Athletes of the week: Daniels, Scott top the list
Mar. 18—With our new process, powered by Copper Creek Contractors, Noah Daniels of Mahomet-Seymour wrestling and Farah Scott of Centennial girls' track and field are this week's winners:
Noah Daniels — Mahomet-Seymour wrestling
Why he's Athlete of the Week:
* Daniels placed third at the IWCOA freshman/sophomore state tournament. He won his first-round match 10-3 and followed it with a pin in one minute. He took an 8-0 quarterfinal win before taking a 5-4 loss in the semifinals. After that, Daniels battled back to win the consolation bracket with 6-4 and 9-4 victories.
From Daniels:
* "It was just exciting. When I saw I got nominated, it was like, 'Am I going to get it?' I was looking throughout the week, and it was close. I was really excited to learn that I won. ... Last year (at the freshman/sophomore state tournament), I went 0-2, so I didn't get anything going. It was completely different this year. ... Overall, it was just a great experience."
My favorite TV show is ...
* "The Office."
My favorite musical artist is ...
* Chris Stapleton, and sometimes, I'll slip in some Jon Pardi.
If I could have any superpower, it would be ...
* flight. If I'm going on a long car ride, I could just be there in an instant. Or teleportation, that'd be really cool.
Something that's on my bucket list is ...
* I want to skydive. And if we're just shooting for something, go to the moon. Just something outrageous.
My biggest pet peeve is ...
* people talking with their mouth full.
My favorite sports memory is ...
* definitely just making the tight family we have the last two years in football and wrestling season. I just like having that togetherness.
My favorite sports team is ...
* the Green Bay Packers.
Before a match ...
* if it's a tournament, I'll sit in the stands until the weight class gets to about 157. Then, I'll go down to the floor and start walking around and listening to music to get my mind right. Once it gets to 175 or 190, I'll change the music to something more like rap to get me going. I really start to think about everything I can do in that match and some mistakes I've had in previous matches that I can do better.
After a match ...
* I'm taking a shower if they have them. Then, it's definitely just staying with my teammates and cheering them on.
In five years ...
* I'm hoping to be a mechanic. If I'm looking back, I want to think about all the memories I had in high school and think I made the most out of it.
Athlete of the Week finalists:
* Lucian Bright, Champaign Central track and field; Abraham Lenear, Urbana track and field; Drew McTaggart, Watseka track and field.
Farah Scott — Centennial girls' track and field
Why she's Athlete of the Week:
* Scott won the mile with a time of 5 minutes, 34.91 seconds — six seconds ahead of second place — at the Rantoul Invite. She also anchored the Chargers' fifth-place 3,200-meter relay (11:01.34) with teammates Josie Potter, Lauren Kleber and Annika Blackburn.
From Scott:
* "I was surprised because I didn't think I'd be nominated in the first place because I'm a freshman. ... It's been really nice, especially having someone like (Brooklynn Sweikar) to help lead the way. She's a really good role model."
My favorite TV show is ...
* "Grey's Anatomy."
My favorite musical artists are ...
* Taylor Swift and The Weekend.
If I could have any superpower, it would be ...
* mind reading. I would just want to see what people think about me.
Something that's on my bucket list is ...
* I want to go to Greece and just travel.
My biggest pet peeve is ...
* when people are really negative.
My favorite running memory is ...
* when we went to Detweiller Park as a team during this cross-country season.
My favorite athlete is ...
* Parker Valby.
Before a race ...
* I always have Noodles & Company the night before. Before I race, I just have to put on my knee tape and biofreeze gel.
After a meet ...
* I usually just do my cooldown and then cheer on my teammates.
In five years ...
* I want to be in college, probably as an athlete. I want to be able to say I achieved my goals, like making it to state and stuff like that.
Athlete of the Week finalists:
* MaKayla Koeppel, Clinton track and field; Natalie Thomason, Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin track and field; Lorelie Yau, Urbana track and field.
