For The Tribune
Codi McDonald has two major reasons he has been a four-sport athlete throughout his career at Crothersville High School.
“It keeps me busy and it keeps my grades up,” he said.
In his senior year, McDonald served as a captain for the baseball and basketball teams.
His hard work has paid off as he has received mental attitude awards in basketball and cross-country, a batting award in baseball and a most valuable field events trophy in track.
McDonald has been extremely busy in the spring, often having a baseball game one day, a track meet the next.
In track, McDonald enjoys running relays and throwing events.
“If you don’t have a good handoff in the 4×100 the other team is going to catch up real quick,” McDonald said. “I like to run the third spot. I like running on the curve. It gives me more of a challenge. I like to run in either lane three or five.”
Individually, McDonald likes the discus the best.
“I average probably 80-85 feet,” McDonald said. “You’ve got to have a good release before the spin comes. That’s what I’ve been working on all season, just trying to get the right release down.”
When he’s tossing the shot, he relies on a fluid motion.
“I glide in the shot put,” McDonald said. “I tried spinning but I couldn’t do it. In the 30s is a good throw for me. It’s physically demanding. Discus is more of your forearm and core, but shot is more of your shoulder and legs. Technique in both is very important.”
McDonald said his goal at conference was to set personal bests in both events.
This past winter, McDonald started several basketball games and had a high-point of 13 in the win against Cannelton.
He considered himself a team player.
“Anything the coach wanted I tried my best to do,” McDonald said. “I shot more than I dribbled.”
McDonald said he enjoyed shooting 3-pointers and he preferred shooting from the right wing.
This spring, McDonald has played at a number of positions.
“I’ve pitched, played center field, left field, anywhere. “Primarily, I throw a fastball, but I have a decent curve and a changeup. It’s very important to throw a strike on the first pitch. I try to keep my pitches kind of low, but they don’t always work like that. I try my best. I’ve been pitching since I was in Little League. I’ve learned I have to have more accuracy.
“We’re going to have to get better with our pitching. I know we can still do it. Trevor Peters is a very good pitcher. I’m very impressed how he has come along.”
Last fall McDonald filled either the No. 4 or No. 5 position throughout the cross-country season.
“I just tried to pace a lot, the first mile I tried to get seven minutes or so,” he said. “My best time was 21 (minutes) at Salem. My favorite course was definitely (Eastern) Pekin.
For McDonald, practice makes perfect.
“Practice is the most important thing, I think,” McDonald said. “If you don’t practice hard you’re not going to play hard. The mental part is important. It took me a while to get a bunch of confidence in myself. It’s probably one of the biggest parts of a sport, because if you’re not confident in yourself you’re not going to be confident in others, and it will bring you down.”
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Name: Codi McDonald
School: Crothersville
Parents: Jennifer Flood, Joseph McDonald
Sibling: Allison
Sports: cross-country 4 years, basketball 4 years, baseball 4 years, track 4 years
Athletic highlights: basketball mental attitude award, baseball batting award, track most valuable field events, CC mental attitude award
Organizations: National Honor Society, band, Sunshine Society
Plans after high school: attend IUPUC for nursing
Favorite food: pizza
Favorite singer: Thomas Rhett
Favorite movie: 42
Favorite teams: Cincinnati Reds, Kentucky Wildcats
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Q: What was the home atmosphere like for basketball?
A: “The home games were awesome. The crowds were always cheering us on, and the intensity was really good. I liked playing at Orleans. I enjoyed coming closer to my teammates.”
Q: One of your fondest baseball memories?
A:: “Three weeks ago we played Columbus Christian, it was a very close game. I feel like that pulled the team together. We got down 10-0 and won 12-11.”
Q: What’s it like attending CHS?
A: “You get a lot more one-on-one time with your teachers. They know what’s going on in your life and they can help you to the best of their abilities. It’s definitely been the best years of my life.”
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