The girls squad enters the 2017 season with a roster full of young athletes. The team includes just two seniors, and only five total upperclassmen. However, according to senior captain Shalen Haller, the inexperience on the roster is overshadowed by the team’s remarkable determination.
“This year, we practice as hard as we play, and there is a whole lot of intensity. I honestly think we are going to have a huge improvement this year because of how hard we work, and because we have so much determination,” Haller said.
Besides the intensity of the team, the upperclassmen are already noticing other strengths such as the team’s ability to play at a fast tempo and push the ball down the court.
“We are going to be really fast and quick. We have a lot of good guards,” junior Jenna Troy said.
“All of these new kids are just speedy, and I think our speed will definitely be our best strength,” senior Malia Gunsolus said.
In addition to the speed, Haller said the team has put in a lot of offseason work. They are focused on making up for their lack of size with strength.
“I’m really excited because over the summer we had a lot of weight training. Even though we are small, I think we’re going to be a lot stronger than the other teams in the league this year,” Haller said.
With a young roster, team goals are important and are something the girls basketball team has touched on. According to Haller the team wants to establish a presence in the league.
“I think this year we really want to be a team that’s noticed. We want people to think ‘Oh that’s Inglemoor, that’s who we need to watch out for,” Haller said.
The team was 5-9 in league games last season, and the players said they expect improvement through the year.
As the season enters the home stretch, the Lady Viks continue to work on their skills, preparing for important upcoming league games.
Gunsolus felt like some exciting tests for the team would be Woodinville and Eastlake, both of which have the majority of their roster from last year returning for another season.
“They’re going to be big competition in our league this year,” Gunsolus said, “I’m excited just to see how we do against them.”
