The following story is the latest in a spotlight series of SWOSU student-athletes from the Weatherford Daily News and was published in the newspaper on January 25th.
 
SWOSU athlete Taylor Hedrick, of Seiling, has been involved in basketball for as long as she can remember.
 
Thankfully, she has greatly improved since her first great moment in the sport.
 
"My earliest memory is when I was in third grade and I finally scored my first basket in a game," Hedrick said. "But it just happened to be for the other team."
 
When she started playing for SWOSU, her main goal was to make the most of her time here. Making the transition to a college athlete, she realized she was not at all prepared for pre-season, but she pushed through it.
 
"It was definitely worth it to fight through it, because I have made some of my best friends here and have made countless memories," Hedrick said.
 
One of her greatest strengths in basketball is being "mentally tough," as Hedrick put it. She admits to getting anxious before games, but says all the nerves disappear once the game starts. To prepare for each game, her routine involves drinking three energy drinks before the game begins.
 
"One word that describes me would be 'competitive,'" Hedrick said. "I am a very competitive person, and don't like to lose. I'm going to give my all 100 percent of the time."
 
Hedrick's hero in athletics is LeBron James, who she has always looked up to for his talent and overall attitude.  Her own attitude is reflected in the quote made popular by Kevin Durant, "Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard."
 
"I may not be the most talented player, but I will work hard," Hedrick said.
 
Her only regret about her time at SWOSU is not branching out more and meeting more people. For incoming freshman, her advice is, "make the most out of your time at SWOSU and enjoy every moment."