Sportsmanship

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Analise Best

Staunton

Principal: Mrs. Nancy Werden

Character development, leadership, time management, and team building are all skills Analise Best has acquired from participating in interscholastic activities. For the lessons she has learned, her character, and positive attitude, she was selected as the Scholar Attitude Award winner for Board of Directors Division O.

In addition to earning a perfect GPA throughout junior high school, Analise has participated in basketball, volleyball, and track, and various music activities. Analise credits participating in IESA sports for inspiring her competitive spirit. She notes, "When I am told I can't do something because I'm 'too young' or 'am not good enough,' my sports bring out the competiveness in me to not quit until I succeed to my goal."

Analise is most proud of qualifying to the IESA track and field state finals in discus as a seventh grader. Many of those around her dismissed her skills in throwing, especially because it was not her strongest sport. However, Analise used that as motivation and threw over three-feet above the state standard at sectionals to qualify for state. "I will never forget the feeling when they called my name," she recalls. "I was so caught up with emotion."

Analise's determination has led her to earning several honors, including highest free throw percentage and highest scorer in basketball. She has also earned various first-place awards in solo and ensemble music events.

After graduating from high school, Analise hopes to study pediatric medicine or fine arts at University of Illinois. She loves to work with children and aspires to help kids when she has a career.

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