SCOTT CITY STUDENT-ATHLETE EXCELS IN VARIETY OF SPORTS

SCOTT CITY -- Every school has its share of outstanding athletes, and occasionally a handful will excel in two or three sports. But it's rare when an athlete not only competes but also achieves excellence in four sports.

Greg Klund, an 18-year-old senior at Scott City High School, is such an athlete.

Klund plans next fall to attend Southeast Missouri State University on a football scholarship, fulfilling a lifelong dream to play college ball. He also plays basketball and splits time in the spring between baseball and track.

But Klund isn't just busy, he's good. The numbers speak for themselves.

In football, the 6-foot, 175-pound, two-way star finished his three-year varsity career last fall with 2,670 rushing yards, 81 receptions for an additional 1,345 yards, and 47 touchdowns.

As a senior, Klund rushed for 1,121 yards and caught 28 passes for 640 years. Defensively, he intercepted seven passes and earned first-team Class 2A all-state honors at defensive back.

Klund currently is in the midst of his senior season in basketball, averaging just over 18 points per game in what's sure to be an all-district year. Like football, Klund has started on the varsity basketball team since his sophomore year.

He also is a pretty fair baseball player. Last year as a junior he batted .346 while playing center field and second base on a team that went to the state tournament. Klund also started at right field as a sophomore on a Scott City team that placed third in state.

Klund also has been a member of Scott City's 400-meter and 800-meter relay teams that have qualified for the state finals the past three years.

Klund even had a brief stint with the wrestling team his freshman year in high school.

"We got out of football and basketball hadn't started, and I went to a couple wrestling practices," he said. "It wasn't bad, but then basketball started and I picked up a ball and never went back to wrestling. Basketball's a lot more fun."

But football is his first love. Since he was a lad barely able to hold a football, Klund said he can't remember a time when he wasn't a sports nut.

"I've really been playing all my life," he said. "We started with full pads in seventh grade, but I've always wanted to play sports.

"As far back as I can remember my friends and I always had some kind of ball in our hands."

When asked who has had the greatest influence on his athletic development, Klund barely paused to respond: "Definitely my dad. He's always been to every one of my games. Mom and dad both they never miss a game and have definitely been helpful in sports for me."

Klund said he considers being named to the Missouri all-state team in football the greatest honor he's received.

"Also, when we went to the state playoffs my junior year in football," he added. "It was great getting to the playoffs, but it was a big disappointment getting beat in the quarterfinals."

Klund said he feels fortunate to have gone to a relatively small school like Scott City, where he had the opportunity to compete in so many sports.

"It'd probably be a lot tougher in a big school, where there's more competition," he said. "In a small school you know everybody and get along with each other better.

"In basketball, you've been playing with the same guys since grade school and you pretty much know where everybody's going to be on the court all the time."

For athletes like Klund, who compete in sports throughout the year, schoolwork sometimes might seem little more than an afterthought. He admits it's "kind of a hassle" at times, but he hasn't had any real difficulty juggling his sports interests and education.

"The teachers don't always seem to cooperate, and sometimes they schedule a test the day after a big game," he said. "It hasn't been that bad, but sometimes it can be pretty stressful."

The Scott City athlete is looking forward next year to going to Southeast Missouri State, where he'll be red-shirted his freshman year.

As a red-shirt, an athlete trains with the team but doesn't compete in any games. The red-shirt athlete then is able to use the extra year of eligibility in his fifth year of college.

Klund plans to study either physical therapy or physical education. It's no surprise that coaching is in his plans. Until then, he'll work on his grades and, in 1993, achieve a spot on the Indian roster as a receiver.

"Right now my goal will be to do well in school and work on my grades," he said. "I want to keep my grades between a 3.0 and 3.5. I'll also have to concentrate on lifting weights to get bigger and work on my speed and hands.

"But right now I'll be red-shirted, so it will give me a chance to concentrate on my grades. That should be good to get established my first year."