At Timberline, we have many great student-athletes who participate in sports and deserve recognition. The basketball season is all winter so I talked to the varsity coaches and asked for their top players this season so I could speak to them about their basketball experiences. The players picked were Ashlyn Graklanoff, Jamysen Yates, Danali Aggarwal, Bryce Heinz, Alex Ko, and Jacob Heyne, all senior players for Timberline. I asked them each a few questions about their current basketball careers and how it all started, this is what they said.
My first question was “What position do you play on the team?” Aggarwal and Graklanoff told me they are shooting guards while Yates is a power forward/center. Heyne is also a power forward. Ko is a guard and Heinz plays as a post.
Bryce Heinz (Sr.) extending Timberline’s lead against the Borah Lions.
My next question was how they were introduced to the sport. All the girls got into it through YMCA basketball. On the other hand, this is what the boys said.
“Ooh, my dad, when I was younger,” said Heyne (Sr.).
Ko said, “I started playing in fourth grade, just one of my friends started asking me to play.”
“Both my parents played basketball, so I started playing when I was younger, and I’ve just been playing ever since,” said Heinz.
Role models play a big part in being passionate about something so I asked if they had anyone specific driving who they are/how they go to play.
Aggarwal said, “I would say my sister is my role model just because she is like five years older than me, so she’s kind of at a little bit of a different stage of life, so I look up to her.”
Ashlyn Graklanoff (Sr.) locked in after hitting a corner three-pointer.
“I would say my mom, she’s not an athlete, she never was, but she is a very hard worker and she shows determination in like every little task she does, so I think that pushes me also to do the same,” said Graklanoff.
Yates said, “I would say both of my parents are definitely my biggest role models, but if I had to choose, it would be my dad because he pretty much does everything for us and I don’t know. He’s just a really good guy and I look up to it.”
The boys pretty much said parents and coaches push them to keep going and help them improve.
Lastly, I asked if there were any specific memorable moments from their time playing basketball that they wouldn’t forget about. Here’s what they said.
Jamysen Yates (Sr.) cut the lead against the Boise Braves with back-to-back made free throws.
Aggarwal said, “Probably freshman year, even though I did not play, winning state. I got pulled up from JV, so it was super fun just to cheer on the bench. I lost my voice all three of those games, and it was just fun to experience winning state, which I feel doesn’t happen a lot for teams.”
“I was gonna say that, but I would say just going to the state tournament because we also went our sophomore year. Just getting school off and all the team events we do before staying, just like taking the bus and all the good stuff that we do during that weekend,” said Graklanoff.
Jacob Heyne (Sr.) is eager to sub back into the game.
“I would say the best memories were our Gonzaga team camp. We just bond so much, especially this past year, we just bonded so much over it and it’s not even about basketball at that point, it’s just like the friendships that you make during that,” said Yates.
Heyne said, “When Reese Elder hit the game-winning three in the state semifinal last year.”
Danali Aggarwal (Sr.) locked in for the Timber-Lion Tournament.
“Last year probably, making it to the state championship. Yeah, definitely the state championship games we had last year,” Ko and Heinz agreed.
Talking to these people helped me see the lasting memories and accomplishments this sport has led them to. Seeing the inspiration to continue doing this is just such a sweet and heartfelt thing.
