Ana Recker had a spring to remember.

Her fall was one she won’t soon forget.

Recker reached new heights in the pole vault, capturing a district title to qualify for the state meet in May.

She helped Palmerton’s field hockey team ascend to a place it hadn’t been in nearly 40 years in November.

Recker capped her senior year by scoring a hat trick as the Blue Bombers downed Palisades 3-0 in the District 11 1A finals to win their first title since 1983.

It brought Recker full circle with a sport she always had a focus on.

“I started at a couple of clinics at the end of sixth grade with one of my friends,” she said. “And then I really started playing in seventh and eighth grade, that’s when I really started. And then I also played club; I played club up until the end of my sophomore year. And then I decided that I wasn’t going to play in college, so I just stopped playing club, but I knew I was still going to play in high school. So I just focused on my other sports that I do, and did that.”

Recker is dynamic no matter the sport or the season.

She finished her senior campaign with 22 goals and six assists as Palmerton posted an 18-5-1 mark, with the program reaching the state tournament and making an appearance in the Colonial League final.

A tremendous athlete and leader, Recker is the 2021 Times News/Lehigh Valley Health Network Field Hockey Player of the Year.

“It truly has been a pleasure to coach Ana,” said Blue Bombers’ head coach Lauren Salerno. “I’ve had the pleasure of coaching Ana for the past five years and to watch her grow and progress as an individual off the field as well as an amazing player on the field is really neat.”

Recker’s skill and the chemistry she had with her teammates made the group something special.

“It’s always nice to have trust in your players and know that when they have the ball, you know they will or will try to do the best possible move to get the ball up the field,” said Salerno. “Having someone like Ana, with speed and skill at the highest point of our positioning; she played such a huge role to cut for the ball (and) move for the ball from her midfield and inners, to then once she successfully got the ball, to get that ball up the field and work together with her forwards. She and the other forwards just always had a groove and when their groove was on it showed.”

They were clicking in the district final, where Palmerton delivered a historic victory, one that was shared on and off the field.

“It was crazy,” said Recker. “It was 38 years since we won a title, so that was crazy in itself. Even getting to districts, and getting as far as we did, that was a big accomplishment as well. But winning the title, especially for me, I know I scored a hat trick, but it was a total team effort; it’s not like I did the whole thing myself. We work as a team, and everyone contributed that day. We played together, and that’s how we got the win.

“Going on the firetrucks and everything, that was awesome. Just seeing everyone support us was awesome. That’s the great thing about Palmerton. We’re a small town, but we’re very supportive of one another, and they love sports. They really show that they care, and it was really nice. It’s great that we’re going to be up on the banner, and it’s not just going to be from 1983. It’s going to be from 2021.”

In the district semifinals, a pair of second-half goals from sophomores Sydney Frantz and Skylar Kohler lifted the Blue Bombers to a 2-1 win over Wilson.

More than her own success, seeing others excel has always been both satisfying and inspiring for Recker.

“I think it was cool scoring a lot of goals this year, but I think it was also nice to see Sydney Frantz, a sophomore, she was right behind me. I even look up to her, and I’m a senior,” said Recker. “It’s just really cool. I can definitely look up to people from other grades. It’s not just because I’m a senior I have to look up to the seniors. And Skylar Kohler, I look up to her, too. I’m really good friends with all of them.

“Even my fellow seniors, like Erin (Kistler) and Emma (Christman), I really get inspired by them, because there’s just something unique about everyone. It’s just really nice that we’re all different, but we’re all the same. That’s the thing I really like about our team.”

Recker will be missed. But her impact on the program and the impression she left on her teammates won’t be forgotten.

“I’ve had a couple girls since the season ended tell me how much they’re going to miss me and the other seniors as well, being a team leader and just like an older sister to them,” Recker said. “I just really wanted to have fun this year, and just show everyone that it’s not all about winning; it’s about friendships, and just the experience. I’m not playing field hockey anymore after this, so I wanted to make it the best it could possibly be, and I just wanted to make as many memories as we could.”