For Kate Gallagher, there’s no such thing as an off-season.

While most of her classmates are enjoying their summers off, the Savannah junior-to-be practically will spend the entire month of July on the road.

Driving back from a strong showing at Girls Four State Championship in Leawood, Kan., Gallagher braced for a hectic combination of basketball and golf events that will take her to Ohio, Florida and a few places in between.

“June wasn’t too bad, but now it’s going to get crazy,” she said. “This month, I’m probably home for a day and a half.”

Such is life on the road for a handful of local athletes who hone their skills outside the allotted seasons.

Gallagher, who has grown accustomed to the rigors her hectic summer schedule, spent most of last month shaking off the rust during her time away from the links. But the defending Class 1 state champ returned to form amidst a field of college-bound athletes, finishing fourth overall and second on the victorious Missouri team behind Class 2 state champ Catherine Dolan of Parkway West.

Before the end of the month, she’ll venture to the Buckeye State at the AAU national championships with her basketball team before spending two weeks in Florida for golf.

After competing in four events for the Savages last year — even playing volleyball and golf during the same fall season — Gallagher admitted a simplified schedule would lessen her travel time. For the moment, however, she doesn’t mind her packed planner.

“Yeah, I know I need to start narrowing it down,” Gallagher said. “But I know that would be an impossible decision to make right now.”

Hamilton’s Lindsay Vollmer maintains an equally frenetic pace.

The Hornets’ three-time, all-state performer has spent her summer honing her track and field skills in preparation for a series of national USA Track and Field heptathalon competitions. Most recently, she finished sixth in a field of college athletes at the Junior Outdoor Championships.

While she hoped for a score in the 5,000 range, her mark of 4,736 was good enough to finish ahead of small-class state rival Precious Selmon of Crystal City, who finished ninth.

“It was nice for her to compete against Precious again,” said Mark Vollmer, Lindsay’s father and coach. “I think it gives her some confidence, and I think it definitely helps her when she gets down to the state level.”

In two weeks, she’ll compete against her own age group at a regional qualifier in Tulsa, Okla., — with a chance to qualify for the national meet. In the meantime, the lanky sophomore will train to maintain her main strengths — sprinting and jumping events — while working to improve on her strength for the shot put.

It’s an time-intensive, full-time gig for Vollmer but one she’s been putting up with for four summers now.

“It’s pretty tough. She doesn’t really have a day off,” Mark Vollmer said. “But we ask her at the beginning of every summer if she wants to keep doing it, and she always says yes. She just likes to stay busy.”

It’s Tempe time

Benton grad Johnny Coy will cover quite a bit of ground on his 18th birthday — when he’ll make the grueling, 20-hour car trip down to Arizona State.

After multiple meetings with Philadephia Phillies scouts during the past two weeks, Coy intends to enroll in the school’s summer session, which begins July 8, unless the Phillies dramatically improve their current signing bonus offer.

Instead of joining one of Philly’s minor-league clubs, the seventh-round pick in the first-year player draft will spend a large part of the summer getting ready to start his new role as a Division I, two-sport athlete.

“Everything’s going really good,” Coy said. “Being able to be a part of both the baseball and basketball programs is really awesome. It ended up working out perfectly.”

Not eager to draw out the negotiating process, Coy and his family have settled on a July 6 deadline for the Phillies to make their final offer before Coy enters school and passes up his chance at a pro baseball contract.

He would not be eligible for the baseball draft again until after the 2010 season.

Dickie Coy, Johnny’s brother, indicated that some of Philadelphia’s other draft selections delepleted the team’s alloted draft coffers, leaving less for Coy.

“They need to go up more, and they know that,” Dickie Coy said. “But they don’t know if they’ve got enough to make it happen.”

Barring any 11th-hour surprises, Coy expects to begin training at Arizona State’s world-class facilities immediately in preparation for basketball season. Although he’ll miss the first month of the Sun Devils’ baseball season, Coy said he expects to make an immediate impact with the team on the diamond, too.

“It’s definitely going to be a challenge on the highest level, but I think I’ll be able to handle it with some hard work,” Coy said. “It’ll be a lot of fun.”

Rookie Recruiter

Bryson Merrick hadn’t donned a uniform before he started recruiting players to University of St. Mary.

The Bishop LeBlond graduate did some smooth talking and coaxed Benton’s Josh Zuptich into joining him in Leavenworth this fall. The two St. Joseph baseball players signed letters of intent Tuesday at Hyde Park to play ball next year with the Spires.

“He did a pretty good job of talking me into going down there,” Zuptich said.

Teammates on the same American Legion squad, the pair plan to room together and split time between the pitcher’s mound and the outfield. Former Cardinal Eli Relford also will suit up for the Spires next year.

“Kids are the best recruiters that we have,” St. Mary coach Rob Miller said. “And St. Joe kids are good players. There’s a baseball-rich tradition up here that will be perfect for us.”

A four-year starter with the Golden Eagles, Merrick settled on St. Mary months ago, while Zuptich didn’t decide on the school until early last month.

“I always had it in my mind to make it to the next level,” Merrick said. “I just knew it was a good fit as soon as I went down there.”