Sports

DWS ‘Athlete of Year’ Cosby makes choice

• After excelling in basketball, track & field and soccer, DWS star athlete Shelby Cosby chooses the latter, signing Thursday to play with Division I school Kennesaw State.

Derek Barichello

ALBANY — Deerfield-Windsor’s 2008 “Athlete of the Year” Shelby Cosby made her decision.

On Thursday at the DWS Media Center in front of friends and teammates, sitting next to her parents and sister, Cosby — a three-sport star with plenty of options — signed to play Division I soccer at Kennesaw State University.

For the standout in basketball and track & field for the Lady Knights during the last four years, playing soccer for the accomplished Owls program was an easy decision.

“I’ve been playing since kindergarten,” said Cosby, who stars on the GISA Region 3-AAA champion DWS soccer team, which started 0-4-1 but is now 9-5-2 heading into their opening GISA AAA state playoff match Saturday.

“It’s the longest sport I’ve ever played and it’s the one I feel like I know the most. It’s the one I’m best at.”

In fact, her decision to go to Kennesaw State was not based on playing soccer at all. She already decided to go to school there before signing for the Lady Owls — soccer was just a bonus.

“I loved the campus,” Cosby said. “But I knew they have a good program and a nice field. I talked to the coach (Rob King) and he gave me a tryout. I’m just excited to play Division I.”

Cosby joins a Lady Owls team that won both the Atlantic Sun Conference regular season and tournament as they finished with a 17-4 record.

“She will bring a lot of speed to the field,” said DWS coach Tony Voyles. “She has a great work ethic and she is a team leader.”

As for what her role will be on her new team, she has not discussed that yet.

Cosby will leave two weeks after school ends to start training with the team.

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