By Blake Chadwick
Last season Tamia Cheeks of Salina South was named the defensive player of the year in the AVCTL-1, an award that was deserved as she is one of the best athletes in the area and one of the most tenacious defenders in the league.
“Tamia is active, both on the court and off the court,” head coach Justin Ebert said. “On the court she is high energy and in attack mode. Off the court, she carries the same energy into the classroom and with the various activities she is a part of in the school and community. Tamia is constantly mentioned as a leader and role model in our school building and in the community.”
The senior has been playing basketball for over 11 years and has always been athletically gifted. A big reason why she has heard from colleges is for basketball, volleyball, and track. But as her career gets closer to the end, Cheeks is becoming a leader more and more every day.
“I plan to be a positive and encouraging presence to my teammates,” Cheeks said. “I plan on working hard to achieve this. I plan on working hard at every practice and game. I’m going to do my best to provide senior leadership.”
Cheeks has the target on her back of being the best defender, so she knows she is going to get everyone’s best shot night in and night out.
“Tamia has incredible energy and has used it to become one of the state’s top defensive players,” Ebert said. “Her ability to connect her natural athletic ability with a determination to defend has made her quite special. Her energy is infectious, and our team thrives defensively because of it.”
