D9Sports.com and EYT Media are doing a series of player profiles on returning high-school athletes this summer. The year in school listed by the athlete is the year the athlete is entering this fall.
BROOKE IRWIN – Junior – A-C Valley
Daughter of: Tracy and John (Dewey) Irwin
Sports Played: Golf, Basketball, Track & Field
2015-16 Highlights: Brooke finished eighth at the District 9 Class AA track and field meet in the 400-meter dash in a time of 1:03.39. She also ran a leg on A-C Valley’s seventh-place 4×400-meter relay team. Those places are even more impressive considering she finished the season with a broken bone in her foot that caused her to miss practice the entire week before districts and hampered her at districts. It was the same injury that caused her to miss nine months last year. In basketball, she saw varsity action in 22 games scoring 39 points while grabbing 30 rebounds, handing out 13 assists and coming away with 11 steals.
Post High School Goals: Irwin wants to go to college to become a veterinarian. She has been invited to visit some campuses but hasn’t made any decisions yet considering it’s still two years away. She would definitely consider running track in college.
Q&A With Brooke Irwin
D9Sports: Do you have a favorite sport, and if so why?
BI: Track would probably have to be my favorite sport. I like that track is an individual sport but also a team sport.
D9: What is your best high-school related sports memory and why?
BI: The best memory would be when my 4×4 team qualified for districts. I was always so excited to run that race with my team and to see if we improved our time.
D9: Has there been a coach and/or teacher who has influenced you the most in your high-school career to this point, and if so, why?
BI: My dad is a huge influence and really helps me throughout sports. He’s not one of my high school coaches, but he’s my coach for AAU Basketball. He’s always so supportive with what I do, and he pushes me to try even harder.
D9: What do you like best about playing sports in high school?
BI: I like that I get to play with my friends and watch each other improve and do great things.
D9: What is the hardest part about playing sports in high school?
BI: Playing sports in high school can get challenging when you have very hard classes and a lot of work in them. You just have to learn how to balance it. Some nights I have two or three sports in the same night school related or not.
D9: How much offseason work do you put into your sports?
BI: I golf two to three times a week and I go to driving ranges to work on my swing. I play AAU Basketball throughout the offseason and I go to the courts to just mess around and shoot some. I go to the open gyms and practices. I also do speed training to help with track. I go to speed training three to four times a week.
D9: What is your favorite subject in school?
BI: Math is by far my favorite school subject.
D9: What do you like to do for fun when you aren’t playing sports?
BI: When I’m not playing sports I love to hang out with my boyfriend, friends and family.
D9: What are your goals for the upcoming school year both sports wise and academically?
BI: My goal for sports is to be better than I was last year and to hopefully make states in track this year. I would also like to make playoffs in basketball. My goal academically is to make sure my grades are up and to get into NHS.
