ATHLETE OF THE YEAR: Luke May

Legacies are built slowly, hardened through years of hard work and decidedly unglamorous hours behind the scenes.

Memories, on the other hand, can be as simple as shimmering singular moments.

Only one athlete in 2015-16 paired a brilliant three-sport career with arguably the most indelible moment of the past 12 months in Northwest Montana, and it is that uncommon combination that makes Whitefish High School graduate Luke May the Daily Inter Lake’s 2016 Athlete of the Year.

May, who will throw the javelin in the Big Ten at the University of Minnesota beginning next year, won a third straight Class A state championship in that event this spring.

His enduring moment, though, came in the fall when the Bulldogs’ four-year starter at quarterback ended Whitefish’s 36-year state championship drought and brought a title back to Stumptown.

A four-year starter at quarterback, May capped a brilliant run with one of the best games of his career in the state final, a 17-13 duel with defending champion Dillon. May threw for 162 yards, ran for 94 more and accounted for both Whitefish touchdowns. He also intercepted a pair of passes and was on the field when the Bulldogs defense knocked away a desperation heave on the game’s final play.

When it happened, he was just steps away from his father, Whitefish offensive coordinator Eric May, who was on his familiar perch in the press box directing the Bulldogs’ attack.

“The length of time that Whitefish had gone, from 1979-2015, it made it so cool,” the elder May said.

“And (Luke) played so well. The kids played so well. When it happened and the whistle blew, it was, ‘Wow, what a career.’ What an awesome four years he had. It was really special.”

Calling the younger May’s football career special, as it turns out, might be an understatement.

The numbers he compiled in 43 games are among the best in the history of the state, and Montana High School Association’s record book lists May as the all-class, all-time leader in state history in career touchdowns (115) and points scored (702). He’s also second in total yards from scrimmage (10,812).

May was the Northwestern A conference Offensive Player of the Year as a junior and senior, a first team all-state quarterback both seasons, a two-time first team all-conference quarterback and a defensive back, and was the Most Valuable Player of the Montana East-West Shrine Game just this month.

A consummate leader, praised by his coaches for his maturity on and off the field, May deflected credit for his remarkable football career.

“It took a lot more than one person to put forth their effort and give it everything they had for a solid four to five months,” he said. “That football championship was built in the summer. It wasn’t just two months of football, it was a bigger team effort and that’s why I think it was special.”

With football likely now behind him despite some interest from smaller colleges, May will turn his focus to javelin, an event he first tried as a high school freshman and only then because his older brother, Jake, was doing it.

He won his third straight state championship this spring after finishing third in the state as a freshman. His 206-foot, 7-inch toss at the state meet in Butte in 2014, as a sophomore, is the ninth-longest throw in state history.

His coach was not surprised that May’s biggest throw came on the biggest stage.

“Here’s the deal,” Derek Schulz, the Whitefish track and field coach, said. “Luke is one of those kids that knows when the game is on. When he was a junior, he won on his last throw. Last year, he was not even in the lead until his second or third throw. He just kind of knows when the game is on.”

May also played basketball at Whitefish, sticking with a struggling program through all four years, even as many of his classmates walked away from the team as upperclassmen.

With his four years at Whitefish now in the rearview mirror, May’s place in history at the school and in the region is secure.

“There were people leading up to last year that were still talking about 1979,” Schulz said. “Hopefully we’ll win a few more, but if we don’t I can see people in 20 years talking about 2015.”

For his part, May sees his greatest impact a little differently.

“I hope people enjoyed playing sports with me,” he said. “I wasn’t rude or mean or in their face. [My teammates] had a good time and I hope they know I gave my best to Whitefish, the community and everyone around me.”