Meet the Mount Freshmen: Ashlee White

Who is your favorite basketball player NBA or WNBA? My favorite basketball player is Steph Curry.

What are your team and individual goals for this upcoming season? My individual goal is to become the player my teammates need me to be and then more, at any point of the game. As a team, the ultimate goal is to win the NEC championship. 

What is your most memorable high school game? The most memorable game I had in high school was my senior year, when we won our first district championship despite the idea that we were "underdogs"; best feeling in the world. 

 What is your favorite quote from a coach? "There will always be adversity around us, it is how we use our God given ability to get through it, that matters most" -Coach Max.

What was your pregame routine in high school?  I always did a handshake with my little sister, then gave her a hug and kiss. I also always prayed before every game, with my team. 

If you could be a super hero who would you be and why? If I could be a superhero I would probably be "spider-man"; he's a regular kid when he wants to be, but when there's trouble he is always there to help. 

Best meal of the day and why? Dinner is my favorite meal of the day because it's usually the biggest & you get to relax right after. 

Who is your role model? My parents are my role models; they have instilled in me a love for God and an appreciation for life. My brother is also my role model because he has showed me that it is important to do what you love no matter what. 

If you could play another sport in college what would it be? I would play tennis, it is the most intense sport ever to me lol. 

Fun fact about yourself? I do a little poetry on the side :)

Meet The Mount Freshmen : Katrina Scheuvront

          Who is your favorite basketball player NBA or WNBA? My favorite basketball player in the WNBA is Breanna Stewart.  

     What are your team and individual goals for this upcoming season? Team goal is to win the NEC conference championship and my individual goal is to work hard and become the best player I can be.

     What is your most memorable high school game? My most memorable game in high school was when I had a triple-double in a game and set the schools record in blocks

        What is your favorite quote from a coach? "Elite warriors, when they accomplish their mission, they celebrate" Urban Meyer

     What was your pregame routine in high school? My pregame routine in high school was making sure I had my icy hot on and have my mouth guard. 

        If you could be a super hero who would you be and why? If I could be a super hero I would be wonder woman because she has a loving heart, super strength, great wisdom and courage, she has great speed and can fly. 

        Best meal of the day and why? Best meal of the day would have to be breakfast because you want to eat something good that will give energy and make you feel great. 

        Who is your role model? My role model would have to be my dad no matter how hard life becomes he always looks on the bright side and stays positive and believes everything happens for a reason.  

     If you could play another sport in college what would it be? If I could play another sport in college it would have to be Volleyball.

        Fun fact about yourself? A fun fact about myself would have to be I have a twin brother 

Meet The Mount Freshmen: Kayla Agentowicz

     Who is your favorite basketball player NBA or WNBA?

My favorite player is Diana Taurasi, because she can do a little of everything on the court. She knows how to create for herself, but also knows how to put her teammates in the best position.
What are your team and individual goals for this upcoming season?

Team goal for this season is to become NEC Champions. Individual goal is to improve in every aspect to the game and contribute to the team in any way I can. 
What is your most memorable high school game?

Most memorable high school is when I scored my 1,000 point. 
What is your favorite quote from a coach?

“If what you did yesterday still looks big today, you haven’t done much today.” Mike Kryzewski
What was your pregame routine in high school?

My pregame routine was with my mom doing a bag check before every game.
If you could be a super hero who would you be and why?

I would be the Hulk because he has an incredible level of superhuman physical ability
 Best meal of the day and why?

Dinner because it is the last meal of the day and you don't have to be rushed eating it.
Who is your role model?
My mom
If you could play another sport in college what would it be?

Umm maybe soccer or tennis
Fun fact about yourself?

I own over 75 different pairs of socks

Drum roll please… introducing our newest Mounties!

On the court with Kate:

Kuster makes her way to Emmitsburg following a standout career at Central Regional High School in Bayville, N.J., where she finished third in school history with 1,110 career points. A three-time captain, Kuster broke school records for career three pointers (211), three pointers in a season (83) and three pointers in a game (9). She also finished second in school history for points in a game (41) and in a season (438).

Kuster, a 6-0 forward, guided Central Regional to two B-South Championships and earned a trip to the State Semifinals in New Jersey in 2013-14. As a two-sport athlete, Kuster also excelled on the volleyball court, breaking the school's single-season kills record with 161 in 2014.

Off the court with Kate:

·         Her favorite artist and singer is Ariana Grande and enjoys listening to hip-hop 

·         Siblings; sister Amanda, 22 and brother Ryan, 17

·         Currently learning German

·         Favorite High School memory: sporting events and football games

·         Favorite Mount memory so far: time she has spent with the team

Why the Mount, Kate?

“When I came on campus I loved the size of the Mount and from the moment I got here I felt the family atmosphere from the beginning.”

On the court with Juliette:

A native of Mahopac, N.Y., Lawless was a two-year captain for Pomfret School in Connecticut. The 5-9 guard was named a New England Preparatory School Athletic Council All-Star as a sophomore, junior and senior and earned All-Bulletin honors from the Norwich Bulletin three times.

Lawless helped lead her team to the NEPSAC B Championship as a senior after runner-up finishes as a sophomore and junior. Individually, Lawless averaged 15 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game as a senior and 11.8 points, 4.9 boards and 2.8 assists per game throughout her high school career.

Off the court with Juliette:

·         Her favorite book is “Brain on Fire” and her favorite band is Galimatias and Houndmouth

·         She is an avid ukulele player, favorite song to play is “Skinny Love”

·         Siblings; sister Marly, 20 and brother Ian, 21

·         Favorite High School memory: graduation

·         Favorite Mount memory so far: practicing everyday

Why the Mount, Juliette?

