the world?

Girls. These three multi-sport athletes.

Alyssia Hamilton Editor-in-Chief

McKaela Walker

Walker is an unstoppable double sport senior athlete. She started playing softball at the age of seven, and being the youngest on the team, it forced her to up her game. Being on the field is like home for her, and she credits this feeling for her love of the game.

“You don’t think about how much all your problems go away; it’s very therapeutic. Softball can stress you out, but it releases more stress than anything,” Walker said.

For her 2022 high school season, she holds national and state rankings. She’s ranked ninth in the nation with 1,400 slugs. She then holds three state rankings for home runs, slugging percentage, and batters struck out. 19th with eight total home runs, 6th with 1,400 slugs, and 7th with 173 strikeouts.

“My worst sports performance is always playing fall ball. I’ve always played really bad in the fall, when summer ball comes I always shake back. Therefore, it teaches me to not let the bad bring me down and the bad does not outweigh all the good,” Walker (12) said.

Walker plays travel softball for East Cobb Bullets and after playing multiple games she became ranked seventh in the 2023 Extra Elite 100. She is committed to

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Louisiana State University to continue her softball career. She hopes to break records in college, and she aspires to be working in the forensics area.

Cate Gruehn -

Best known as “Uno” for the number she wore to become a 2021 All-Defense and 2022 All-Offense player for the Division 3, Area 1 GHSA Flag Football. She’s a 5’6” wide receiver and defensive back that will not let anyone stop her grabbing the flag on defense or run the ball to the endzone for a touchdown. She started playing flag football in 2020, Marietta’s first year of establishing the sport, as her mom encouraged her to try it after being hesitant to start.

“Coach H has had the biggest impact on my flag career because I have learned everything from him. He pushes me to be the best I can be. He knows when I’m not going 100 percent and lets me know the adjustments I need to make," Gruhen said. "I’ve gained so much knowledge on the sport and will be forever grateful with the amount he shared with me to make sure I grow as an athlete.”

Gruhen leads the team with four national rankings. 9th for receiving yards with 691 yards. 20th with a total of 76 points. 23rd with 11 total touchdowns. 18th with a total of 4 tries made. She signed to Thomas University on a flag football scholarship. She looks up to her teammates at Thomas

“I will never walk with shame or regret because I’m always proud of you all no matter what the result is. You guys worked hard this season and accomplished a lot, so walk out of this building with your heads held high," Coach H said.

The seniors took the loss the hardest as this was their last year to accomplish their goal of winning a state title. The seniors steered the positive outcome of the season. The team ended the season with a final record of 14-3 and being ranked second in the D3 Area 1 Region.

“I’m incredibly disappointed for our seniors. They worked so hard and were very committed to accomplishing all their goals. It’s overlining that the journey is more important than the result. We have more wins than any program in the state, which shows how committed they are. I’m going to miss them dearly and I will always look back on this time,” Coach H said.

The constant success has led to big expectations for fans and the athletes. It’s only their third season of playing flag football so more wins are expected for the future. The seniors have made their mark on this team and paved the path for the underclassmen to accomplish the dream that they were not able to.

“This is a team I will never forget. It’s not just a team it’s family, I never would’ve thought I would make it three years with this team,” Rachely Castillo (12).

Seniors, Cate Gruehn, Claire Hennessey, McKaela Walker, and Akhaila Makenna have had great accomplishments adding to the long list for this team. Cate Gruehn is a wide receiver and defensive back holding three national rankings. McKaela Walker, a running

University as she knows that they have a lot of experience and can’t wait to learn from them.

Kristal McQueen-

Three time back-to-back State Champion and Powerade All-Metro runner. McQueen is a distance runner for the Blue Devils cross country and track team. Specializing in the 800m, 1600m, and 3200m races. She claims she is not a good handler of sports with equipment, but being able to run influenced her to join the sport in eighth grade. Her determination and drive helps her to push through the pain of each race and keep moving forward through every race she is in. When she gets in her head and doubts herself, she remembers this quote, “She believed she could, so she did." This calms her down because she knows that if she believes in herself and her abilities then she can achieve her goals. All athletes experience a performance that negatively impacts them. back, wide receiver, and back-up quarterback, holding two national rankings. Claire Hennessey the quarterback holds two national rankings.

“My worst sports performance was a race where I was late and very nervous. This resulted in me getting myself worked up as I was in my head. I learned that being calm and collected beforehand will only benefit me,” Kristal McQueen said.

After the setbacks, she continues to push forward every race each year. She committed to the University of West Georgia on a cross country scholarship.

“I hope to accomplish big things in college. I’ve committed to the University of West Georgia to run, and I’m hoping to continue my success through the years,”McQueen said.

Team captain Akhaila Makenna, a linebacker and wide receiver, held five national rankings last year. During the Wheeler scrimmage game Makenna scored a touchdown and came down on her leg. She found out that she had a transverse fibula fracture and would have to sit out for the majority of the season. When she couldn’t use her right leg, she found ways to stay in shape with an injury. Her goal of helping her team win the state title stayed on her mind as she continued to work hard each day no matter the setback her injury gave her. After eight weeks of being on a boot, she was able to come back and play the first four rounds of playoffs. She only played on defense to not put so much stress on a newly healed injury.

“It showed me that things aren't always in my control, so I can either feel sorry for myself or work on what I can control. Coming back, I was very nervous of my capabilities and how I’d perform, but my amazing team and coaches never doubted me which allowed me to play to the best of my ability,” Akhaila Makenna (12) said.

8 out of the 30 athletes on this team have been members since the establishment of the sport in 2020. Those athletes are Akhaila Makenna, Cate Gruehn, McKaela Walker, Rachely Castillo, Caila Joseph, Harper Mangine, Elizabeth Olaribigbe, and Nakiyah Roberts-Dunn. They’ve kept the tradition alive as they welcomed new members and bonded from the supportive environment. The “1, 2, 3, family” chant is said after every practice and game because this team considers itself a family.

“The team made me feel welcomed, and the coaches and sport helped me feel more confident in myself. I hope it will stay the amazing program that I enjoyed for the past three years," Nakiyah Roberts-Dunn (12) said.

After winning the quarterfinal game against North Gwinnett,13-0, the team celebrates being the program with the most wins in the state.