As if Ella Hollis wasn’t busy enough to begin her senior school year at Vienna High School this week, she is doubling her fun as far as fall sports is concerned.

Already established as one of the top returning players in the area for the Vienna High softball squad, Hollis is taking on the demanding sport of cross country as well.

That in addition to returning as an All-Show Me Central Conference and all-district guard for the Lady Eagle girls’ basketball team in the winter and the anticipated plans to compete in track and field for the first time since being a middle school athlete during the spring.

“I was talking to my history teacher (Vienna assistant cross country coach Patrick Bresnahan) and he asked me if I was going to do cross country this year,” Hollis said. “He said I should just do every sport we’ve got as a senior; to go out with a bang! So I’m going to run cross country too.”

But it will be softball-first during the fall. Softball is the sport that Hollis plans on playing at the collegiate level.

She has been recruited by Lincoln University, a NCAA Division II program in Jefferson City, and says she hopes to sign there sometime during this school year. She would join ex-Lady Eagle softball teammate Aubrey Remmert as a member of the Lincoln Blue Tiger softball squad. Remmert, a 2025 Belle High School graduate who co-opted with the Vienna softball squad the previous two seasons, signed with Lincoln during the 2025-26 school year.

“I’m going to Lincoln to play softball,” Hollis said. “I got recruited as a catcher and utility player. I’m really trying to work on my batting mechanics now (to prepare for the college game). I am just going to enjoy my high school senior season.”

The Vienna softball team is coming off a 12-10 season. One of just two seniors on the roster Hollis - a returning team captain - will take on more of a mentor role with younger players this fall, in addition to leading by example with her play on the field.

“I’m excited about my senior year,” said Hollis, who had a .464 batting average with 32 hits and 27 RBI last season. “We’re a real young team, with only two seniors. And we have five freshmen, and the more experience we get I think we do have potential to be good. I think we’ll have to rely on our pitching; we’ve got some really good pitching.

“I’m probably just figuring out how to be a leader; how to communicate with the younger girls and help them. I’ve been working on my mechanics batting and working a lot at shortstop, because that’s what we needed in travel ball (with the Osage Elite travel squad).”

She’s also looking forward to helping out a Lady Eagle cross country unit that is short on numbers.

“This summer I would just do what the (cross country) workout they would do for the day,” Hollis said. “It’s softball first, and when I would miss a cross country practice I would ask for the workout and do it after softball practice. During school cross country practices before school, so it shouldn’t be a problem.”

And come the winter campaign Hollis is looking to also take a leadership role for the Vienna girls’ basketball squad. She earned all-league honors last season, averaging 15 points, five steals and five assists, helping the Lady Eagle cagers finish 16-11.

“I think we’ll be pretty decent,” she said of the upcoming basketball season. “We lost (leading scorer and the school’s career rebounding leader) Aubrey Schwartze, so that will be tough. We’re young there, too. I usually handle the ball, and sometimes they put me at a high post position. I’ll do whatever they need me to do.”

She also plans to return to track and field for the first time as a high school student.

“I will run track in the spring,” Hollis said. “It’ll be the first time I’ve done that since the eighth grade. I will probably high jump. And they had me in the 4x1 and 4x2 (relays) before. I’m excited; I really like to high jump.”