“I feel in love with the team here on my visit, they all seemed like great people.  The campus is beautiful and the community at the Mount made me feel at home.”

Alumna Look: Jessica Kaufman, Part II

From Emmitsburg to Bangkok.

It's crazy to think that I am 2 months shy of officially being graduated from the Mount for a full year.  The past 8 months have honestly been the craziest, most exciting, life changing months of my life. So let's go back to Spring 2014. As I'm currently writing this post while sitting on a ferry headed to an island in Thailand, I can't help but stop and think, “How the heck did I get here?!”

I can vividly remember that once my basketball career had come to an end, graduation was just around the corner and I honestly had NO clue what I wanted to do with my life once I left the Mount. And as we all know, post-graduation means questions, and I wanted to be prepared with answers. The only thing I was confident about was that come fall time, I would be working somewhere outside of the U.S.  I've always had a desire to travel and work internationally so I had at least a start to a plan.

I spent a lot of my time brainstorming ideas with a professor in my business major department (Sandra Sjoberg). She wasn't my advisor, but was just someone who I respected and felt very comfortable seeing/talking to on a daily basis, especially because she has spent a lot of time working internationally. She had a former student who taught English in Russia through a company called Language Corps. The Mount is the type of community where professors build relationships with their students, because they truly wish the best for them.  Without Professor Sjoberg, I would have never even considered teaching internationally.  She helped guide me throughout the end of my college career, and helped supply me with the support and confidence I needed to embark on this journey. The community we have at the Mount is definitely something that I didn't honestly appreciate until after I left the Mount. After talking to a Mount alum who had worked in Russia through Language Corps, I instantly knew that this is what I wanted to do. So I applied, packed my bags and moved to SE Asia to become an English teacher.

It's been 8 months since I've left. I have learned a lot since I've been here, and I think one of the main things I've learned is to appreciate where you've been, and where you're going. The Mount shaped me into a woman who was brave enough to move to SE Asia on her own. The Mount gave me the confidence I needed to leave my comfort zone. The Mount helped me build lifelong relationships, friendships and connections. Everyone has a different story that consists of different experiences. Everyone has a unique journey that develops them into the individual they are. I wouldn't be on this journey in Thailand, if it wasn't for the Mount.

To read Jessie blog "Living the Thai Life" about her experiences in SE Asia, CLICK HERE!

Alumna Look: Jessica Kaufman, Part I

After graduating from Mount St. Mary's last year with a degree in Business and a minor in Communications, Jessica Kaufman '14 traveled to Southeast Asia to teach English to children Thailand. Here is a powerful snippet from her blog:

 

 

"7 months ago, I left everything that was comfortable in my life, to move half way across the world to be an English teacher in SE Asia. At the age of 22, with nothing but an over packed suitcase, an empty passport, and some cash saved up, I embarked on arguably the craziest journey of my life. My teaching here in Thailand is coming to an end this week, and I can confidently say that I have gained more knowledge from teaching abroad than I could have ever imagined.  Here are the top 8 things that the mini humans/teaching in Thailand taught me:

1. Courage

 

I moved half way across the world, having never been to Asia before, didn’t know the language, didn’t know a single person living here, had ZERO qualifications to be a teacher… in other words it was easily the scariest moment of my existence. I will never forget the adrenaline rush that overcame me when I stepped off that plane in Cambodia. But most importantly, I will never forget the courage it took to get on that plane in the first place...."

 

To read the other seven things Jessie's experience have taught her, as well as more about Jessie's amazing year teaching in Thailand and see all of the amazing pictures, click HERE to access her blog.

Part II - In our next blog post, we will hear specifically from Jessie about how her time at the Mount helped prepare her to embark upon her Thailand teaching experience.

Mount Strength & Conditioning

The strength and conditioning program at Mount Saint Mary’s University focuses on three principles:

1.      Reduce the risk of injury

2.      Maximize athletic performance

3.      Educate the student-athlete

A major renovation of our Varsity Weight Room was just completed after a very generous gift
from local supporter Tom Wilhide.

The women’s basketball team will train year-round to continuously develop strength, power, speed, agility, flexibility and sport conditioning to maximize on-court performance and keep the women healthy. Our program believes that education is key in the development of student-athletes. Our athletes are encouraged to ask questions and learn. I want our athletes to know what we are doing and why we are doing it. At this particular time, the women’s basketball team is competing in the regular season. The team will continue to train hard about two times per week, schedule permitting, as the focus turns to the court. I’m excited for the ladies to continue regular season play and to see their off-season efforts in action.

The floor was completely re-done, while new graphics were added to the walls. Flat-screen TV's were added to aid in educating our student-athletes throughout their various workouts.

Within the past few weeks, the strength and conditioning program at the Mount has made great improvements to its facilities. The addition of new equipment allows our student-athletes to train using a large variety of training modalities and has the student-athletes more excited than ever to enter the facility. With the end of the semester quickly approaching our off-season teams will begin preparations to performance test shortly after Thanksgiving break and we’ll distribute winter break lifting and conditioning packets to the athletes as they return home to continue to prepare for their spring seasons.

The renovations also include complete power racks and platforms, free weights equipment and a sound system.

For current high school junior and senior athletes striving to compete at the collegiate level, I recommend finding a quality sports performance training facility with certified strength and conditioning coaches in your local area. Having the motivation to learn, train hard, and make yourself better will put you ahead of the rest entering the collegiate scene.

 

 

  Stephen Notebaert was hired as the Mount St. Mary's Strength and Conditioning Coach prior to the 2014-15 academic year. His certifications include Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), Strength and Conditioning Coach Certified (SCCC) and USA Weightlifting Level 1 Sports Performance Coach (USAW).