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Afton’s Cole Mikesell – Character Counts Presented by Jim Rexwinkle State Farm
- Updated: January 13, 2020
By Derrick Smith
An athlete’s success is equal to how much work they are willing to put into their craft. More work equals more reward. Afton’s Cole Mikesell knows that just doing what you are expected is not good enough if you want to be a great athlete.
“In order to be successful, you have to do everything your coaches are telling you to do,” he said. “You also have to go beyond and put in the extra work in order to reach the goals you have set.”
Mikesell is a senior at Afton High School. He is a member of the Eagles basketball team, where he plays power forward and small forward. Mikesell says he began playing basketball when he was five years old. Along with basketball, he is a member of the school’s football and baseball teams as well.
There have been people that have impacted Cole’s life, but he says that he learned a lot from the players that have gone before him.
“I would definitely say that the upperclassmen from when I was in lower grades were some big examples for me,” he said. “Watching and learning from them, I was able to become a better player.”
Mikesell says that he is thankful for great teachers and the lasting impression they have made on his life.
“I have had a couple of teachers and coaches that I really like a lot,” he says. “They have taught me to put in the extra work to get the job accomplished.”
Among all of his time playing sports, Mikesell says that there is one memory that stands out for him.
“My highlight sports moment would have to be our team winning the 2017 state championship in football,” he said. “It was really cool to play in the game and help my team to a great season.”
Cole is also a member of Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA), Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), and Student Council.