2 weeks Ago By Skyler Jackson
WORTHINGTON — Minnesota West’s Hannah Kazemba is this week’s Peak Performer. Kazemba, of Round Lake, is a freshman at Minnesota West majoring in elementary education. She was also a member of the Lady Jays volleyball team in the fall.
ADVERTISEMENT She is now a standout shortstop and occasional pitcher on the Lady Jay softball team and she leads the team in runs (29), hits (25), doubles (6), triples (2) and batting average (.641). In a doubleheader last Saturday against Ridgewater, Kazemba went 5-for-8 at the plate and scored four runs across the two games.
She also hit her first career home run. Here are 10 questions to get to know Hannah Kazemba. Question: How did you get into sports growing up? Answer: “My dad coached softball in Worthington and all my older sisters, I have six older sisters, and they all played softball, so kind of just through that.
..” Question: What about softball appeals to you? Answer: “I just love everything about it.
I love playing with the whole team, but I love the competitiveness and getting to be outside. It's a team sport, but it's also you pushing yourself to be better too.” Question: Who is your biggest role model and why? ADVERTISEMENT Answer: “I’d probably say my older sister, Faith, she's playing on the team with me too.
Probably because she pushes me to be better in every single thing I do, and she's also a really good player, so I just try to be better than her.” Question: What’s it like playing on the team with your sister? Answer: “I think it's my favorite softball season getting to play with her.” Question: What made you come to Minnesota West? Answer: All my sisters came here and it's close to home, and I wanted to play softball and get my elementary education degree.
” Question: How would you describe the type of player you are? Answer: “I hope I'm a team player...
Every single play is a new play, (you’ve) got to move on if you mess up. And remember that it's a team sport, so you’ve got to pick up each other too and don't get down on each other.” ADVERTISEMENT Question: How do you think your teammates would describe you? Answer: “Probably bubbly, and Ava (Parrish) would say I probably get the most dirty after every game.
” Question: What is your strategy at the plate? Answer: “Usually a lot of people leave the first strike to go, the first pitch go. I find that usually, for me, it's the best pitch I get. So if the first pitch is a good pitch down the middle, I just swing at it.
Otherwise, my brain just thinks ‘I’ve got to hit the ball no matter what. It's OK if I don't get on (base), but I'm just going to make contact.” Question: What’s your favorite softball memory? Answer: “That one's a tough one.
Probably my favorite was one time ...
we played in a rec game, so all six of my sisters played together. So that's probably my favorite memory.” Question: What has sports taught you about life? ADVERTISEMENT Answer: “I think it's really taught me to push through, that not everything's going to come easy, and you’ve really got to work on things if you want to be better.
And also, how you act and how you behave also affects the people around you, so just to be a good person.” To nominate an athlete as a potential Peak Performer, send an email to [email protected].
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