Miles of travel lead to milestones of friendship for the three amigos

By Michael Brooks

Staff Writer

    “Life as we know it will cease to exist.”

    The parents of most graduating seniors feel this way to some extent but Cindy Doyle was speaking literally.

    For over 12 years, Larry and Linda Mikulec, Roy and Lisa Jones, and sisters Cindy Doyle and Nathalie Shurber have driven thousands of miles, coached, yelled, sweated, and cried right along with their daughters Lexey Mikulec, Jillian Jones, and Reagan Doyle as they went from tee-Ball to travel ball to select ball to high school softball. All of that ended on Friday night as the three girls accepted their diplomas from Industrial High School.

    Before the 2018 softball season started, the Mikulecs printed up a tee-shirt with the three girls profiles. Underneath, it said, “Three Amigos.”

    “These three have always been together since they were little kids,” Linda Mikulec said. “We printed the Three Amigos name and a picture on a shirt. I just wanted to do it for the kids, and their moms said it would be a neat thing for the three of them.”

    The trio started off as a duo, as their first year saw Jones on a different team.

    “Reagan and Lexey have been together a little longer,” Shurber said. “They played together for WP Construction.”

    Jillian Jones is the one of the three to continue playing ball in college, but Roy Jones was unsure softball would even be in her future when she was very young.

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