IFN Player Of The Year: Anne Secrest
AKRON — The 2015-16 girls basketball season brought plenty of great milestones and memories for fans, players and teams in our area. One of the biggest stories this year has a familiar tune as the Tippecanoe Valley girls basketball team has once again eclipsed 20 wins and enters the postseason as one of the state’s hottest teams. Valley’s success would be nil without the presence of our selection for the Player of the Year.
She’s a 6’0″ junior, a total mismatch on the court and one of the friendliest student-athletes you’ll meet. Ladies and gentlemen, Anne Secrest.
“What you see on the basketball court is just part of it,” said Valley head coach Chris Kindig. “Behind the scenes, off the court, Anne is just as good of a person as she is a basketball player and that’s pretty darn good.”
Secrest has been a known presence on the hardwood since her freshman year. Her fantastic sophomore campaign led her to be named IFN’s Player of the Year last season and she’s only continued to impress in her junior year.
Valley enters the sectional with a 21-1 mark and Secrest can claim a large chunk of that success. The junior leads Class 3-A’s No. 4-ranked team with 17.5 points per game, a tick higher than her 2014-15 total of 17.3 ppg. Secrest also is third on the team in assists with two per game. Defensively she’s just as impressive, leading the team with 8.0 boards, 2.7 steals and 1.6 blocks per night.
Before the season, Secrest gave a verbal commitment to play at Youngstown State University. Getting the college recruitment out of the way was big for Secrest as she saw it as a way to put more focus to working on the court.
“It was nice to have that done so early,” Secrest said. “I didn’t have to worry about where I wanted to go after that point. I did take a little pressure off so I didn’t have to worry about recruiting during the season or worry about who was in the stands watching. It was really nice.”
Secrest is not about the individual glory. Her selfless play has helped the Lady Vikings transition nicely this season after making a deep run to the state finals last year. She’s not an “I” type of player and a big part of her focus was making sure her team gelled going into the season.
“We all had to find our fit this season,” said Secrest. “Last year’s team was very different from the year before and this year’s team is different from last year’s. Once we all found our role and knew what we had to do, myself included, then things really started clicking and we’ve been able to be more successful because of it.”
It was hard to coax Secrest into talking about herself. Kindig sees her work ethic and talent displayed on an almost daily routine throughout the season. The coach has never been left unimpressed with what his junior star brings to the table.
“She’s got such a strong desire to keep getting better and better all the time,” remarked Kindig. “There are some girls that would rest on their laurels and sit back and be satisfied with their accomplishments and a commitment to a D1 school. That’s not Anne.
“She’s great with kids, she’s great in the community. She’s going to make Youngstown State very happy when she gets there. I don’t know what she’s going to do in life but I know she’ll be successful because of her work ethic.”
That work ethic Secrest puts on display each and every game is what brings so many to marvel at her on the court. A constant challenge to make herself better is what makes Secrest elite and keeps her going even when adversity may strike on the court.
“I’m always aiming to get better,” Secrest explained. “Obviously nobody is perfect. So, if I make a mistake I just tell myself that I’ve got to do better the next time around. I want to get a little better every time down the court. There’s always something to work on and that’s what keeps me motivated.”