For Emily Eadie, Zoie Lamkin, Kat Righeimer and Annabelle Spotts, being teammates means more than just collaborating on the basketball court: These four seniors share how their years of partnership have brought them together as both athletes and true friends.
Currently ranked fourth in the state with 21 wins and only two losses, Sage Hill’s Varsity Girls’ Basketball Team continues to lead the Pacific Coast League (PCL) after winning the league last season. As members of the starting lineup, Emily, Zoie, Kat and Annabelle support the team with a connection formed through almost a decade of partnership on the court.
“We’ve been playing together since fourth [or] fifth grade, so about nine, eight years,” Kat said. “We have really good chemistry on the court just from playing together for so long and watching each other grow and develop into…high school players.”
The girls’ success as high school athletes is just as unique as their history together. Starting high school during the COVID-19 pandemic, Emily, Zoie, Kat and Annabelle helped win Sage Hill its first Girls’ Basketball CIF championship as freshmen in 2021 and were 2022 CIF-SS Division II state champions as sophomores. Last year, they were promoted to Open Division and are positioned to compete in it again this season.
Emily is proud to take on more responsibilities as a senior, and feels that her experience helped her make the transition from an underclassman to a leader smoothly.
“I think we’ve done a really good job, especially in incorporating the younger kids and making them feel like a part of the family, which is really important.”
However, as the four enter their last season as teammates, they expressed mixed feelings about the end of this era in their lives.
“We’re friends on the court and off the court, so it’s been really special [playing together]. Going our separate ways next year is hard, but I’m really happy for everyone,” Zoie said.
Though their high school basketball careers are coming to an end, this is only the start of the girls’ athletic journeys: Looking ahead to college, Emily and Kat both agreed that they are eager to make the most of their playing time at Princeton and Northwestern respectively.
Though Zoie is still deciding whether to play basketball in college, she feels that the lessons she gained from basketball—including collaboration and time management skills—are essential and relevant in any path she chooses.
Annabelle, who committed to University of Chicago, shared that she wants to make “a big impact, especially in the score” to help support her team.
“And, [I want to] hopefully win a national championship—that would be really fun,” said Annabelle.
But first, these seniors hope to end their final season with the Lightning on a high note by winning the 2024 CIF state championship.
