VYPE caught up with Canton-Galva’s Mimi Craig to find out about her athletic career.

VYPE: What are your personal goals for the year?

As my senior year is coming to an end and track season is starting, one of the most important personal goals I have is to throw 40 feet and make it to state again in shotput.

VYPE: What is the most fun you have had in the last year?

The most fun I have had in the last year had to of been going to state in basketball. It was an unreal experience. We may not have gotten the outcome we wanted, but just to make it that far was a huge accomplishment not only for me but for the team.

The support we got from our community was like no other. Personally, I think that’s what made it so fun and memorable. You could feel the love and the support from the community and all of the fans, and I knew no matter what happened, everyone was going to be proud.

VYPE: Who is your favorite teacher from any grade, and why?

My favorite teacher is Mrs. Unruh (Sue Unruh). She was my 5 & 6th grade teacher. You don’t really understand how big of an impact a teacher has on you until you don’t have them anymore. She was one of the best teachers I have ever had, not only because she was a great teacher but because she truly cares about me as a student and even more about me as a person. I still see her all the time, and she cares just as much, if not more than she did when I was in the 6th grade.

VYPE: What is your favorite athletic memory?

Other than going to state this year in basketball, I would have to say my favorite athletic memory would be my freshman year basketball season. I got to play with an outstanding group of seniors, one being my cousin, Jayci Mastre. There is nothing like your freshman year and being nervous to fit in, especially when it comes to sports.

I was so scared to mess up in front of all of the seniors, but never once did any of those girls make me feel bad about messing up, and they never failed to pick me up again and again. The bond I had with those girls is something I will never forget. Our coach that year was my cousin Shelby Hoppes. I’m not sure what scared me more, those senior girls or my family coaching me. I was extremely scared of Shelby, even more as the year went on. I felt like a lot of the time, I was the only one getting yelled at, but the older I get, the more I realize that he yelled at me so much because he cared and he expected a lot out of me and knew I could be better than I was in that moment.

After my last basketball game this year, he came up to me and told me how proud he was of me and how he was thankful he got to coach me, and I just want to say that I am beyond thankful to have been coached by him.

VYPE: What teammate has left the biggest impression on you and why?

The teammate that left the biggest impression on me is Tia Moddlemog. She was a senior when I was a freshman. Like I said earlier, I was very scared of these girls before the basketball season started, I didn’t really know any of them that well, and I wasn’t really sure how the season was gonna go for me. But Tia was always so nice and encouraging.

One of the things I love most about Tia is how much she really cared about the sport. That’s not something you see from a lot of people, but it was something that was clear from Tia. She loved that sport, and she always gave so much effort, even at the toughest times. After Tia graduated, every time we talked, she always told me how proud she was of me, and she has no idea how much that means to me. I remember one time she texted me after she had graduated, asking me how the basketball season was going, and that was a very hard time for me.

The team wasn’t very good, it felt like no one was getting along, and I was struggling, and I told Tia that. Tia told me no matter how hard it got; I couldn’t give up. She told me that I needed to be a leader, and I had to pick those girls up and lead them in a positive way. I couldn’t thank Tia enough for the impact she has left on me. I hope to leave as good an impact on some of my teammates as Tia left on me.

VYPE: What is your favorite part of being on this team?

My favorite part of being on any team is the bond you create with your teammates. You spend a lot of time with these people; you get to know them and care for them. This is a type of bond you can’t create anywhere else. The love I have for my teammates and the love I’ve felt from my teammates is something you feel for a very long time.

VYPE: You can pick any place for a summer vacation. Where do you go, and who do you take with you?

If I had to pick any place to go on vacation, it would have to be Europe. I would take my family with me.

VYPE: If we gave you $500 and you had to spend it in the next 24 hours, what would you spend it on?

I would definitely use it to go get food and go shopping.

VYPE: What Clubs or Campus groups are you involved with and why?

I am involved in FFA. I joined FFA because a lot of the school was in it, and they were always doing fun stuff. We have a very good advisor, Ashley Austin. Mrs. Austin is very energetic and enthusiastic, she always seems to be in a good mood, and I think it projects onto everyone else. Mrs. Austin gets us involved in a lot of things. I didn’t know a lot about agriculture before joining FFA, but to say that I’m glad I joined would be an understatement. I’ve had such a great experience being in FFA.

VYPE: Are you involved in academic excellence activities such as the National Honor Society, Student Council, or other academic clubs?