PAGE 20 Cortney (left) and Skylar Arkfeld are twin sisters and seniors this year at Wynot (Nebraska) High School. Since they arrived in the Wynot School District before their seventh grade year, the pair have been key members of the Blue Devils’ academic and athletic scenes. Arkfeld Twins Thriving In Wynot BY JEREMY HOECK quiet leadership; a kind of leadby-example mentality. Wieseler, to that point, described the sisters as “more quiet than shy.” “Every kid has a role on the team, but the ones who have the work ethic like they do tend to be the most vocal,” Wieseler said. “That really pushes the other kids; they see that and work that much harder as well.” jeremy.hoeck@yankton.net WYNOT, Neb. — Tammy Wieseler remembers exactly, to the detail, an encounter she and her husband had five years ago with two young students. The couple had been running some errands that day and had passed through St. James, Nebraska, a small community east of Wynot — where Tammy and Steve Wieseler are both coaches. They were driving past a home when something caught their attention. “We saw a couple of young, blonde girls out front, and they took off running toward our vehicle,” Tammy said. “My husband said to me, ‘That must be the new kids who moved to town.’” The girls — twin sisters — were Cortney and Skylar Arkfeld. They had recently moved to St. James from Yankton and were getting ready for their seventh grade years in Wynot. They both perched right up on the pickup with their fingers on the window. “They both seemed very eager to speak,” Tammy said. And what they did the two girls say? As Tammy recalls, it was something like, ‘You two must be the Wynot coaches, aren’t you?’ “My husband and I looked at each other and just laughed,” said Tammy, who coaches volleyball at Wynot High School. Her husband, Steve, is the girls’ basketball coach. “It was so funny,” Tammy added. “We hadn’t met each other yet, and it was just a very unusual encounter.” As it turns out, those two seventh-graders would eventually become fixtures — and standouts — in the Wynot athletic scene. They would help lead the Blue Devils girls’ basketball team, already a force in Nebraska, to two state titles, the volleyball team to a state tournament trip, and Cortney would become a state champion on the track. And that’s with still their senior year to go. The fact that Cortney and Skylar are twins only makes their 5-year journey all the more interesting, especially when you consider they do just about everything together — from home to the classroom to practices and to games/matches. “We’re close, but we do argue,” Cortney said during an interview after a preseason volleyball practice. “Everyone always says, ‘Oh you guys are probably so close,’ but we do argue.” Of course, when you’re a twin, it’s a different relationship. As is usually said in that situation, unless you’re a twin, you probably don’t understand. Put another way: If nothing else, you have each other. Or as Tammy Wieseler puts it, it’s a ‘got each other’s back’ mentality. “You see that a lot in twins; I have some in my family,” Wieseler said. “They get along well when they’re apart; just as individuals, so that’s really The future neat to see.” But in the case of Arkfelds, there aren’t many moments when they’re apart. Especially in a town of fewer than 200 people. “It’s good to have someone there, I guess, that you can do your homework with with and practice with,” Skylar said. “She always gives me advice and I help her out. “Sometimes it’s good advice,” Cortney said, with a smile. The adjustment There are always stories about athletes who transfer from a small school to a big school and how they adjust, or even a small-town high school recruit signing to play at a large college. But what about the reverse situation? What adjustments take place when you go from a large school to a smaller one? That’s what the Arkfeld sisters, and their family, faced in 2011 when they moved from Yankton to St. James, Nebraska. Born in Lincoln, Cortney and Skylar eventually moved to Yankton, where they spent the 2010-11 academic year as sixth graders at Yankton Middle School. There, they had played on a traveling basketball team but didn’t play volleyball. And suddenly, they were living in St. James with their mother, Shelly, and two sisters, Autumn and Amber. And getting ready to enter a Wynot School District that has fewer As is the case with high school seniors, they’re forced to think about college before their senior year of high school even begins. The Arkfelds are no different. Especially because of