By Ray Hamill — Teammates Kira Morris and McKenna Beach have been keeping very busy this year and putting in a lot of offseason work, and that’s good news for the Loggers, who are expected to benefit on multiple sports fronts because of it.

Morris, in fact, could be the busiest student athlete on the entire North Coast, and has competed in five different sports this calendar year alone, representing her school in cross country, volleyball, softball, basketball and soccer, and scoring her first-ever high school hat trick in the latter on Tuesday.

Beach, meanwhile, is a standout in both basketball and softball, and like Morris, she grew up watching an older sibling compete in sports and developed a love for competition out of it.

“I used to go to my older brother’s baseball practices when I was very little,” Beach recalled with a chuckle. “And I would just do anything I could. I’m pretty competitive, so I always try to do better than him.”

Older brother Isaac, who now competes collegiately in track and field at George Fox University, “has been awesome,” according to McKenna.

Morris also grew up watching two older brothers — Aidan and Keenan — enjoy a lot of success in sports, most notably in baseball, which each now plays collegiately.

But it was another local star who inspired Kira at a young age.

“Hailey Dolcini has really helped me out a lot,” she said of the former Fortuna Husky, who is now one of the top college pitchers in the nation. “When she was in high school I used to go to all of her games, and she still helps me out when she’s back in town.

“She’s super nice, and she tells me a lot about college and how that goes.”

Both Morris and Beach intend on following Dolcini’s lead and playing softball at the college level, although neither is certain just where yet.

Beach, a senior, has had a couple of schools reach out but is still weighing her options, while Morris, a junior, still has plenty of time to decide.

“Honestly, I’d go anywhere I can play,” Morris said. “I just love it and want to keep playing.”

While both players compete in multiple sports, each has a special fondness for softball and they have been honing their skills in the sport while competing for top-class out-of-the-area travel teams.

Beach plays catcher/third base for Power Fastpitch 18 Gold out of Petaluma/Concord, while Kira is a pitcher for Universal Fastpitch 18 Gold out of Sacramento.

Both of them travel about twice a month to tournaments all over the West Coast, and their teams have played each other on a couple of occasions, although Morris did not pitch in either of those games.

“It’s funny playing against her team because we know each other so well,” Beach said. “But it’s fun to see a familiar face when you’re out of town.”

Both players also expect big things out of the Loggers this year, in both basketball and softball, and they believe they have a good shot at a championship in both sports.

“For my senior year, that would be awesome,” said Beach, who broke her foot during the spring softball season and was sidelined for both sports. “I’m just really excited to get back out on the basketball court and for softball this year.

“On both teams, we have really good chemistry and I think we really understand each other. We’ve all been around each other and do sports together.”

The Eureka senior says she has considered playing basketball in college.

“I really love them both,” she said. “In the past couple of years, I’ve just focused more on softball.”

Morris, who clearly loves to compete in several sports, says softball “has been my favorite for as long as I can remember.”

“I love my teammates, out there every week bringing each other up and always pushing each other in a positive way,” she said.

But she also has enjoyed a return to the soccer field this fall after switching from volleyball.

“I missed it a lot,” she said of soccer. “And I have a lot of friends on the team.”

For both Morris and Beach, playing travel team softball at a high level has helped them develop their game.

“Seeing all the college coaches behind the backstop kind of freaked me out the first time, but I loved it.” said Morris, who has been playing with the same travel team girls for two and a half years. “It’s made me realize how many more players out there love the sport.

“I think it definitely made me want to push harder and be better.”

Likewise with Beach.

“It is a very high level, and you have to rise to the intensity of the other girls,” she said.