Editor’s Note: With the coronavirus outbreak shutting down spring sports, The Republic is featuring senior athletes from Columbus East, Columbus North and Hauser whose final seasons were affected by the decision over the course of the spring.
Shelby Fugate has overcome many challenges in her young life, so the cancelation of her final sports season isn’t about to break her.
The Hauser senior, along with her six younger brothers and sisters, were taken from her mother by a court order when she was 12 years old. She spent the next four years in foster homes before moving in last year with her grandmother west of Columbus and making the 30-minute drive to Hope.
That didn’t stop Fugate from excelling both in athletics and in the classroom. She was a three-year letterwinner in three sports and finished fourth in class with 4.28 GPA.
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Earlier this year, Fugate received a Lilly Scholarship and also a $25,000 Horatio Alger national scholarship. The Horatio Alger organization administers scholarships to students who have achieved success despite severe hardships, and she was one of 106 recipients out of about 35,000 applicants.
Fugate a two-time All-Mid-Hoosier Conference selection in softball and was entering her third year as captain. She was a two-time captain and two-time honorable mention All-Conference pick in both volleyball and basketball.
“Softball isn’t the one I would consider my favorite, but it’s the one I’m better at,” Fugate said.
Volleyball was Fugate’s favorite sport and the one in which her teams enjoyed the most success. The Jets won sectional titles all four years she was with the program, advancing to the Class A state final her sophomore year.
Fugate was a regular rotation player that season. She played libero in regional and played in the back row in the state final.
“The all-around trip, the hotel room, the dinner the night before, it’s just an all-around great experience all high schoolers should look forward to when playing sports,” Fugate said.
In basketball, Fugate and the team went through a coaching transition following her junior year.
“With the new coach that we had this year (Chad Evans), he was really good,” Fugate said. “In a few years, they’re going to finally be able to get over the hump, and they’ll be rolling.”
Fugate also went through a coaching change in softball after her sophomore year. She played for Andy Brunner last season.
“She’s a very productive player in the box,” Brunner said. “Defensively, she’s sound. Shelby’s biggest attribute is her mentor ability. Whether it’s on the field or off the field, the kid is as solid as they come. She’s someone the kids can look up to, she’s going to be hard to replace and fill those shoes. She’s just an all-around standout kid.”
Fugate, who played mostly third base during her time with the Jets, was three home runs away from setting Hauser’s career record.
“I was pretty confident that I was going to get them this year,” Fugate said. “But it’s all right.”
Both Fugate and Brunner were looking for a big season this spring.
“The infield was pretty tight, and our outfield was pretty fast,” Fugate said. “We had a pretty solid team. I’m sad that I didn’t get to play my senior year, but I hope they do well next year because they’re very talented.”
After going 10-11 last year, nobody was looking forward to this season more than Brunner.
“We had very good options in multiple locations both offensively and defensively,” Brunner said. “With (Indianapolis Lutheran transfer pitcher) Danielle Steward coming in, and we had two freshman pitchers that came in this year, as well, that gave me some options to keep people off balance. We had a lot of very good options and the opportunity to have a standout season. But better safe than sorry.”
Fugate’s last day of high school was Friday. Despite the physical moves she and her siblings made, she attended Flatrock-Hawcreek schools all 12 years and had perfect attendance from fifth grade on.
“I like the connection I had at Hauser,” Fugate said. “I like my friends, but I also liked my teachers.”
Now, it’s on to Indiana University, where Fugate received direct admittance into the Kelley School of Business.
“It’s definitely going to be different, especially with the coronavirus,” Fugate said. “We don’t know if we’re going to be online or in classes. We don’t know about housing. It’s going to be different for us seniors.”
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Q: Can you describe how you felt when you heard that your season was canceled?
"It honestly didn’t feel real. We had been practicing for two weeks nonstop, and our last practice day was a field day. We worked on the field, so I never really felt like we got started, and then it set in that we were never going back to school again."
Q: What is your best memory with the program?
"My best memory would probably be the sectional camp-out on the field. Every sectional week we had, we’d camp out on the field and bond together before the postseason."
Q: What will you miss most about your school and team?
"I will miss most probably being a leader, being a person someone could look up to. I hope to carry that on in college and in my career. It was nice to be a captain for all my teams."
Q: What lesson(s) did you learn from your time with the program?
"The lesson I learned the most was probably, ‘Never give up,’ or ‘Work until you prove them wrong.’ I was never the best at sports, but I worked really hard to get to where I was."
Q: What are your plans for college or the future?
"I will be attending Indiana University Kelley School of Business and double major in finance and business management."
Q: What is your final message to the team?
"Time goes by so fast, and you never know when it’s going to end, so make the most of it. We were told that since we were freshmen, and it never felt real."
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