By MATTHEW PEASLEE

June 25, 2012 at 12:00a.m.

Two schools, separated by barely five miles, sport a pair of the Valley’s most talented and gifted athletes. Nick Russell, the football, basketball and baseball star from Springfield, and Erin Gabriel, the soccer player and national headline-grabbing softball pitcher from Poland, have been named the 2012 Athletes of the Year by The Vindicator.

“Everything has been so overwhelming and I’m honored for it all,” Gabriel said. “I definitely wouldn’t be able to accomplish anything without my teammates backing me up like they do.”

Russell’s goals for his final high school season were backed by the entire senior class.

“We had experience and a lot of talent coming back in all three sports,” he said. “It was a great way to go out.”

Four years of memories from both Gabriel and Russell are recapped today.