What was the highlight of your season? My highlight was probably our games against Kearsarge. They’ve always been a team that we have a goal to well against, and this year we came and brought it. There was also the local television station there, so it was pretty cool watching yourself and your team play so well and hard on the TV. Even though we ended up losing both times by three or less points in OT, they were definitely moral victories for us all.
Who was the unsung hero of your team? The unsung hero of the team is someone who isn’t a player but who is definitely part of our team. She was always there to have our backs and pick us up. She was there when our gym was ruined, she planned for us to go to a different school and coordinated everything. She’s a woman all the basketball teams would not be able to function without. Tana Montore was our unsung hero.
What was the biggest surprise of the season? How hard and well the freshmen played! I mean there were five of them and all of them were not afraid of the ball, not afraid to shoot, not afraid to dribbled and make a move to the hoop. I mean I played on varsity my freshman year and it was terrifying so when they came into the season and just jumped into it, it was pretty impressive.
Do you have any sports superstitions? If so, what are they? I wouldn’t say they are superstitions but I do have some weird quirks while playing. When I got to take a foul shot, I do a weird routine. I have to wipe the ground with my finger where the center nail is on the floor. Then I wipe both of the bottom of my shoes off, then roll my shoulders back. I always do it and it’s definitely something I have never seen before, I have no clue where I got it from. I also always pull up the bottom of my shorts when going to play defense or box out, my mom always notices it and laughs.
What’s your favorite pre-game meal? I’m never very good at remembering to eat well on game days, it’s pretty much anything I feel like or have in the pantry, usually I regret it around halftime.
If someone was going to make a movie of your season, who would play your coach? Who would play you? If I were to have a movie made out of my season I would probably choose Robin Williams to play Coach Roye. One thing that everyone knows about him is that he works hard and always tries to make everyone laugh all the time. If someone were to play me in a movie, I would say Emmy Rossum, she plays Fiona in “Shameless.” Fiona (the character she plays) is such a sassy, outspoken and straightforward person. She does not take any crap from anyone but is still kind, clever, approachable and hard-working.
What was the last gift you gave someone? When I was in Nicaragua I bought everyone close to me a gift. The last gift I distributed was to my boyfriend’s mother. It was a hand turned and crafted pot from a pottery village outside of Managua.
What is the funniest thing that has happened to you recently? A few weeks ago I was walking out to my car and one of my classmates got his car stuck in a snowbank. He asked for my help but nothing worked. So I called my dad, who’s a dairy farmer in town, who decided to come over with his huge back-hoe tractor to pull him out in the middle of the school parking lot. It’s a regular sight for me but always pretty funny to watch.
Describe the color yellow to someone who is blind. The color yellow is like hearing a really funny joke or meeting with someone you really click with. Everything feels warm and carefree. It’s like an explosion of happiness.
If you could have dinner with any three people, who would it be? And what would you serve? If I were to have dinner with three people I would have it with Ghandi, Nelson Mandela, and either Barack or Michelle Obama. It’s pretty stereotypical but I adore those people. I’d serve whatever they ask for. They’re famous and legendary, so whatever they want.
If you got a $1 million to start a company, what would you do? I recently went to Nicaragua for a community service trip and it was so eye opening to see how more than half of people in the world live from day to day and see what they do not have that we have here in the States. I would start a company that funded hospitals and clinics in developing countries. Access hospitals and treatment is in extreme demand in areas with a very high poverty rate. The clinics would most likely be towards women’s health care. One thing that girls, mothers, and women do not have in many of areas like where I went in Nicaragua was feminine hygiene products, birth control, access to STD treatments, medicine, etc. so I think that it would be extremely useful and vital to have those resources available.
If you had to go on a talent show, what would you do? I would definitely sing. It’s been a passion of mine for as long as I remember. I’m also just really bad at dancing.
What inspires you? The fight toward equality and acceptance, the fight against injustices toward minorities and a goal of an equal, happy, healthy life. Knowing that people in the world live without those basic human rights, and knowing that in my lifetime I will be able to contribute to the world is what inspires me.