By Ken Hansard

Recently, VYPE had the privilege to talk to and to find out more about Salina Sacred Heart High School athlete Katie Weiss.

VYPE: What are your personal goals for the year?
Weiss: My goals for tennis were to be the state champion, but unfortunately I fell short due to an injury. My personal goal for basketball is to shoot above 40% from three and to be the best leader possible for my teammates.

VYPE: What is the most fun you have had in the last year?
Weiss: I went to Spain in June and played basketball for America’s Team, along with some other girls from around Kansas. While there, we played club teams in Spain. We also did a lot of sight-seeing; it was a once in a lifetime experience. I made a ton of new friendships and learned rules about basketball in a different country.

VYPE: Who is your favorite teacher from any grade, and why?
Weiss: My favorite teacher is my band teacher because he is hilarious and we all love him, even people who are not in band. 

VYPE: What is your favorite athletic memory?
Weiss: My favorite athletic memory is winning the team state title in tennis my freshman year.

VYPE: What teammate has left the biggest impression on you and why?

Weiss: The teammate that left the biggest impression on me was Tessa Junk. She graduated last year, but she was a great teammate and never gave up. She was always positive no matter the situation.

VYPE: What is your favorite part of being on this team?
Weiss: My favorite part about being on this team is that we are all really close friends, so it’s like a family. Everyone is there for each other.

VYPE: You can pick any place for a summer vacation. Where do you go, and who do you take with you?
Weiss: I would go to Greece, and I would take my best friends and my family.

VYPE: If we gave you $5000 and you had to spend it in the next 24 hours, what would you spend it on?
Weiss: I would definitely spend it on a lot of clothes and shoes.

VYPE: What other sports, activities, or community service projects do you participate in, and how have these helped to prepare you for the future?
Weiss: I am involved in tennis, pep band, jazz band, concert band, 4-H, and Junior Civitan, which is a club at our school where we volunteer and help out the community. We do a river clean up every year where we pick up trash by the river. I am also involved in NHS – National Honor Society. All these activities have helped me become a better leader and have helped me grow in character and grow as a person in general.