Being able to join the varsity team of your respective sport as a freshman in high school isn’t something that happens often.
For University High School senior Hannah Stemple, who has been a member of the Hawks’ varsity squad since she arrived on Baker’s Ridge, the experience she’s been able to gain through her first three seasons is what she now holds onto as a senior captain for head coach Nick Lusk and his club.
A returning all-state honorable mention selection in Class AAAA, Stemple led the Hawks last season, scoring 15.9 points per game, grabbing 3.5 rebounds, dishing 3.0 assists, and producing 1.9 steals per contest.
She shot 45% from the field last season, including 41% from 3-point range. Stemple made 76 shots from long range and 81% from the free-throw line.
Hannah recently signed to join West Virginia Wesleyan next fall.
“First off, I’m excited just to be able to spend my last season with UHS and my friends and coaches who have been with me for the last four years,” she said. “I feel like this is the biggest season for me personally so far, and I’m ready to prove why our team deserves to be in the conversation for Charleston this year and why we are ready and able to make it there.”
A starter since her sophomore year, Stemple says being included in the lineup as a freshman helped her prepare to lead the team as a senior because she started to develop the qualities as early as two years ago.
“I was thrown right into it my freshman year, so being able to go from that to being the one everyone sort of looks up to is challenging,” she said. “I’ve been there before as the teammate who messes up or who is nervous about hurting the team, but now I know how to be the teammate to comfort someone when that happens and prepare them for the next opportunity that they get.”
Coach Nick Lusk says he’s seen Hannah’s leadership grow in multiple ways throughout her three years on the team.
“Her leadership on the floor has grown so much,” he said. “And not so much vocally, but how she practices and her work ethic every day. If she isn’t at school, at practice, or playing a game, you’ll usually find her working on her game individually or doing conditioning alone. She takes it upon herself to set the standard for the rest of the team to work towards achieving.”
Now, entering her senior season, Hannah says she has a few goals for which she would like to check the boxes individually.
“I’m close to scoring 1,000 points, so that’s on my radar early in the season,” she said. “But most importantly, I want to help my team win. Getting to the state tournament is a huge goal for all of us, and I will do everything I can do to help that cause.”
