By Eric Stock
BLOOMINGTON – A local family will be attending Sunday’s Indianapolis Colts game on Sunday and they will see their daughter on the field.
Kacie Quick, 13, will be recognized along with other finalists who will be competing on Saturday in the National Football League’s national Punt, Pass and Kick contest in Indianapolis. She’s in the girls 12 to 13 age division.
“The nerves come in with all the people watching because your competing against the best of the best and you don’t want to do bad,” Kacie said.
Kacie added she’s be getting lots of coaching from her father Terry.
“We just try to keep it simple so she can kick it as straight,” Terry Quick said. “If she can keep it straight, her odds of success are pretty good. ”
Kacie was among the top four in the country when she won the competition hosted by the Chicago Bears. It’s the third time she won the competition in the five years she has competed, but it was the first time she placed among the top four finishers nationally to quality for the national competition.
“It was nerve-racking before because the year before I had gotten beat… I wanted my throne back,” Kacie said.
Kacie’s career with Punt, Pass and Kick started in the third grade when her physical education teacher Jamie Oliver encouraged her to give it a shot. She also plays softball, basketball and runs track at Parkside Junior High but in Normal but said she’s starting to like football too.
“More football, but softball is still number one,” Kacie said.
All the finalists will be recognized on the field and the winners for each age group will be announced during the Colts vs. Tennessee Titans game at the RCA Dome on Sunday.
Eric Stock can be reached at eric.stock@cumulus.com.
