Name: Gracie Lambes

School: Parkview Christian

Sport: Basketball, sophomore

Why she was selected: Lambes scored a game-high 24 points to help lead Parkview Christian to a 46-35 win over Christian Liberty in the championship game of the Illinois Christian Conference tournament. The Falcons are now 18-0 on the season.

Lambes was voted by readers as the Record Newspapers Athlete of the Week. Here is her interview with Sports Editor Joshua Welge.

Welge: If I would have told you at the beginning of the season that the team would be 18-0 right now, what would you say? What makes the team so special?

Lambes: I would say it was possible. We have a great team, our structure is amazing, we’re very united, we’re very bonded. Everybody contributes. It’s not just one person.

Welge: You had a really nice game in that championship game. What happened?

Lambes: I didn’t stop shooting and I didn’t stop playing my game. If shots weren’t falling and things weren’t working out, I wouldn’t stop. At the end of the half we picked up some things we learned and got the ball down low. I didn’t stop shooting and playing my game,. That was the big thing. It was a good game, very close.

Welge: You also had a 35-point game this season. What happened in that game?

Lambes: Same thing, didn’t stop shooting. We adjusted. Instead of me bringing the ball up court, we had another girl bring the ball up. I got the ball and would shoot it. It wasn’t all 3s. It was 3s, mid-range shots and free throws. Confidence had a big role in that game. You have to have confidence in everything you are trained to do.

Welge: How did you get started playing basketball?

Lambes: I started in fifth grade at Parkview, and I had [Parkview] coach [Kayla Linden] then. It’s been quite the journey. I have three brothers, so it’s always been really aggressive around the house. I played in fifth grade and coach believed in me. She knew I had something. That is a big part of why I kept playing. It just kind of came to me.

Welge: Coach told me that this team was called the “Dream Team” a couple years in middle school. Did you think you had something special going into this season?

Lambes: The structure we have has been the same since the fifth grade. I’ve been playing with some of these girls since fifth grade. I saw it. We got into high school, got better over the summer and in the offseason. It was definitely possible and here we are.

Welge: Coach thinks you can play college ball at a high level. Is that a goal?

Lambes: I plan to play in college, but I’m not sure where yet. Freshman year the idea was there, but this year it has really sprouted up. I’m grateful for how coach Linden and our assistant has been behind me. It is something that I will see how it plays out and what God has in store for me.