FEATURED SENIOR ATHLETE: Corie Stancombe, North Putnam

Corie is a senior at North Putnam and participates in three sports, cross country, wrestling and track

———

Banner Graphic: How important are sports to you, and what have you learned from them?

Corie Stancombe: “They’re very important to me. They’ve always been a big part of my life and I’ve learned a lot through them, like how to be a leader and when things get hard, you have to push through them.”

BG: Talk about your sports.

CS: “I started running cross country in middle school and stuck with it. I don’t really like taking breaks and wanted to be a three-sport athlete. My whole family has done wrestling, though I didn’t really get good at it until this year when I peaked at it. I’ve always had to wrestle up but this year was the first year I’ve had to cut weight. That was new but as long as I was getting down to 113, I was happy because I was winning a lot. This track year, I’m hoping for my 800-meter run to be my event.”

BG: What’s the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you in sports?

CS: “There was one year in cross country that I got tripped at the start of a race and it wasn’t restarted. I got pummeled by all the spikes. That wasn’t very fun.”

BG: What does your game day routine look like?

CS: “I make sure to stay hydrated throughout the day and the week. I like listening to music before hand to help me get ready to go all out and see what happens.”

BG: At Tuesday’s meet, you had a minor mishap at the start of the 800-meter run, losing a shoe at the gun. Take me through that race.

CS: “As soon as it came off, it slipped me up but I knew I had to keep running because there was no way I could turn around, put it on and still win. In my head, it was only two laps, so it wasn’t that bad, like if it was the 3,200-mile run. The 800-meter is the hardest event in track in my opinion and running on the track, your are going to step on rocks and I now have blisters on my feet. The first lap is fast but the real race is the last 200 meters because that’s where the lactic acid hits and I’m happy I won the race.”

BG: Do you have any favorite college/pro sports teams or athletes you follow?

CS: “I like watching Notre Dame and Indiana men’s distance. I like watching the Young brothers and Solomon brothers out in California. Kole Mathison is another guy I like to watch because he’s from around here and really good.”

BG: What else do you do at school besides things involving sports?

CS: “I help participate at Gleener’s Food Pantry and run with the Unified Track and Field team, as well as do the Polar Plunge.”

BG: What do you like to do outside of school and sports?

CS: “I play a lot of video games and mess around with computers. It’s something I like to do and want to go to school for.”

BG: What are your favorites in movies, books, TV and music?

CS: “I don’t read a lot but I do like the ‘Harry Potter’ novels and movies. I don’t watch a lot of TV because I’m on my computer a lot but I do like to listen to a lot of music, particularly rap music in general.”

BG: Are you a person that wants to watch TV shows and movies, stream something from YouTube, Twitch, TikTok etc. or something else (gaming, reading, etc.)?

CS: “Probably social media just because it’s on my phone, it’s the easiest thing to get do and I can see what my friends are doing.”

BG: What is something you have never done before that you would like to do someday?

CS: “I’d like to go to Cedar Point and am thinking about going soon. I like going on rollercoasters and enjoying time with my friends.”

BG: What is your biggest fear?

CS: “I hate needles.”

BG: You’ve been placed in charge of making dinner. What’s on the menu?

CS: “I can make spaghetti, grilled cheese and chicken tenders, which is a bit sad and I need to learn to cook more. I’d probably make spaghetti.”

BG: Do you have any pets?

CS: “I have two dogs, a mini golden-doodle named Biscuit and a boxer named Scrappy, though we do call him Frog-Dog as he likes to jump around everywhere.”

BG: If your house were on fire, all living things were already out and you have your keys, cell phone, wallet/purse etc., what is one thing you would go back and get?

CS: “My computer is really expensive and a big part of everything I do, so I’d get that. It took a long time to build.”

BG: If you were to describe your personality in one word, what would that word be and why?

CS: “Goofy. I like to make jokes and try to be the funny person, making everyone laugh and smile.”

BG: What has been your favorite place to visit?

CS: “Now that Dari-ette has reopened, I’ve been stopping there and getting some ice cream after practice. It’s one of my favorite places to go.”

BG: What was your favorite school field trip?

CS: “”Probably Washington, D.C. when I was in middle school. It was fun going through the Smithsonian Museum and everything.”

BG: How important is support from your family and classmates to your success?

CS: “It’s very important. My mom wants me to succeed a lot. She is my main parent and the one I look up to and everything. She’s always on me about grades but wants to see me succeed not on there but in sports as well, as well as life in general.”

BG: Describe your overall school experience both academically and athletically.

CS: “It got rough my junior year because I slacked off but I’m hoping this year that I can raise my GPA up a bit and prove those grades my junior year weren’t me. Sports-wise, it’s been great, especially running cross country. It’s been like one big family. Having my actual family in wrestling has also been great.”

BG: If your school was to offer a class it currently doesn’t, what would you want to see taught?

CS: “Probably another foreign language. Spanish was hard for me and that was the only foreign language our school provides.”

BG: What are your plans for after high school, and what career are you headed toward?

CS: “My plans are to attend Indiana University, majoring in informatics. It’s IT related, messing with computers and other tech aspects.”

BG: Is it difficult to keep up with your school work being an athlete?

CS: “This year, not as much as I attend Area 30, but last year it was tough to keep up with my grades. There were some practices I had to sit and go to tutoring to get my work done.”

BG: Which particular classes and teachers have helped you the most in high school?

CS: “Ms. Spencer. I’ve had her for three years in different math classes. It’s great to have her around because she’s energetic and wants her students to succeed.”

BG: In the future, once you’ve established yourself, if you had your choice, would you want to live somewhere more remote, such as in the mountains or the countryside, somewhere more flashy like down on the beach or in the big city or in the neighborhood?

CS: “I’d say a suburban area. I like being around places and people. If I want to go out to eat, I like having options. I used to live in Avon and there were options everywhere.”

BG: Do you think high school has gone fast, and are you going to miss it?

CS: “I’m going to miss high school a lot. It’s definitely gone by fast. I’m going to miss athletics but I’ll really miss athletics and my teachers. It’s kinda sad but I’m ready for college.”