In an era when the multi-sport athlete is becoming rare, Colleen Lukas is an example of how raw talent and good habits can equal success.

Lukas, a 2007 Southern Cayuga graduate, has played soccer, basketball and softball for the Chiefs throughout her high school career - and excelled at each one.

This fall, the 18 year old will try to accomplish something even more atypical; play two sports in college. Lukas is trying out for the William Smith women's soccer and basketball teams.

“I'm pretty good at my time management - I'm fairly organized,” Lukas said. “I'm just going to try to stay organized.”

Since youth leagues, Lukas has successfully juggled multiple sports.

“Soccer on Monday, basketball on Tuesday, soccer again on Wednesday and on the weekend I'd have a softball tournament,” she said. “I was used to it. To me it just came easy.”

When she got older, Lukas started playing varsity soccer for Southern Cayuga as an eighth grader. Basketball and soccer soon followed, and she pulled through getting good grades in the process.

In June, Lukas graduated in the top 10 percent of her class - not bad since there were less than 80 graduates.

She was a member of the National Honor Society and Future Business Leaders of America. Lukas was voted Most Outstanding Student by the Southern Cayuga faculty.

On the field and court, Lukas was a familiar name on the IAC All-Star teams.

As a senior, she had upwards of 200 saves in the net for the Chiefs. Lukas started her career as a center-midi, then began to split time in goal with her older sister Hilary.

Last summer, she suffered an ankle injury playing basketball, and the lack of mobility landed Lukas in the net. After her injury healed, it was obvious that she should stay in goal. Lukas recorded six shutouts, and received a second-team all-state nod.

The shift from midi to goalie went smoothly.

“It wasn't a huge transition because I had played it before when I was younger,” she said. “My sister would play one half and I would play the second half in goal. It wasn't that bad.”

After Lukas narrowed down her college choices of William Smith, Ithaca and St. Lawrence to William Smith, she decided to try out for the Herons' soccer and basketball teams. Like soccer, Lukas has won multiple awards for basketball, taking home IAC and MVP honors - including IAC, Division III co-player of the year.

Lukas would likely fit in wherever the team needed her - she has experience at every position.

“Sometimes I'd play forward, sometimes I'd play guard, sometimes I'd play point guard,” she said. “It just depended on what was needed on the floor.”

Right now, Lukas is training for soccer with the boys to try to gain a competitive edge. She plays on a travel team comprised of boys mostly from the southern end of Cayuga County. Lukas plays outside-mid and can fill in in goal.

“I just wanted to play because I'm going to try and play in college and I needed to get some playing in the summer,” Lukas said.

When she's done coaching her little brother in a youth summer league, it will be off to college and back on the field. And though she's undecided about her major, Lukas is sure she wants a spot on both rosters.

“If I could play any one of them I would,” she said. “If I could play all of them I'd be the most happy.”