When 100% isn’t enough

Waelder girls pledge 200% effort for team, fallen teammate

Most people talk about giving a 100-percent effort.

For the Waelder girls basketball team, 100 percent just isn’t enough. The Lady Cats pledged to give a 200-percent effort this season.

The reasoning behind a 200-percent effort is simple. The Lady Cats are giving 100 percent to their team and 100 percent to their late teammate Courtney Orona.

Orona, a sophomore-to-be at Waelder, played basketball and volleyball for the Lady Cats before her life was cut short in an automobile accident Aug. 18. Although Orona passed away, her memory lives within her teammates.

“Courtney was always encouraging,” sophomore guard Monica Bracamontes said. “Any time we would feel like giving up in practice, she wouldn’t let us. Courtney would encourage us to keep going.”

Bracamontes also played volleyball with Orona and was one of her best friends. She recently suffered a sprained ankle, and is listed as day-to-day.

“I can play in most conditions, but the cold weather re-aggravates the injury,” Bracamontes said.

The 200-percent theme was the brainchild of Lady Cats’ basketball and volleyball coach Meghan House as she talked about it one day in the locker room during practice. Olivia Ramirez, mother of Waelder guard Marissa Ramirez, then made t-shirts with the 200-percent theme.

Like Bracamontes, Ramirez was one of Orona’s best friends as she also played both basketball and volleyball with her. Ramirez also took time to reflect on her late teammate.

“Courtney was a very outgoing young lady whose favorite sport was volleyball, and I had the privilege of being on the same volleyball and basketball teams as her,” Ramirez said. “It also was a privilege to be good one her good friends. One thing that Courtney and I shared is our faith in God and the love of our families. She was such a spirited girl and was always laughing. Sometimes our coach would make us run because she was laughing too much in practice. I am very blessed that Courtney was part of my life and she will be dearly missed. I will carry her laughter with me forever.”

Ramirez is not only involved in basketball and volleyball at Waelder, she is involved in One-Act Play, Leo Club, track and field, tennis, 4-H and UIL. She is the Waelder 4-H president as well as a team captain in volleyball.

“My school work comes first, and my extracurricular activities are motivation to do well in school,” Ramirez said. “I also want to do well for my mom and for my younger cousins. I want to be a good role model to my younger cousins.”

One of Ramirez’s highlights from her first 2½ years of high school took place last year when she and her older brother, Zach, participated in the play, Calabasas Street. Marissa played the older sister to Zach, who played the role of the younger brother.

“It was fun to have that little role-reversal and call the shots,” Ramirez said.

While Ramirez is involved in almost every extra-curricular activity offered at Waelder, there is one in which she is not involved – golf. Ramirez does have a favorite activity as well.

“I like basketball the best,” she said. “I work the hardest at it, and we have a chance to make the playoffs this year.”

The Lady Cats haven’t been to the postseason since the 2007-08 season. There are five teams in District 31-A-Division I, and the top three teams qualify for the playoffs, which means Waelder (3-13, 0-2 in 31-A-DII) would virtually need four wins in league play to qualify.

While every Lady Cat wants to make the playoffs, Tatiana Garcia really wants to. That’s because she is one of two seniors on the roster.

“I’ve had a great senior year and I don’t want it to end,” Garcia said. “It’s going fast.”

Garcia has had a banner year so far as she also earned the title of Fiesta Guacamole Queen in September. She also participated in cross country and was the team manager in volleyball.

In addition to Garcia, Jackie Garcia (no relation) is the other senior on the Waelder roster. Tatiana plans to attend college in the fall, but is uncertain where.

“I want to go to either Texas A&M, Stephen F. Austin, Sam Houston State or Tarleton State,” she said.

Both Jackie and Tatiana are team captains as is junior Chelsa Nichols. Tatiana also has her take on what will need to happen in order for the Lady Cats to claim a berth in the postseason.

“We need to be confident and not give up,” she said.

Nichols is the Lady Cats’ leading scorer with an average of more than 11 points per game. Basketball comes naturally for Nichols.

“I didn’t do anything over the summer to improve my game except summer league basketball,” she said. “I just play the game.”

As a team captain and her team’s leading scorer, Nichols accepts her role on the team. She holds her team, and herself, accountable for its results on the court.

“We have to stay motivated,” Nichols said. “The captains also have to step up and be leaders all the time.”

Like Ramirez, Nichols is involved in a slew of activities such as basketball, volleyball, track and field, tennis, one-act play and Leo Club. But there is no question what she wants to participate in when she enrolls in college in the fall of 2014.

“I want to play basketball in college,” Nichols said.

While Nichols and Ramirez grew up in Waelder schools, Kirsten Muenchow did not. Muenchow transferred to Waelder from Gonzales in January 2012.

“I like Waelder because you have more opportunities to participate in extracurricular activities,” she said.

Muenchow was one of four teammates of Orona who spoke at her jersey retirement ceremony in November. Bracamontes, Nichols and Ramirez were the others.

In Waelder’s wins this season, the Lady Cats limited the opposition to 25 points or less. Muenchow believes her team wins with defense.

“It’s very important for us to play defense,” she said. “We don’t score in bunches, so if we don’t score, we can’t let the other team score either.”

Muenchow recently returned to the lineup after missing a few games with a wrist injury. She is glad to be back in the lineup, and has her take on what will be needed in order for her team to be successful.

“We need to keep our heads up and keep our heads in the game,” Muenchow said. “We can’t give up or get discouraged. We have to give 200 percent.”

Because 100 percent just won’t do.