There is no such thing as coasting to the finish line for St. Louis Catholic’s Myca Trail.

Before she started her final season, she had already won a state basketball championship and Class 3A MVP award and had her college of choice locked up in UL-Monroe. But she wanted more.

Trail led St. Louis to another state basketball championship, then joined the track and field team that won its third consecutive Class 3A outdoor state championship, plus two individual titles. For that, she is the 2022 American Press Outstanding Female Athlete of the Year.

“It is the fear of doing less,” Trail said. “That is really what drives me — not doing something then looking back and being like ‘Oh, I could have done that’.

“That is a fear of mine, and I don’t like that at all. It gives me the drive that I have to accomplish the things that I have done.”

“It was really not about the awards or the accomplishments. It was about the experience. I enjoyed all four years, even the crazy COVID and hurricane year. It was an experience. The adversity really built a lot of character in me, and I would like to say that for my teammates as well. It was tough. It built me to be more mature and put together as a person. I feel like I am physically stronger.”

She led St. Louis to its second consecutive Division II state basketball championship and repeated as the Louisiana Sports Writers Association Class 3A MVP, leading the Saints to a 28-3 record against a loaded schedule. She averaged 18.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, 6 steals and 3 assists per game. Trail scored 33 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in the state title game, a 64-47 win over St. Thomas More.

“My senior year was probably the toughest basketball schedule we ever had,” Trail said. “For us to be able to overcome the fact that people thought we weren’t going to beat certain teams and beating them, that felt really good.

“Being able to win another state title felt great too. Everyone came together and did what we needed to do.”

In four seasons on the hardwood with Trail in the lineup, the Saints went 117-15 with four Division II finals appearances.

In the spring, she learned the intricacies of the high jump for the first time and cleared 5-foot, 6-inches to win the 3A state title and ran a leg on the state champion 4×200-meter relay team.

“I felt very accomplished,” Trail said. “My freshman year, I said I would never do track again.

“Then I decided to do it, and I really enjoyed it. I had fun. It was a really good experience because it was something I got to do for the first time and being able to learn the technique. Learning something new and being able to go out there and actually win something new was a good feeling.

“I had always wanted to in middle school. High jump is very tough on you mentally because of the technique that goes into it.”

Trail maintained a 3.9286-grade point average.

She said her four years at St. Louis prepared her well for UL-Monroe where she will play basketball.

“It helped me mentality-wise,” Trail said. “College is like a job, and it is all day. I have been able to make the adjustments as needed here.

“I give props to St. Louis and Coach (Tony) Johnson for sure. He never expected less. He always wanted more, and he made sure that no matter what we were on time and doing things to the T. It is paying off. We all had our different friend groups, but it was all a big family at the end of the day. I am going to miss that the most. I know coming to Monroe is a big family and a community in which everyone gets along. I feel like I am going to do really well here. It is like a bigger St. Louis.”