By Quin Welch, Sports Editor
Last semester, I wrote a column about the Bellarmine men’s basketball team and their personalities. I talked about George Knott’s everlasting love for Taylor Swift. We learned about Michael Parrish’s ability to impersonate a particularly tiny Monstar. And, finally, I wrote about Jarek Coles and Josh Sewell’s player/coach rapper/producer relationship.
So, why not write one for the women’s team? These players are absolutely killing it on the court right now, with a stellar record of 16-2 and 10-2 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference. I said in my column two weeks ago that the women’s team deserves more attention from both the fans and the media. And, we’re the media.
I talked to Sarah Galvin and Brooke Valentine to get an inside look at this historic team. What do they like to do? Who’s different from the rest of the group? Who likes unusual music? Who has a weird obsession with ketchup?
Sadly, no one had a weird obsession with ketchup. Actually, it was just the opposite.
“Whitney (Hartlage) is super awkward, hates ketchup and loves One Direction,” Galvin said.
Galvin is interesting in her own right, Valentine told me. She said Galvin has something in common with John Lennon: They’re both hippies.
“Sarah, she’s like a hippy,” Valentine said. “She’s all about good vibes and happy times. She stays away from negative energy. We were in the hotel and she put on her pre-game soundtrack and I thought we were going to start tie-dying shirts.”
Speaking of hippies, Galvin said Rachel Young believes she’s married to a modern-day hippie.
“Rachel thinks Wiz Khalifa is her husband. She always kills the aux cord,” Galvin said.
Valentine said senior guard Mackenzie Martinez adapted Khalifa’s motto of “work hard, play hard.”
“Mackenzie is all about basketball,” Valentine said. “I don’t think she loves anything else other than basketball.”
Galvin revealed that Valentine has a love other than basketball in her life – her child. Valentine’s son Trey is two and half years old.
“Brooke speaks her mind… Has no filter whatsoever and is a great mom,” Galvin said.
I couldn’t get through this column without finding a nugget out about the head coach, Chancellor Dugan. Galvin said Dugan is obsessed with a certain 6-foot-3 elf.
“Coach Dugan loves Will Ferrell,” Galvin said.
Galvin stressed the team’s chemistry is good because players complement one another on and off the court.
“I would say that we are all very different, but we complement each other and know how to have fun when we are together,” Galvin said.
If you haven’t seen this group of Knights play, go do it. They’re a lot of fun to watch, and they’re all pretty cool people in general, even if one of them doesn’t like ketchup.