Q&A: Paige Niemeyer
This week's State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Q&A is with the PrestoSports Women's Basketball Athlete of the Week, Paige Niemeyer (North Chatham, N.Y.).
CORTLAND, N.Y.- This week's State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Q&A is with the PrestoSports Women's Basketball Athlete of the Week, Paige Niemeyer (North Chatham, N.Y.).
Niemeyer set a career-high 23 points against Cortland Tuesday to lead the Hawks offensively, while matching that career-high in a six-point win over Buffalo State. Against the Red Dragons, Niemeyer was the catalyst in putting the Hawks in position to re-take the lead late in the game. She finished with her first double-double of the season, pulling down 10 rebounds - six of which came on the offensive glass, while registering two assists and a game-high three blocks. Against the Bengals, Niemeyer again, led her team offensively with a game-high 23 points, while also filling up the rest of the stat sheet. She had a game-high three blocks, to go along with five rebounds, three assists and three steals. She also played a team-high 36 minutes in the victory. Niemeyer was again crucial in New Paltz's win over Fredonia Saturday. She finished second on the team with 12 points, while adding six rebounds, two assists, two steals and a game-high two blocks. Through the weekend, Niemeyer is currently ranked third all-time in program history with 76 career blocks, and is atop SUNYAC with 34 blocks this season, which is 10th best all-time in Hawks single-season history.
Paige Neimeyer
School: New Paltz
Sport: Women's Basketball
Position: Guard/Foward
Year: Senior
Q&A:
1. Do you have a hidden or special talent?
I can whistle like a bird.
2. Do you have any pre-competition rituals?
I'm always the last person to leave the locker room right before warmups and I have to hit/high-five/shoulder bump everyone on the team coming off the court after warmups.
3. What's your favorite memory since competing for your institution?
Winning SUNYACs my freshman year. We played against undefeated Geneseo on their home court after they had blown us out twice that season and we didn't have a good first half of the season. We turned it around after intercession and had a lot of momentum going into championship weekend. It was such an amazing feeling when we silenced their crowd in the last minute and got to cut down their nets. It was the first time I had ever won any kind of championship and I was happy to be able to help give that to the seniors for their final season.
4. If you could have one song play every time you score, what would it be?
Highway to Hell- AC/DC
5. If you were stranded on an island, who would you want to be there with you, and why?
Probably my best friend Hannah. I don't know how helpful she would be, but she would definitely make the best out of the situation.
6. What is your spirit animal?
A hawk #newpaltzhawks
7. What is the best advice anyone has ever given you?
My coach always asks us; if someone were to watch you for just a split second, whether in life or basketball, what would they say about you? Everything you do, you have to think, would you be proud or embarrassed by your effort? Meaning live in the moment and do everything the right way even if it's the hard way.
8. What are some things you do to prepare for a game mentally?
I don't really do anything specifically to prepare. I try not to force myself into a specific mood or mindset before a game because that's not what I do every day when I go into practice and I don't want to learn to play good or bad based off how I feel mentally.
9. Do you have a motto you live by?
You will never outperform your own belief system
10. If you could pick one person in the entire world to be a spectator at all of your games who would it be and why?
My dad because he has coached me my entire life in every sport I have played since I could hold a ball and everything I am as an athlete is because of him. I owe him a lot for everything he has done for me and as an athlete, one way I can repay him is by making him proud…or Tom Brady because, I mean, that'd be awesome.
