TENNERTON — In continuing to bring you the best sports coverage in Upshur County, the My Buckhannon sports department is pleased to present another edition of our exclusive — Raising the Jolly Roger With…
In ‘Raising the Jolly Roger With…’ the My Buckhannon sports department will interview a senior student-athlete from Buckhannon-Upshur to get to know them better and what makes them tick both on and off the field. Don’t settle for cheap knockoffs!
Our student-athlete this week is Cat Neely — enjoy!
1. Please list all the sports you have played at B-U and what year you played them? I have ran track all four years, played basketball my freshman year and volleyball my sophomore year.
2. What has been your favorite athletic moment at Buckhannon-Upshur that you participated in? Getting a new personal record in shot put this past season at the Big Ten Conference meet. I am very close with all of the girls that I throw with from different schools and having them all be so happy for me was so big.
3. Describe your toughest practice at Buckhannon-Upshur. What sport and who was the coach? My eighth grade year during basketball we had gotten in trouble so we were running timed suicides. We ended up running so many that I threw up all over the place, it’s the only time that’s ever happened.
4. Do you have a favorite saying from one of your head coaches? He wasn’t my head coach but Rob Zuliani would always tell his daughter Cameron and I, “It only takes one.” Throwing is a very mental and technical sport. I have had times where I throw so bad in finals and end up placing from the throw I had in prelims.
5. What was or is your favorite class you have taken at Buckhannon-Upshur and who taught it? Why was it your favorite? STEM with Mr. Epler my freshman year. We had a very small class so we were able to do so many different projects and I learned so much.
6. What is your favorite thing about being a Buccaneer? The rivalries. It’s always been so much fun having friends from places like Elkins and Lewis County and having the constant competition.
7. If you were asked to play another sport, what would it be and why? I always joked about playing football, but I think it could’ve been fun!
8. Who is your hero and why? I would have to say my dad Dave. He started coaching me when I played little league sports, and once I got to middle school and high school, he taught himself so much about throwing so that he could help me be better.
9. What do you want to be when you grow up? A marine biologist!
10. What are your initial plans after graduation this spring? I’ll be attending West Liberty University competing on their track and field team and studying Zoo Science and Biology.
11. What question do you hate to answer? For the longest time it was, “What do you want to be when you grow up” because I didn’t know, and I feel like my answer was always changing.
12. Who is the best athlete in your family? Probably my nephew Sawyer. He tears it up on the soccer field.
13. Do you have a favorite vacation spot? If so, where? I love going down to Georgia to visit my brother!
14. What is your favorite food and one thing you won’t eat? I love anything pasta and I absolutely hate mushrooms.
15. What advice would you give to a young athlete ready to start his/her time as a Buccaneer? Come into practice with an open mind every day!! I struggled to do that for a long time and found myself starting to hate what I was doing. Once I started doing that I was so much happier and found myself getting better!
