Tyler Shevelson
Varsity sports may be challenging for the average high school student, but these tremendous athletes play multiple sports. Cainen Cisneros, Jasper Graf, Noga Wallach, Lise Arnuad, and Muhammed Amin all play two or more varsity sports.
Cainen Cisneros, a senior at Albany High School, will graduate this year having played baseball and football for the Cougars through all four years of high school. When asked if it’s difficult to balance his athletic and academic commitments, Cisneros responded, “It’s harder for the average person, but I’m good at getting my work done.” Cisneros says these sports take up several hours every weekday during football and baseball seasons. In response to how sports affect his day-to-day life, Cisneros answered, “It gave me something to work towards and get better at.” Cisneros’s athletic growth is notable, starting with his participation in J.V. baseball and football during his freshman year. Now in his senior year, Cisneros is playing varsity baseball, starting as a designated hitter, as well as starting on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball for the Cougars’ varsity football team.
Jasper Graf, a senior at Albany High, has done basketball, ultimate frisbee, and track for all four years of his high school career. When Graf was asked if the sports he plays overlap, he responded with, “All the time.” When questioned about how he balances all the different practices with each other, Graf answered, “A lot of times, I will just end one practice and go to the next right after.” With each practice taking roughly two hours, he can find himself spending almost four hours in practice on any given day. One of Graf’s biggest challenges is balancing sports with his education. He talks about managing the difficulty, saying, “Sometimes I have a test the next day, but I’m not trying to go to coach and be like, I got to study, so I can’t come to practice today, so I just fit it in whenever I can.” Graf’s dedication to his sports and achieving good grades is something multi-sport varsity athletes must strive for, but can be difficult to achieve.
Noga Wallach, a junior at Albany High, has been running track for all three years of her high school experience and running cross country for two. When asked how much time her sports take out of her daily life, Wallach responded, “About two hours after school every school day, and meets on the weekends.” When questioned about the difficulty of fitting in her schoolwork with her schedule, Wallach responded, “It’s hard to fit all the homework in, but it’s manageable most times.” With daily practices and weekend time being sacrificed for after-school sports and keeping on top of classwork, there is very little time for other interests. Wallach sprints the 100-meter dash in track, a significant shift from running long-distance cross-country. Wallach talks about the contrast of the two, saying, “I have a lot of friends who do distance in cross country and track, so sometimes I do want to be running distance, but I do like sprints as well.” Wallach’s love for athletics is evident in her persistence to excel in both the sports she competes in.
Lise Arnaud, a senior at Albany High School, has been swimming at Albany for four years and playing water polo for three. When asked how her sports have affected her life, Arnaud said, “It’s a lot of time management, I’ve kinda changed how I go about studying.” Changing the way you do things is never easy, so in a follow-up question about how she has changed her studying, she responded, “Not to put things off. I have a very specific amount of time to do my homework before practice.” Playing both water polo and swimming, when asked which sport she prefers to compete in, Arnaud answered, “I think water polo is generally more fun than swimming. There is more of a team spirit, where in swimming, it can often be a very individual sport.” Whether it’s an individual or team sport, one thing is clear: Arnaud loves being in the water and is committed to giving her all for her team.
Senior student-athlete Muhammed Amin will graduate in 2026 after playing basketball and football for all four years. Amin has been playing varsity basketball since his sophomore year, and now, as a senior, he will finally have the opportunity to play varsity football. When asked how his sports have affected his life, Amin responded, “Sports have gotten me through a lot and showed me how to be a leader.” Amin’s leadership is prominent, not only as a recurring captain for the football team, but also in commanding the Cougar offense, playing quarterback. Amin is a starter on both the basketball and football teams, and when asked about which sport he has a deeper love for, Amin answered, “I love both of the sports. I can’t pick one.” Most multi-sport athletes tend to have a favorite, which leads them to make decisions based on their preference for a particular sport, but Amin gives equal dedication to both. Overall, Amin’s love and leadership for each sport are incredibly impressive and something that few high school athletes can achieve.
