Sometimes twins emerge as star athletes in individual sports because their interfamilial competitiveness drives them to great success. Now imagine what happens when you have three triplets passionate about the same goal.
The Onalaska (Wis.) cross country team is experiencing exactly that just days into the career of its three youngest, newest stars.
As reported by the LaCrosse Tribune and CBS affiliate WKBT, the Malacek triplets have already emerged as the somewhat unlikely stars of the Onalaska girls cross country team. In the school’s first meet of the 2017 season, Kora, Lydia and Amalia Malacek finished second, fourth and fifth in the Johnson Invitational, leading Onalaska to a surprising victory in its home meet.
“That group as eighth-graders showed a lot of promise,” Onalaska cross country coach Darin Shepardson told the Tribune. “We knew there were quite a few ponies in the stable there.”
“This particular group is unique. The triplets are phenomenal, but there is always room for improvement.”
Shepardson expounded on the sisters’ impact on the team in an interview with WKBT:
“They bring a lot of energy and excitement. They’re all in their own right unique. They have their own little quirks, but you can tell that they’re sisters.”
That there is room for improvement has to be a terrifying concept for Onalaska’s rivals. The sisters are certainly competitive enough between each other already to drive them toward championship heights. With extra spurring from a respected and battle-tested coach?
“Lydia was bummed because Amalia beat her (in eighth grade),” Kora Malecek told WKBT. “But there have been times when I was bummed because my sisters beat me. There’s a lot of competition between us three.”