Cara Leis was a four-sport standout during her prep career at Rapid City Central. Since moving on to the college ranks two years ago, Leis has not slowed down all that much.

Leis is a three-sport star at Stephens College in Columbia, Mo., playing volleyball, basketball and softball. It seems the only thing keeping Leis from being a four-sport college athlete is the fact Stephens doesn't have a track team.

"Cara is a very talented student-athlete who has the ability to balance numerous athletic and other extracurricular activities and complete them all at a high level," said Dane Pavlovich, Stephens College associate athletic director and women's basketball coach.

The soon-to-be junior has been able to juggle the demands of athletics while working on her double majors - interior design and marketing, public relations and advertising - and two minors.

"My goal is to do it all in four years," Leis said. "I promised myself when I graduated (from Central) that I would do it all four years. So that's what I'm hoping."

During the recruiting process, Leis said coaches and administrators were very encouraging and

understood her desire to play multiple sports.

That, along with Stephens' interior design program, helped sway Leis to Stephens.

"They were really positive about it and helpful with my decision," she said. "That's what made it that school."

Leis has committed herself to each program, making sure she never misses a practice, even when two sports overlap. During the late fall, volleyball practices are either in the morning or afternoons and basketball practices are usually in the evenings. Crammed somewhere

into her day, Leis said, are classes, studying and a job.

"There are nights when I get done with class and I'd be in the gym until 10 p.m. or 11 p.m.," she said. "It's crazy, but it's worth it."

The former Cobbler said adjusting to the size of the athletes in the college game has been the biggest on-court challenge.

"There are always going to be bigger girls, taller girls and that's definitely been a challenge," she said. "But size doesn't always matter. It's finding ways to overcome that and either you are quicker or you find something to get a step ahead of your opponent."

Stephens became a member of the NAIA in April 2004 and began American Midwest Conference play in the fall of 2008.

Leis is an outside hitter on the Stephens volleyball team, which went 10-25 overall, including 0-16 in the AMC, a wing on the basketball team, which went 9-19 overall and 1-15 in the AMC, and a pitcher/third baseman for the softball team that was 4-30 overall and 2-14 in conference.

While the wins certainly have been few and far between, Leis said she sees progress in all three sports.

"We are really improving, our sports program is really growing," she said. "We are going step-by-step, which is awesome to be part of, because it is a growing time."

It is really nice to see it get better and better."