FAULKTON – It’s easy to spot Carley Cotton in any athletic event. The standout from Faulkton can jump out of a gym and run a set of hurdles against anybody. However, it’s what you can’t see that makes the senior so special.

“I’m a competitor. I like to do all the things and that does run in the family,” Cotton said. “All my siblings are the same way, so are my parents. I like to do well at pretty much everything I do. I put 100 percent into everything.”

It’s one of the reasons that Faulkton is one of the final Class B teams remaining in the round of SoDak 16 girls’ basketball. The Trojans have come on strong lately and Cotton has been a driving force.

“There has been some games that we’ve lost and that we wish we could get back, but the goal is always to be playing your best basketball when it means the most,” Cotton said. “I think we’re doing that right now.”

As a result, the Trojans are just one game away from the state tournament.

“I’m really happy with where we’re at and making it to the SoDak 16 is just something I’ve always dreamed of,” Cotton said. “It’s not really been done too often in Faulkton history, boys or girls. It’s just really an opportunity that we all got to take and do our best at.”

Cotton’s inner drive has not gone unnoticed by those around her.

“Carley is just a natural athlete with a very competitive nature,” said Faulkton volleyball coach Mallory Schlechter. “She is able to do just about anything you ask of her, and her ability to play big in big moments is something that is hard to match.”

Cotton had her fingerprints all over a pair of postseason wins last week, leading the Trojans with 21 points in one game and 26 in another.

“I’m a senior and so I’ve got to step up for the team,” Cotton said. “I feel like the last couple games I kind of got that in my head and had that mentality, and it’s really shown.”

Now, Faulkton is one of the few remaining teams in Class B still playing basketball.

“We talked in practice (Tuesday), not a lot of teams play in March,” Cotton said, “but we’ve got to be grateful that we’re here and we’re still playing.”

The Trojans will be squaring off against defending State B champion Centerville tonight in Madison. While the odds are a bit overwhelming to knock off the unbeaten Tornadoes, Faulkton did pull off an upset already in the postseason, defeating Tiospaye Topa in the region.

Cotton’s first state-tourney appearance was a memorable one. As a freshman, Cotton did not have a spot on the varsity volleyball team until right before the postseason.

“We had an injury in the first round of the state tournament and I put Carley in,” Schlechter said. “She was petrified, but the moment she stepped on the court, you would’ve never known she hadn’t played all season. Not many athletes can handle that kind of pressure.”

Cotton also played in the state volleyball tournament as a junior. She was also a member of a team that lost in a SoDak 16 match to Warner this past fall. In short, she has been a part of the highs and lows of athletics.

“When it doesn’t go our way, I think we just got to be thankful that we got to play this sport and be where we are,” Cotton said. “Even in a SoDak 16 falling short, I think it’s always just be thankful for what you have and where you’ve come.”

Cotton grew up in an athletic family and said her brother Layne has made a huge impact.

“Obviously, everybody knows Layne. He’s a star athlete around here. He’s been a big role model,” she said. “All that he’s accomplished, all the milestones he’s reached. That just kind of pushes me. He’s good. He’s one of the best to ever come out of Faulkton and I want to be right behind him.”

It’s safe to say that Carley has forged her own way into the Faulkton sports conversations.

The all-state volleyball player finished with more than 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs, and set a school record for 602 digs in a season, career digs with 1,627, and single season kills with 487. On the same night she collected a school-record 34 kills in one match, she also set a school-record with 48 digs. In addition to her basketball exploits, she also placed in the 100-meter hurdles at last year’s state track and field meet.

“That would be amazing if I could do that again, maybe even do a little bit better, I think. … I ran my fastest run in the prelims of the 100 hurdles,” Cotton said. “That was a great feeling when I got my PR (personal record) there.”

Having experienced so much success in all three sports, it begs the question, which one is her favorite?

“I always think about this, actually. I don’t really have a favorite sport,” Cotton said. “I think my favorite sport is whatever sport I’m in. So volleyball season’s around, then volleyball’s my favorite sport. I think basketball comes around, basketball’s my favorite sport. I don’t really know. I like them all.”

Of course, when you’re as gifted as Cotton is, it would be hard to pick just one.

“Everybody says I just float,” she said.

Cotton combines the blend of athleticism with hard work to be the best she can be no matter what she is doing.

“I was born pretty gifted. A lot of things just came way easier for me than it does for most people,” Cotton said. “I see that and I just work harder and work harder, and use that to my advantage in all the sports that I play.”

Add in what might be the most crucial element to the mix and it’s easy to see why Cotton is a standout performer who truly does stand out.

“I’m a competitor, I hate to lose,” Cotton said. “I think it’s like the self-motivation. The next person is not going to beat me. … Obviously, athleticism helps with that, but I think first it starts with mentality.”