By Blake Chadwick
As a sixth grader, Hailie Affolter from Clifton-Clyde fell in love with doing track.
The senior would spend hours working on her events after school to improve, focusing on shot put, discus, and running in the 200-meter dash and 4×100-meter relay.
“My mindset is different when I am competing compared to when I am practicing,” Affolter said. “During track meets, I try to keep a positive mindset and do my best. Over the years, I have learned that getting in your head and worrying about the little mistakes will only make you do worse.”
Affolter also has another love, and that is in her artwork.
“I started taking art in my sixth grade year and continued through my senior year,” Affolter said. “My passion for art originated from a very young age.”
She has been able to showcase her art thanks to Clifton-Clyde’s focus on providing a variety of art shows.
“I enjoy going to these art shows, it allows you to see all the different talents of students your own age from our area,” Affolter said. “I have to say winning the “Best Of” show award is one of my biggest accomplishments. With hundreds of different pieces of art from many talented artists, this year, I won two of the three awards they hand out for the best of show ribbons.”
