PEKIN, Ill. (WMBD/WYZZ) — Three years of high school football is about to come to an end for senior Mylee Hansen.
She came to Pekin High School during the COVID 2020-21 school year not knowing if she’d be able to play any sports, let alone football.
“I’m used to it now, a little bit,” “Hansen said about her role as the kicker on the Dragons. “When you go out there and kick on Friday nights, it’s a different atmosphere than any other sport. It’s crazy, it’s different.”
Hansen has stuffed a lot into her time at Pekin. A standout on the soccer pitch, she also plays basketball. The three-sport athlete is also getting done in the classroom.
The Homecoming Queen is a National Honor Society member, an honors student with a 3.9 grade point average.
“I have to keep myself accountable,” explained Hansen. “I try to do most of my work in school before my sports in the afternoon. It’s one of the things you have to push yourself through.”
She knows others are watching.
“She’s great in the classroom, grades are up there, three-sport athlete,” said Pekin football coach Doug Nutter. “This is what we want in all our athletes, participate in the school, does everything the right way. And she gets rewarded for that.”
Pekin plays at Limestone Friday night and then closes the season at home next week against East Peoria. That will be her final high school football game but she’s been recruited to play football and soccer at Monmouth College (Ill.).
Her ability to play varsity football for three years has inspired many young girls around the area to put on pads and try the sport which they thought was only for the boys.
“When they see me they say, ‘Girls do play football. I want to do that in high school,'” Hansen said. “That is inspiring to me that I can benefit other girls.”