Athlete of the Week: Willow Knight, Vandalia-Butler High School

Willow Knight

Willow Knight

Name: Willow Knight

School: Vndalia-Butler

Grade: Junior

Age: 17

Sports: Basketball, volleyball

Claim to fame/honors: Third-year varsity guard broke single-season record for 3-pointers (50); named first-team All-Greater Western Ohio Conference; two-year varsity outside hitter in volleyball; plays for Dayton Lady Hoopstars

Bet you didn’t know … when I first started playing basketball I played left-handed

Words you live by: Don’t be afraid of what could go wrong, just focus on what could go right.

Toughest opponent: Tipp City in basketball, Troy in volleyball

Biggest influence: My dad; he was always there to keep me going

Game-day rituals: For volleyball, I always eat Subway before games; for basketball, I listen to the same song (One Day by Drake)

What’s on your bedroom walls? A whole wall of pictures of friends and teams; on the other wall there are plaques and medals and varsity letters

When I’m bored I like to … get outside or watch movies

Favorite movie: Hotrod

Person who would play you in a movie: Jennifer Lawrence

Favorite TV show: One Tree Hill

Favorite musical artist: Ed Sheeran

I can’t live without: Strawberry milk

I can live without: Broccoli

Event you’d like to attend: NCAA basketball championship game, men or women

Favorite book: The Fault In Our Stars

Favorite home-cooked meal: My grandma’s potato soup

Favorite restaurant: Chipotle

Favorite smell: Laundry right when it comes out of the dryer

Favorite cereal: Apple Jacks

Store where you’d like a shopping spree: American Eagle

Vegetable you won’t eat: Broccoli

I’d love to trade places for a day with … Carrie Underwood

Whose mind would you like to read? My school’s basketball coach

Place where you’d love to travel? Somewhere in the Caribbean

Talent you’d like to have? Able to dance well

Favorite school subject: Spanish

Favorite athlete: Skylar Diggins

Favorite team: The Atlanta Falcons because my family is from Georgia

Favorite Olympic sport: Gymnastics

Something in the world I’d like to change: The level of positivity

Favorite sports moment: Beating Sidney on senior night in basketball

Favorite junk food: I’m a big Girl Scout cookie fan, so I’d say thin mints

Best thing about basketball: It lets me escape from everyday; I go and work as hard as I can and leave it out there

In 10 years, I hope to be … pursuing a job that I love and have a family

Nominate an Athlete of the Week: Send an email to freelance writer Dave Lamb at d_lamb@msn.com. Please include the athlete’s name, school, sport and a phone number or email address where we can reach that athlete. Please include Athlete of the Week in the subject line.

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