West Point-Beemer in Good Hands with Swanson Leading the Cadets

They say that guard play dominates the game of basketball.  If you are West Point-Beemer, you are in pretty good hands with Sidney Swanson. Swanson comes into her junior year with high hopes of repeating the success achieved by the Cadets last season.  For the first time in school history, West Point-Beemer made the trip down to Lincoln to appear in the girls state tournament and finished the season with a sterling 23-3 record.  Although the Cadets lost alot to graduation, icnluding second leading scorer Sierra Kile (14.4 points per game), they return Swanson and a host of other contributors in the hopes of returning to Lincoln this March. <blockquote> <div dir="ltr"> <div dir="ltr"><span id="m_-5933423272541071269gmail-docs-internal-guid-bbd484f5-7fff-f3b8-1413-19b455112920">"I feel like my team this season has the potential to be really good, " Swanson said. "We will be a really young team with no seniors, but the girls we have are athletic and strong basketball players! Coming off last season with a trip to state our goal again this year is to continue that streak and make it to state again."</span></div> </div></blockquote> <div dir="ltr">But the road to Lincoln will not be easy, with more than a few obstacles along the way.</div> <div dir="ltr"></div> <div dir="ltr">"One of the toughest teams we will play this season is North Bend. They are a state returning team with only losing one starter and gaining some good freshman. We will see them in the regular season and in conference. They have a lot of height and a lot of quick point guards.</div> <div dir="ltr"></div> <div dir="ltr">"Another good team would have to be Oakland, they gained some good freshman and they have Kennedy Benne who is a phenomenal athlete and is always looking to score. We will also face them in regular season and conference."</div> <div dir="ltr"></div> <div dir="ltr">Not resting on her laurels, including leading the Cadets in scoring last season (14.5 points a game, along with 4.4 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals a game), Swanson has set high goals for her junior season and beyond.</div> <div dir="ltr"></div> <div dir="ltr"> <blockquote> <div dir="ltr"> <div dir="ltr"><span id="m_-5933423272541071269gmail-docs-internal-guid-bbd484f5-7fff-f3b8-1413-19b455112920">"I would like to be a 90% free throw shooter and to get a 1000 points by the end of my junior year.  I also want to distribute the ball to my teammates and I want to average around four to six assist per game.  My ball handling also needs to improve, and I want to work on getting to the rim better, as well"</span></div> <div dir="ltr"></div> <div dir="ltr"><span id="m_-5933423272541071269gmail-docs-internal-guid-bbd484f5-7fff-f3b8-1413-19b455112920">Having played since a young age, Swanson has strived for excellence for a long time.  The last two summers, she has played for All Nebraska Attack with Bryce Meyers and Zach Isherwood, but her career began long before that.</span></div> <div dir="ltr"></div> <div dir="ltr"> <blockquote> <div dir="ltr"> <div dir="ltr"><span id="m_-5933423272541071269gmail-docs-internal-guid-bbd484f5-7fff-f3b8-1413-19b455112920">"I started doing basketball when I was a little kid, but my parents were the ones that encouraged me to do it. I went to a lot of elementary camps and started playing on basketball team in my town when I was in third grade going to a bunch of tournaments. Once I started playing games and going to those camps I knew this was what I wanted to keep doing and get better at."</span></div> <div dir="ltr"></div> <div dir="ltr"><span id="m_-5933423272541071269gmail-docs-internal-guid-bbd484f5-7fff-f3b8-1413-19b455112920">Swanson's athletic achievements are not limited to the hardwood.  In addition to basketball, she participates volleyball and track.  She is also activie in Future Business Leaders of America, One-Act Play, she's the Vice-President of Student Council, a member of the National Honor Society and is also active in West Point-Beemer's journalism department.</span></div> </div></blockquote> <div dir="ltr">This well-rounded young lady does have aspirations after her high school career is over, and the offers for this junior to be should be a lengthy list when all is said and done.</div> </div> </div></blockquote> <div dir="ltr"> <blockquote> <div dir="ltr"> <div dir="ltr"><span id="m_-5933423272541071269gmail-docs-internal-guid-bbd484f5-7fff-f3b8-1413-19b455112920">"I haven’t really looked in to many colleges, but I am planning on playing basketball in college. As of right now, I am looking to major in criminal justice or forensics." </span></div> </div></blockquote> </div> </div>