She can run, catch, and hit... but Lexy Monty can't throw - just yet.
The 16-year-old is recovering from shoulder surgery after tearing a joint right in the middle of her softball career at Davenport West High School.
"Last year, I pitched the whole season," explained Lexy. "Then, I took a fall with my arm out and it progressively got worse."
"It hurt - bad," she recalled. "It was just pain all the time. It didn't go away."
Lexy went to see Dr. Ryan Dunlay at ORA Orthopedics. After doing everything they could, Lexy and her parents heard the word they were dreading - surgery.
"It was a shock," said Lexy. "I cried and it was scary. I mean, I felt like I was losing part of me."
"We were kind of devastated," added Lexy's dad, Dave Monty. "She was much more concerned and worried about everything, but I think once a little bit of time went by and we received some reassurance from Dr. Dunlay we knew with her determination that everything was going to work out just fine because of her will and desire to succeed in the sport."
The surgery was better than they expected. Dr. Dunlay was able to repair the tear with a minimally invasive procedure called arthroscopic surgery.
"20 or 30 years ago, most shoulder surgeries was done open, which means through big incisions," explained. Dr. Dunlay. "Over the last 10-15 years, we've come a long way in the field of Orthopedics."
Lexy's surgery was in December 2014. Five months later, Dr. Dunlay says she is doing incredibly well despite the size of her tear.
"When you have motivated athletes with a significant injury that we can help get back on the field, there's nothing more rewarding and that's what we want," he said. "We want them to get back at the same level of play - if not a higher level of play - so fortunately we've had techniques that have evolved over the last 10 years that have allowed us to do that."
Lexy says she feels stronger than ever before and is now running after a record.
"I ended up breaking the home run record during my 8th grade year, so this year I'm going to try to go for the school record to get above 17."
"The sky's the limit for her," said Dave. "Even with the surgery, the doctor was 100% convinced that she can still succeed at any level she wants to."
Lexy hopes to play Division 1 College Softball. She is going through an extensive physical therapy program right now, but hopes to be pitching again in the coming months. In the meantime, she'll be playing 1st base and giving it her all every time she is up to bat.
"Keep your eyes open and focus on the future," she advised. "You just got to keep going no matter how hard it is. Just keep going."
*Let’s Move QC is a monthly segment on WQAD. It’s all about being the best version of you by introducing viewers to real people in the Quad Cities who are doing just that, with a little extra help from the surgeons at ORA Orthopedics. The stories air every month (usually the last Monday of the month) during News 8 at 5 p.m.