Sports Spotlight on Kendra Weigel | Video

Alexander Gorney | 3/20/2013

North Dakota has had five governors, eight senators and gone through through two oil booms since the last time the Napoleon Girls basketball team played in the state B tournament. One of the biggest reasons for the Imperials return this year is their senior guard.

Napeolon senior Kendra Weigel floruishes on the court as a leader.

"I love being in charge of the floor and getting people and involved," she said.

Weigel is the starting guard for the Imperials basketball squad. She came into her senior season not only as one of the top returning assist leaders in the state but one of the highest scorers as well.

"Kendra is a point guard who scores while getting others involved. She is rare in that she`ll dish it off, she`ll hit shots, she`ll post people up and she`ll drive to the basket. She slowly has developed into a complete player," said head coach Darcy Lehr.

"She is a great leader she`s got a great shot, she really gets us going," said junior Mariah Jangula.

"As a point guard you always want to get your teammates involved but I have such good teammates also that they get me involved," Weigel said.

In the past three years, Weigel has helped guide the Imperials to two 20 plus win seasons and finish no worse than third in the region. And It was this year when she and her teammates won Region 3 to advance to their first state tournament in 30 years.

"Winning the region championship, that was the best feeling ever. We were extremely happy, we were laughing, some of us were crying. We were hugging each other. We were holding each other up, fell down. I couldn`t even explain how happy I was that night," she said.

Teammates say Weigel`s abilities and leadership stand out and her personality does too.

"Her hair color definitely says it all, she is a true blonde," Jangula said.

"Yeah I`m the blonde of the team," Weigel said.

"One time one of her classmates told her they were going to Minnesota and he said there was no water, and she was all worried. She was planning on buying a bunch of water bottles to go there," said senior Sheridon Dewald.

"Some of reason I was thinking about Mexico and so I asked my cousin Grant, he`s in my class. I`m like, `Hey Grant we got to make sure we bring lots of water because there is no water in Minnesota.` But I meant Mexico, but whatever," Weigel said.

Jokes aside, teammates know how much Weigel means to the team.

"She is a great leader," Jangula said.

"She has a huge impact. We wouldn`t be this good without her," Dewald said.

Weigel and the Imperials will face Beach in the quarterfinals of tomorrow`s Girls B Tournament.

BACK TO SPORTS SPOTLIGHT ARCHIVE

FEATURES AND PROMOTIONS