Cael Gilbertson is a very involved student-athlete within Sheridan High School, and through his actions, he represents true leadership. 

   Gilbertson is a three-sport athlete and participates in football, indoor track and soccer. Gilbertson has played soccer since he was little and has enjoyed the past four years of his high school career. “I enjoy the people the most,” said Gilbertson. “I love hanging out with my friends and getting to play with them.” Soccer has taught Gilbertson many things he can apply to his everyday life, and he’s grateful for that. “Don’t get too high on the highs and don’t get too low on the lows,” said Gilbertson. “It’s taught me to enjoy the moment and to not take anything for granted.” 

   Gilbertson’s teammates will miss him as well, and junior Dane Steel has nothing but high comments to say about him. Steel believes that Gilbertson is a leader by example and looks up to him. “Cael is a leader on the soccer team by leading by example,” said Steel. “He leads himself before he leads others, and he doesn’t just talk to talk or walk to walk.” Steel is going to miss Gilbertson when he graduates because of the bond they have created over the past three years. When Gilbertson graduates, there will be a role within the soccer team that younger players will need to step up into in order to keep the culture going on the Broncs. “We’re gonna have to find somebody who’s willing to work as hard as Cael does, and we are going to have to find some leaders to step up and take his position,” said Steel.

   The past two years, Gilbertson has faced a great deal of adversity. Gilbertson tore his anterior cruciate ligament, medial collateral ligament and meniscus at a summer football camp and was out of athletics for all of junior year. Not being able to play sports was a huge deal for Gilbertson, considering he takes a lot of pride in competing. Coming back from his ACL, MCL and meniscus injury, Gilbertson was excited to get the opportunity to play again, but he was also scared of what lay ahead. “It was kind of scary just because I didn’t know how well it would hold up or if I would hurt my knee again,” said Gilbertson. Despite Gilbertson’s nerves, he had a positive outlook on his upcoming seasons and learned not to take anything for granted. “Not being able to play for an entire year sucked, so that’s what I took into football this year: just don’t take anything for granted because you don’t know when it could all be over,” said Gilbertson. 

   Gilbertson is taking a multitude of classes his senior year including Intro to Public Speaking, Human Anatomy and Physiology, Principles of Nutrition and a college-level history class. Gilbertson takes pride in his education, and it shows with his 3.9 grade point average. Gilbertson works hard in the classroom, so he will have no issue with his education when he attends college. Gilberston also actively participates in organizations such as National Honors Society, Fellowship for Christian Athletes and Big Brothers Big Sisters. For FCA, Gilbertson attends meetings on Thursday mornings where they have breakfast and talk about what it’s like to represent the Lord through athletics. In NHS, Gilbertson gets the opportunity to get involved in his community and volunteer at certain activities going on. In Big Brothers Big Sisters, Gilbertson is a mentor for an elementary student by going to play games with him before school one time per week. Gilbertson enjoys these organizations because it gives him a chance to meet new people and be involved in the activities around him. Gilbertson also interned at Core Physical Therapy first semester of the school year, which got him ready to pursue the physical therapy field in his future.

   Gilbertson plans to attend the University of Wyoming in Laramie and major in kinesiology because he plans on pursuing the physical therapy field. Gilbertson is looking forward to new experiences and meeting new people in college, but chose UW because it is still close enough to home and it saves him from a lot of money. 

   Gilbertson is thankful for the people who have made him who he is today, but he especially is grateful for Jeff Mowry, his football coach. “He’s been my coach for a long time,” said Gilbertson. “He’s a great person and a great role model to have.”

   Gilbertson is the son of Amy and Darin Gilbertson.