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Athletes of the Week: Kooper, Quarnstrom making history

joey wright, the news-gazette, champaign-urbana, ill.
·4 min read

Dec. 24—Max Kooper — Urbana boys' swimming and diving

Why he's Athlete of the Week .

* .. Kooper and fellow Urbana diver Jack Perry topped the leaderboard at the Bloomington Invite on Dec. 16, with Kooper placing first and breaking a 20-year-old program record with a dive of 402.80. The sophomore is aiming to become the first Tigers diver to qualify for the IHSA state meet in 10 years.

From Kooper ...

* "It was honestly kind of crazy. Saturday when I broke the record, I wasn't even sure that I broke the record and I also broke 400 points, which was basically my goal for the year. Along with that, getting Athlete of the Week was basically the prize. I've never had anything like that happen before."

A TV show or movie I could watch over and over is ...

* That's a tough question because I don't really watch a lot of TV or movies.

My favorite music genre/artist is ...

* I like pop and classic rock. I love Elton John.

If I could have any superpower, it would be ...

* probably super strength to be able to pick anything up, anywhere. I could save people as an added bonus.

My favorite sport other than swimming and diving is ...

* soccer.

My favorite sports team is ...

* Bayern Munich.

My favorite diving memory is ...

* my first meet last year at Bloomington, as well as last week when I broke the school record. That was honestly crazy.

My most embarrassing diving memory is ...

* when I first started diving, I actually broke my finger diving learning how to do an inverted dive.

Before a meet ...

* usually the night before I do some stretching to get ready for the day. I usually listen to music or watch Olympic or professional divers because that definitely helps.

After a meet ...

* I love to go out and eat some good food because it might not seem like it, but diving is pretty draining.

In five years ..

* . my goal would definitely to be at a Division I school with a good diving program, with a lot of good coaches and friends.

Honorable mentions: Tyler Curl, Prairie Central boys' basketball; Ethan Mahan, Argenta-Oreana boys' basketball; Tyson Moore, Cerro Gordo/Bement boys' basketball; Owen Root, Hoopeston Area boys' basketball; Andrew Tay, St. Thomas More boys' basketball.

Ruari Quarnstrom — St. Thomas More girls' basketball

Why she's Athlete of the Week ...

* Quarnstrom delivered with a pair of strong performances, first with a 20-point outing that included her 1,000th career point in a 55-36 win over Oakwood on Dec. 16. She followed that with a 17-point outing that keyed the Sabers to a 51-36 victory over Normal Calvary in the Heyworth Holiday Tournament on Dec. 18.

From Quarnstrom ...

* "I found out through my dad. He was like 'So, athlete of the week?' and I had just woken up. I thought I was still asleep, honestly. ... I thought I was imagining it."

A movie I could watch over and over is ... "

* The Family Stone." It's a movie with a ton of great actors that I love, and we watch it every single holiday season.

My favorite music genre/artist is ...

* pop and Taylor Swift, just because she's Taylor Swift. That's all that needs to be said.

If I could have any superpower, it would be ... photographic memory. That's not really a superpower but tests and everything would be so much easier.

My favorite sport other than basketball is ...

* soccer.

My favorite sports team is ...

* Loras men's basketball because of my brother. He's my inspiration for basketball.

My favorite basketball memory is ...

* going to state and being able to win a third-place state trophy, especially because the year before we went to the sectional championship when nobody thought we'd even go .500.

My most embarrassing football memory is ...

* in middle school when there was a time when I got a fast break but was shooting on the other team's hoop.

Before a game ...

* honestly, I don't like being alone before a game. I like being around my teammates, to listen to music and debrief the game a little bit before it happens.

After a game ..

* . I always talk to my grandparents about everything. Definitely after a big win, I'm going to talk to them and celebrate with them.

In five years ...

* I hope to be in a sports marketing job. I want to work in the professional sports marketing industry, advertising type deal.

Honorable mentions: Molly Buckles, LeRoy girls' basketball; Christa Holohan, Watseka girls' basketball; Addy Martinie, St. Joseph-Ogden girls' basketball; Amelia Scharp, Iroquois West girls' basketball; Lily Sizemore, Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley girls' basketball.