Lydia Stalnaker of Mount Gilead (second from left) will play women’s basketball at Principia College.
Courtesy Photo
Mount Gilead graduate Lydia Stalnaker will continue playing basketball while in college at Principia Collage, located in Elsah, Ill., near the Missouri border.
While she is still undecided on a major, she is excited about attending the Division III school.
“I just loved the teammates and the atmosphere and it’s a very welcoming community,” she said. “It’s small. It’s kind of like the community we have here. I really like it — it feels like home.”
That community feel was important to Stalnaker, who admitted that was what she would most miss about Mount Gilead.
“Honestly, the thing I’m going to miss most is the community and the atmosphere,” she said. “Everyone being so close together.”
It did take here a good amount of time to make her decision due to not being able to meet her future teammates on her first visit to Principia.
“It took me a couple months to decide because I didn’t meet the team when I first went down there,” she said. “That was a big thing to me because I love teammates and I love having a bond with them like family. I felt that when I met them and then I made my decision.”
After completing her high school basketball career, she is expecting the transition to collegiate sports to involve a lot of work on her part.
“I’m expecting it to be a pretty big step to take,” she said. “A lot of training, a lot of dedication, hard work and all that stuff. Just like the transition from middle school to high school.”
She is hoping that, regardless of how quickly she can earn minutes on the court, she can immediately have a positive impact on her new team.
“I hope I bring a lot of energy,” she said. “I’m coming in as a freshman. I don’t expect to get a lot of playing time — I hope I do. I’m just hoping to bring energy, good vibes, hard work and good defense.”
Beyond basketball, the graduate is excited to move forward in life.
“I’m really looking forward to taking that next step in my life,” she said. “Adulting and figuring life out.”
Rob Hamilton can be reached at 419-946-3010, ext. 1807. Connect with him on Twitter at @SportsMCS
