Column: Amari Yolas has been a big hit in three sports at Palisades High

Small, compact and lightning fast, Amari Yolas of Palisades High is a three-sport standout defying stereotypes and proving athleticism works for any sport.

In football, he was receiver and cornerback who scored 12 touchdowns and made 33 solo tackles. In baseball, he’s a star center fielder batting .492 and hasn’t been caught stealing in 22 attempts. He also can pitch, with a fastball that approaches 90 mph. In track and field, he has run a 10.61-second 100 meters.

The balancing act he has pulled off was on display last Saturday when he played a morning baseball game against Narbonne, collecting two hits, then ran the 100 meters at the South Bay championships in the evening, winning in 10.75 seconds.

Whenever anyone tells him to focus on one sport, he shakes his head. That will come in due time. He’s committed to Cal State Northridge for baseball. For now, with the help of his coaches, he’s having too much fun letting everyone see what he can achieve.

“I like it,” said the 5-foot-9, 160-pound senior, “because it gives me a chance to put my name out there and do as much as I can until I have to pick something and gives me options.”

The quips, jokes and sometimes disrespect some City Section sports teams and athletes receive has become tiring, especially considering the long history of greatness. Yes, a talent shortage has happened in recent years, but perhaps there’s a revival underway, particularly in track and field.

From sprinters Dijon Stanley and Jordan Coleman at Granada Hills to Jaden Rattay at L.A. Lincoln and the group of Carson girls’ sprinters, the City Section track championships next month will be the place to be.

Amari Yolas of Palisades.

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

In baseball, the City Open Division and Division I championships will be played at Dodger Stadium on May 27 for the 53rd time in the last 55 years. No organization has gotten that opportunity ever on a yearly basis, thrilling those who want to play on a field of dreams.

Yolas and Palisades have a shot at making it to the final. The Dolphins are 17-2 overall and have three pitchers with ERAs under 1.00, led by USC-bound left-hander Mason Edwards.

“I feel we have a solid team and will end up going far in playoffs,” Yolas said.

The key will be getting Yolas on bases so he can be a disruptor. His speed is truly a game-changer.

He’s similar to former Santa Ana Foothill outfielder Austin Overn, who played receiver and ran track last season. He’s now at USC.

Like Overn, Yolas doesn’t have much time to train.

“My practice is basically when I run a race,” he said.

Baseball is his top priority, so he’ll have to fit his running schedule around the team’s playoff schedule.

Baseball has a long tradition in his family, with his grandfather and father having played the game. He lives in Baldwin Hills and his father played at Compton Dominguez.

“He’s really learning the game as the years go by,” said his father, Thomas. “He’s getting more wise in life.”

He didn’t play last season at Palisades, having attended a private academy because of COVID-19 issues.

He’s making up for lost time, doing double duty in track and baseball this spring.

With his dreadlocks coated in traces of blond swinging from the back of his helmet, Yolas is always on the move.

Asked if Yolas gets to make decisions on the bases, Palisades coach Mike Voelkel said, “Yeah, he has the green light.”

As for his future, Voelkel said, “When he goes to CSUN, he has the roadmap to flourish.”