March 29, 2024

Eat, sleep and study!

It was a dark and dreary Monday afternoon. There was a bitter chill in the air and strong, torrential winds were sweeping through the USU Eastern campus. The weather outside was soon forgotten as we interviewed Sarah Fletcher, a guard for the Lady Eagle’s basketball team.

This archived article was written by: Abigail Ericson & Joy Malone

It was a dark and dreary Monday afternoon. There was a bitter chill in the air and strong, torrential winds were sweeping through the USU Eastern campus. The weather outside was soon forgotten as we interviewed Sarah Fletcher, a guard for the Lady Eagle’s basketball team.
Upon arrival, Sarah Fletcher cheerfully welcomed us into her room. We sat down and observed their surroundings. Her room was filled with warm tones of green, pink, and blue. Pictures of family and inspirational quotes covered the walls. Christmas lights adorned the inside of the doorway and the windows, having a calming influence upon all who entered. The infectious smile on Fletcher’s face, and the comfort and cheerfulness of the room made for a great interviewing atmosphere.
Fletcher was born on March 25, 1993, to Christine and Don Fletcher. She has three siblings; Mark, Matt and Catherine. She was born and raised in Phoenix, Az. in the glorious sun and heat. She attended Horizon Honors High School. “Yes, I went to a smart school, but I didn’t take hard classes. Oh and yes, there are stupid people there.” Fletcher participated in basketball at her high school and ran track for one year. Horizon Honors is a 2A school, so it’s fairly small, but Fletcher still found ways to make good memories.
Her favorite memory of high school basketball occurred on a Friday the 13 of her senior year. That day, Fletcher and her teammates bought cupcakes (courtesy of Christine Fletcher), and threw/smeared them in their coach’s face. “And then I got sent to the principal’s office. But don’t say that in the article.” Well, sorry Sarah, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to show the world your rebellious side.
The rebel inside of Fletcher, that we were able to unearth is unknown to most people. Covering the door to her dorm room are several post-it notes saying, “eat,” “sleep,” and “study.” The women on her basketball team put these all over her door because they claim that is all she ever does. We asked if this was a proper representation of how she actually spends her time, and she replied; “I eat, sleep, study and socialize occasionally.”
Fletcher is a freshman at USU Eastern, and enjoys the occasional socializing moments. She likes being here but misses the Arizona heat. Fletcher is on the women’s basketball team and loves the coaches and her teammates. She likes how the coaches are relaxed and personal with the girls. “They don’t just yell at us like some other coaches do. Coach Dave Paur always tells stories at practice about the Romans. Good ole’ Coach Paur.”
It’s no surprise that she is having such a good time with her team. The Lady Eagles are 3-0 in conference play so far. “We played a really good game at SLCC. In warm-ups we looked nervous, but finally our captains pulled us all together and pumped us up. Abbie Kay told us we had a job to get done and got us prepared.” Fletcher talked a lot about her team and how they are close on and off the floor. “The bench gets really into the games. If you’re fighting, you’re not a team. I think each of us are aware of what our job is and how to be a good teammate. No matter how much playing time you get, everyone gets into the game and supports each other.”
If you have ever seen our women’s basketball team play, the support and love they have for each other is clearly evident. They work well together and are fun to watch. Golden Eagles play this weekend as they battle against North Idaho College and the College of Southern Idaho. Games will begin at 5 p.m. on Friday and 3 p.m. on Saturday.