Athlete Spotlight
A 5-foot-10 inch lady able to touch the rim, now that is what some people would call “hops.”
The College of Eastern Utah has a lady athlete that can do just that. Her name is Megan Hunsaker, or as her volleyball teammates call her, Gracie.
Hunsaker came all the way from Alaska to join CEU’s volleyball team, and she didn’t stop there. Because Hunsaker has been playing basketball since second grade, she decided to play that sport as well.
This archived article was written by: Shelly Gledhill
A 5-foot-10 inch lady able to touch the rim, now that is what some people would call “hops.”
The College of Eastern Utah has a lady athlete that can do just that. Her name is Megan Hunsaker, or as her volleyball teammates call her, Gracie.
Hunsaker came all the way from Alaska to join CEU’s volleyball team, and she didn’t stop there. Because Hunsaker has been playing basketball since second grade, she decided to play that sport as well.
Now why come to CEU from way up north in Alaska? It turns out Hunsaker really wanted to experience a school in Utah. So her father sent tapes to every school in the state. For some reason or another, none of the other schools quite worked out, so here she is.
Hunsaker didn’t come far away from home without a soul near by. In fact, she has family all over Utah.
What is a typical day in Alaska? “I get up in the morning, plow the snow, get out my dog sled out … ” Okay, not really, mostly she would do a lot of hanging out with friends.
By living in Alaska, many people would assume that she skis because of all the snow. Actually, because of sports year round, she was never allowed to ski. So instead, she likes to go surfing in California.
There were many weekends in Alaska spent at a cabin in Kenai, two and a half hours from her home in Anchorage. Many days have been spent fishing, and that means a lot of salmon.
“I hate eating salmon. We have so much salmon, and everyone gets so excited about it down here. Just Imagine growing up in a little Alaskan town, ‘oh here hon, let’s have leftover salmon again’.”
Halibut on the other hand, “I love halibut. It’s going to take a long time for me to get sick of halibut.”
Hunsaker’s parents are a good role model for her. They have taught her a lot and have never missed a game. “It’s really weird because I have never played a game without my parents there in my entire life.”
Her parents probably won’t make it down here for a volleyball game this season, but she is hoping they can make it for a basketball game or two.
CEU volleyball coach, Brent Martindale says, “She’s a good all around player, she plays great defensively on the back row and front row. She’s got an incredible vertical jump. She works hard and she’s a happy, smiles a lot player.
“I’m not quite sure if she really knows how good she could be. She has to discover a little more, she could be better than she thinks she is.”
While she enjoys living in the dorms and how laid back it is here, playing two sports is “kicking her butt.” It definitely takes a good chunk out of her days.
Hunsaker still has many days ahead of her at CEU, but one thing is for sure, she can check off listening to country music now. “I’ve never heard a country song all the way through in my entire life, until I came here.”
