Charger Chatter: Makenna Ott

1. What is your position on the Women’s Bas­ketball team?

I am a guard/forward.

1. How long have you played bas­ketball, and what first encouraged you to begin playing?

I’ve played bas­ketball since fourth grade. I was a dancer all of my life up until then. I came home from school one day and told my parents I wanted to play bas­ketball, because all my friends played bas­ketball and encouraged me to start playing.

1. Do you have any pre-game rituals?

It depends on if we’re at home or on the road. I always make sure to be at the gym at a certain time, and then to be on the court at a certain time. I listen to music and go over my scout report. In the mornings, we always have a pre-game meal, and then I’ll usually rest until I have to be at the gym.

1. What is one of your best mem­ories while being on the Hillsdale women’s bas­ketball team?

I have so many mem­ories. It would be dif­ficult to just pick one, but my team­mates are what make things so mem­o­rable. When we’re on the road we get to see new places; for example, when we played Trevecca, we stopped in downtown Nashville, and found a place to eat, and just explored what Nashville had to offer.

1. Was there any spe­cific moments or indi­viduals who influ­enced your expe­rience while on the team or even your time at Hillsdale, in general?

I def­i­nitely had moments when I realized how for­tunate I am to be here, espe­cially after I’ve seen dif­ferent places, I’ve realized I am meant to be here at Hillsdale. My team­mates though are the most important. They’re your instant group of friends, and you have them there to lean on. Also, Coach Fritsche has had a huge influence on us, and helps us enjoy our college expe­rience and being a part of the Women’s Bas­ketball team.

1. What is your mantra?

“Have faith.” Most recently the verse that has had a serious impact on me is Exodus 14:14, which says, “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

1. What is your favorite piece you have read while attending Hillsdale?

There isn’t one spe­cific piece, but certain classes were really influ­ential and I was amazed with what my pro­fessors were sharing. One in par­ticular was my Western Religion class I took the summer before I offi­cially attended Hillsdale. It opened my eyes to a lot of things and helped me study the Bible.

1. If you could make any change in the world, what would it be (apart from world peace)?

I would love to remove stress from the world.

1. Where is your favorite place to go off-campus in Hillsdale?

Tech­ni­cally it’s in Jonesville, but I love Udderside.

1. Speed round: Coffee or tea? Town or country? Five Guys or Steak ‘n Shake? Crewneck or hoodie? Nike or Adidas?

Neither.

Town.

Steak ‘n Shake.

Crewneck.

Nike (although we’re Adidas-spon­sored).