Courtesy of Ron Seibel, the Macon Telegraph

Height can make fans take notice of an athlete almost immediately.

For teams taking on the FPD girls basketball and soccer programs, opposing height can also affect game plans.

Kate Patterson gave the Vikings that height. And she took full advantage of it.

“Having someone tall automatically sends up a red flag for other teams,” FPD soccer head coach Joshua Trieste said. “She played like a prototype 5-5 player, but she’s 6-2, 6-3. She didn’t have problems playing low, playing high. Marking her a lot of times really didn’t matter.”

Patterson, who also ran cross country, was a leader on and off the court and the field. In soccer, she had 13 goals and nine assists, leading the team in steals as she helped lead the Vikings to the GHSA Class 1A championship game. In basketball, she averaged 16 points and 8.7 rebounds, capping a career in which she was a four-year starter and a three-year captain.

And, for good measure, Patterson, The Telegraph’s Selby Buck Female Athlete of the Year, is also involved in charitable work. She is currently on a mission trip in Mexico.

“While playing multiple sports was very time consuming, I learned to stay organized and to anticipate deadlines,” Patterson said in an email. “Whether I had to plan ahead to study for a test or quiz or plan time to spend with my friends; playing multiple sports made me very time conscious. I think having a busy schedule kept me on the right track in many aspects of life, and for that I am very grateful.”

Read more here: http://www.macon.com/sports/high-school/article157802259.html#storylink=cpy