Two female Kennedy athletes have torn their ACL’s within the same week. Madison Haefner, jr., was warming up for her volleyball match against Jefferson High School when she came down on her knee, tearing her ACL.

“I didn’t think it was as serious as it was. I knew right away something was wrong though,” Madison Haefner, jr., said.

ACL stands for Anterior Cruciate Ligament, and is located in your knee. When it tears, it usually requires surgery and a long recovery.

Carly Langhurst, plays both basketball and soccer for Kennedy. She tore her ACL playing soccer in in Kansas City while running and turning directions quickly.

“I felt the pain at first but I didn’t cry. I was carried off the field but was told not to walk until I can get crutches,” Carly Langhurst, jr., said.

According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, women who participate in sports and jump frequently are two to 10 times more likely to have a knee ligament injury.

Haefner and Langhurst both will still be in recovery for their basketball seasons, and hope to be able to compete in their spring sports.

ACL injuries can be caused by a wide range of things, most of which come from jumping and running.

A wide range of motion, swelling, and pain while walking are a few symptoms.

“The hardest part was not the pain. The pain of surgery is nothing compared to how hard it will be not to play sports,” Langhurst said.