Native Max Magazine Feb/March 2015 Sports Issue | Page 8

SPORTS FEATURE BY KELLY HOLMES INTERVIEW BY RHONDA TREE-MANGAN PHOTOS BY HASKELL ATHLETICS THE LEADING LADIES OF LAWRENCE LEADING LADIES OF HASKELL From left to right: Sophomore Keli Warrior, Senior Jenine Coriz and Senior Tahnee Stands 8 NATIVE MAX MAGAZINE FEB/MAR 2015 The day starts out early in Lawrence, Kansas; long before the sun comes out. Assistant coaches and Haskell alumni Lois Stevens and Echo Keo set up equipment so when the team arrives, they’re ready to stretch. At 6:00 on the dot, the assistant coaches lead the girls into weightlifting and conditioning. The rest of the day is a blur of classes, homework, meals and breaks; some naps for others. Besides schoolwork, the girls are required to attend 2-a-days; where two practices take place in one day. Evidently, the team sacrifices any free time they can find. Haskell’s head coach Shane Flanagan was a student-athlete himself; he knew all too well the intricate balance of school and basketball. Therefore, Flanagan constantly checked in on the girls’ academic standings and grades. “He’s a former college basketball player himself, so he has been through what I am going through,” explains senior star FEB/MAR 2015 NATIVE MAX MAGAZINE 9