Northern Star: Dayne Painovich
Painovich is a three-sport athlete at Cloquet. In the fall, it's football. Come winter, it's hockey and spring is all about baseball.
CLOQUET, Minn.- One of the most difficult decisions for any high school athlete, is where they’ll take the next step in both their academic and athletic careers, but for Dayne Painovich the question wasn’t where, but which sport he would continue playing and which he would leave behind.
In the fall, it’s football. Come winter, it’s hockey and spring is all about baseball.
“Even growing up, I mean I’d come home from elementary school, go right to a practice, come home, either go to another practice or just do whatever, always busy,” says Painovich.
“He’s just a good athlete. Whether it’s the football field in the fall, the hockey team in the winter and of course the baseball team here with us in the spring, he’s a kid that stands out in three sports and makes an impact in all three seasons,” says Cloquet baseball head coach Tyler Olin.
Just before the season, Painovich made baseball his choice, making the commitment to the College of St. Scholastica.
“Football you have like a hundred guys that could be on a roster, baseball you get 20-30 max and it’s just a family. I’m very excited, I mean, I get to play again, get to be part of a family just have some fun. I know some of the guys so I’m already, kind of familiar with some of them and they’re all great guys. They’re all super nice and awesome so I feel like it should be pretty easy just going in there and just being a part of them,” says Painovich.
Cloquet baseball head coach, Tyler Olin, says Dayne is the kind of player any coach would want on their team.
“He puts the work in. He’s a guy that we see after practice, getting some extra reps in, showing up for summer ball, playing throughout the summer, even a couple times just in the fall out of season getting reps in. Just putting the time in and I think it’ll pay off at the next level,” says Olin.
In his final season suiting up as a Lumberjack, Painovich looks back fondly on his time at Cloquet.
“Whenever you jersey on, nobody works harder than you. I came here freshman year and I got to bond with these guys so finishing up with them and then taking the next step. We’d like to win a few games, well a lot of games and just have fun while we’re doing it,” says Painovich.
The Lumberjacks are scheduled to take on South Ridge, this Friday at Mettner Field. First pitch is set for 4:30 PM.
