As a senior basketball standout for the Vinita Lady Hornets, Kate Wattenbarger said she remembers what it was like to be a freshman on the team, and she wants her fellow teammates to be able to look up to her the way she looked up to her seniors.

“Knowing that the younger players are looking at me with those same expectations, honestly, it’s a little scary,” she said. “As a senior player I work hard to be there for them, coaching them to improve their skills and help them learn their positions in our various plays and drills. Our coach has high expectations of our roles as the senior members of the team.

Wattenbarger said since this will be a rebuilding year for Vinita, along with helping them out on the floor, she wants her younger teammates to also look up to her for her attitude.

“Character is what defines you as a person,” she said. “It’s what you do when no one is watching; who you are on the inside. It’s staying true to your core beliefs and morals. You don’t change who you are to make others like you more, or to fit in with the right crowd. I want to encourage my teammates, challenge them to work harder, keep a positive attitude, and use good sportsmanship.”

In her free time, Wattenbarger said she enjoys going to the local gym and working out two to four times a week outside of practice. She said she also likes reading and cooking. She also mentions she has big plans after high school.

“After graduation I plan on attending the University of Oklahoma to earn my degrees in Chemical Engineering: Pre-Med,” she said. “While at college I would like to study abroad somewhere such as the United Kingdom or Sweden to experience a different culture and have one last chance to explore something new before I start a full time career. After college I plan on pursuing a career in the pharmaceutical industry, to study medicine.