Written by Carly Kester
With long practices daily, year-round training and a whole lot of games to play in a single season, one would think college athletes could only handle one sport for their four years of higher education. But not freshman Kristen Celsor.
Now that the basketball season is over, Celsor is switching from the squeaky-clean courts of the Rhodes to the asphalt and turf of First Security Stadium for the beginning of the outdoor track season.
Playing basketball and running track in high school, Celsor has been a dedicated athlete for most of her life. So it is no surprise that she is already showing talent in college sports as well, winning this year’s Gulf South Conference title for freshman of the year for women’s basketball. In basketball, she plays guard, and in the field events for the track team, she does the high jump.
Celsor said she has been playing sports ever since she could walk. Her parents and siblings’ active involvement in sports influenced her to be involved in sports as well, and her dad’s helping her outside of practice encouraged her to do better.
“For peewee [my dad] was always one of my coaches, and he always had me doing work outside of [practices], so he was a really big influence on me,” Celsor said.
Women’s basketball coach Tim Kirby said one of the things that stood out the most to him when Celsor was recruited was her overall athleticism.
“She can run and jump; she’s an extremely intelligent girl that, in the recruiting process, we thought had a lot of upsides, just with what her possibilities were,” Kirby said. “We just felt like she had a lot of potential to get even better, and that’s something we’re always looking for.”
Kirby said that playing against tough opponents early in her basketball career has been a good learning experience for Celsor.
“She played against some first-team all-Americans, and she did a great job against them,” Kirby said. “I don’t think she had a clue what she was getting ready to go up against, and she turned on the ‘go’ and did a really good job of handling that kind of player.”
In regards to basketball, Celsor plans to work on her long-distance shooting, ball handling and confidence on the court.
As for her future career plans, Celsor’s goals lie outside the realm of sports.
“I’m hoping to do speech pathology when I get older because it kind of fits me; I had a lisp when Iwas little,” Celsor said.
Celsor also said she loves being on the basketballteam because of how well the players get along. “We have the best chemistry, and it’s my favorite team by far that I’ve ever been on,” Celsor said. “We’ve just gotten along so well and love beingaround each other.”
Kirby also said that not only does she performadmirably on the court, but she also excels in the classroom as well, and that he does not have to worry about her grades or attendance.
“I think that if we could recruit two or three like her every year and have a whole team full of Kristen-mentality-type kids, we’re always going to be successful,” Kirby said.
