SALUNGA-LANDISVILLE, Pa. — Hempfield senior Andre Hurst is a one-of-a-kind student-athlete.
Not only is he top of the Black Knight depth chart and one of the leaders on the tennis team but he also doubles as the top clarinet player in the state.
"It has really been a challenge for me," said Hurst. "I'm partially surprised that I was able to get through so many years of missing school for tennis and missing school from playing the clarinet."
Hurst recently helped the Black Knights secure the Lanc-Leb section title this year after winning both his matches, he then made the 5-hour trek to Erie to show off his clarinet skills, where he proved he was at the top of the list as well.
"It's just really cool to see him get to that height especially when it's something that he set out to do," said band instructor Matthew Ceresini. "To see a kid realize their goals is really cool and it's a credit to how hard he works."
It's not often many students can balance school, athletics and music, but somehow Hurst has not only done it but thrived in it, thanks to a lot of hands making it work.
"I wouldn’t change any of it being on the other side now I see all this work has paid off and it helped me grow as a person," said Hurst. "Working with the athletic director and teachers, they were able to help me work it all out."
As Hurst closes out his senior year before he heads to John Hopkins University, there is just one last piece of business to take care of... preparing for districts and hopefully states on the tennis courts.