their athletic success (and potential), they’re bound to receive interest from colleges, which has already happened. A final decision either way has yet to be made, however. “We’re not really sure what we want to do yet,” Cortney said. “But we get that question all the time. We’ve responded to some schools, but we don’t Wynot’s Cortney (left) and Skylar Arkfeld know yet.” Would they consider at“We’re more confident they do a lot for us.” than 200 students total. tending college together? and we’re definitely better,” “They hadn’t played much “We’re still thinking about Skylar said. “Freshman year, in Yankton, so they thought that,” Skylar said. we couldn’t even make a threethey were going to be behind “It’d be cool to go together, point shot, it felt like, but now everyone else,” Shelly said. Fortunately, as they would but it’d be fun, too, to experiwe’ve worked at it.” “They were worried about tell you, the Arkfelds got an ence it separately,” Cortney “We couldn’t hit a ball,” early glimpse at the kind of that right away.” added. Cortney added, with a smile. success athletes from Wynot To that point, the sisters That tends to happen with “We’ve definitely gotten betcan have. were surrounded by athletes twins: They typically decide on ter.” During their seventh-grade who had played together in things together. Each has played a key role year, they watched the girls’ a handful of sports for years, “They’re waiting for the basketball team win the second in volleyball and basketball, and the Arkfelds were thrust other to decide, I think,” Shelly but Cortney has emerged on of its four straight Nebraska into their world. joked. “And then the other will Class D2 state championships. her own on the track. In her And, as Skylar would tell base their decision on that By the time the sisters became three years, she has recorded you, the sisters’ interest in decision.” eight top-8 finishes at the state sports at the time wasn’t quite freshmen at Wynot High School “I don’t think they want in 2013-14, they were ready for track meet, including a title to be too far away from each where it is today. in the 400-meter dash in 2015. other,” she added. “It started when we moved varsity action. This past spring, as a junior, That began a string of sucEven with the college here, because I don’t think it she was runner-up in the 400, cess over three sports perhaps decision eventually looming, would’ve happened in Yankfourth in the 800-meter run and the Arkfeld sisters still say the unmatched by a school of ton,” Skylar said. “We played seventh in the 200-meter run. similar size. realization that high school is some sports, but we weren’t Sure, part of that athletic Over the last three years, almost over hasn’t quite set as into it. success comes naturally, but the Wynot volleyball team in yet. “When we came here, make no mistake, Tammy has gone 61-27 with one state “It’s a different feeling, that’s when we really started Wieseler said, the sisters work knowing it’s your last time,” tournament trip (in 2014), the liking it,” Cortney added. girls’ basketball team has gone at it. Skylar said. “We always try The Arkfelds were quickly 70-17 with two state titles and “The thing I’ve noticed the hard, but I think we’ll give it a taken in by both the Wynot most is their work ethic,” Wia runner-up finish, and the little more this season because school family and the commu- track team in 2015 made a seri- eseler said. “They are putting it’s the last one. nity, which welcomed in the in extra time. ous run at a state title (it took “I want to go out strong in new family. “They’re always working at both sports.” second by two points). “It was different at first, their own skills, which obviAnd the Arkfeld sisters but everyone was excited,” ously makes the team better.” have figured prominently in Follow @jhoeck on Twitter Cortney said. “They had only In their case, it’s more of a each instance. two girls in our class. The whole town gets excited about new people.” Five years later, they know that as well as anyone. “Everybody’s closer together here. You get closer to the community, and everyone has each other’s backs,” Skylar said. “That’s the same way in sports, too.” “Everyone puts in work; not even just the players,” Cortney added. “The teachers, the coaches, the parents, The progression Get in the Game... Stay in the Game... allPOINTS Whether you’re a player or spectator, staying healthy is a big part of being your best. e We provid Yankton Clinic (605)260-0310 Call (605)260-0310 for an appointment. Member FDIC | Equal Housing Lender