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03/24/2016 12:00 AMWhile assuming a huge leadership role off the court, Zoe Ehlert also displayed a diverse array of abilities on the floor as a key utility player for the Westbrook girls’ basketball team this winter.
Zoe, a junior co-captain, picked up hoops at the travel level and has stuck with the sport all the way to the present day. Zoe showed her versatility by playing point guard, shooting guard, and small forward in the recent season, averaging seven points, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game for a Knights’ squad that notched 14 victories, including two in the Class S State Tournament.
“I care more about the team than anything. I’m more into passing, assisting, and giving back to my team. I’m more about everyone else rather than myself,” Zoe says. “I just try to focus on many aspects of the game, rather than simply one position.”
Zoe admits that she prefers playing shooting guard and small forward and adds that she took a little lighthearted ribbing from her teammates about running the point. In the end, though, Zoe relished the duties of the point guard position and they went hand in hand with her tasks as a captain.
“I do like shooting guard and small forward. I enjoy getting to inbound the ball with being a shooting guard,” says Zoe, who also plays field hockey for her Knights. “There was joking on the team earlier in the year about me not liking point guard, yet I really liked how the position comes with a lot of responsibility.”
Another big responsibility for Zoe was taking on the job of captaining Westbrook as a junior, although the tight-knit chemistry among the young Knights helped ease her into that role.
“I was proud that our coach saw me as someone that could be a role model to my teammates and push them to do their best. I felt fortunate as a captain as a junior because our team is young to begin with,” says Zoe. “We all got along so well and we’ve been playing together forever, so our strong relationship made my job easier.”
Kelly Landino took over the head coaching reins with the Knights this season and says that she couldn’t have asked for a better leader than Zoe in her initial campaign as Westbrook’s bench boss.
“Zoe’s leadership and calmness provides a mature piece to a very young team. Zoe is always positive and a great example and leader on and off the court. She is always willing to do whatever the team needs from her to succeed,” says Landino. “She is unselfish, leads by example, is eager to improve and learn, and never gets rattled. She is a great student, also. Zoe is a well-rounded, polite, and respectful young lady. She is the type of kid you want to be around.”
Zoe takes her coach’s comments one step further by detailing why she’s able to stay calm, cool, and collected when the pressure ramps up.
“With my personality, I’m always focused on just the game. I feel if I’m calm, then everyone else will be calm, as well. When things get crazy, I try to pull the team together as one,” Zoe says. “My parents have always showed me how to be a leader since they’ve supported me my whole life and it makes me want to support others.”
After collecting a dozen regular season victories, qualifying for the Shoreline Conference Tournament, and then advancing two rounds in states, Zoe and the Knights feel optimistic as they head toward a future that looks to only be getting brighter.
“I’m excited for next year. We were a young team that started and finished strongly and went to the quarterfinals of states. Just to see what’s in our future is exciting,” says Zoe, who thanks her entire family. “We will all become stronger for next year and we have to work hard this offseason, as well, for that.”