'09 SCHOLAR ATHLETE: Kathryn Cantrill, MP tennis/badminton

You're heading to ASU, are you going to play any sports while at school?
"I'm going to play club badminton, and maybe club tennis. Playing a club sport is going to still be work, but it will be more fun, too. It will let me focus more on school."

What will you be majoring in?
"Probably speech and hearing sciences. Before, I didn't have any idea really of what I wanted to do, but my cousin is a speech pathologist and he talked to me about what he did, and he was really passionate about that. He explained it to me, and it sounded like something I'd like to do."

What is the hardest part about dealing with school and sports at the same time?
"Sometimes it's difficult with time and stuff. I've just learned to balance it pretty well, using your time wisely. I think it actually helps with school work to have other things to do when you're not at school."

Name the one moment as a high school athlete that sticks out more than any other.
"It would be my junior year when we won team state for badminton. That was probably the best feeling, just being part of it. I was on varsity junior and senior year, and I went to it when they won state my sophomore year. Winning doubles as a senior was also a really big moment. We looked at it more like redemption. Obviously we were all disappointed when we didn't win state as a team (as a senior)."

How about off the field - like in the classroom or anywhere else? What will you remember the most about attending Mountain Pointe? What will you miss the most?
"I guess I would say seeing all my friends there. I don't know of one moment. I'd say I'll miss seeing all those people, especially my really good friends who won't be at the same college."

Through your time at Mountain Pointe, was there a teacher, coach or teammate who was most influential on your success as an athlete or student?
"I would say probably my doubles partner, Melissa LeBlanc. We were doubles partners for two years, we got second (in state, in 2007) and first (in 2008). I just spent a lot of time with her. She wasn't just my teammate, but also my really good friend after badminton. She just made it really fun, and made me want to play even more with her. We played well together and we knew that no matter what, we were both there for each other on and off the court. That could continue next year, she's also going to ASU so we might end up playing badminton some more."

You excelled at both tennis and badminton during your time at Mountain Pointe. Badminton sometimes gets a snicker from people when it's talked about in the same breath as volleyball, football, even tennis. But there's no denying what it means to be part of a state championship team, as well as winning the doubles title this past fall. Give your defense of badminton as a sport and what it's meant to you during your time at Mountain Pointe.
"Before I started playing, I didn't even know how big of a sport it was. Badminton takes as much hard work and practice as any other sport. It can be really intense. It takes a lot of work, just like any other sport - football or volleyball. There's just as much competition. I would say it is one of the sports where a lot of different people from different sports can play. I know from our team we had a lot of softball players play badminton in the fall, since softball is in the spring. It's a lot easier to get into, too. Tennis, that takes many years to get into, just to even learn how to hit a ball over the court in tennis. I think it was somewhat easier for me since I played tennis, because obviously there are similarities, like the racket, the court and the quick movements. But there's a lot that's different, that takes time to learn."