JEFF FIELDER Editor
MITCHELL – Ansley Hessler, a senior at Mitchell High School, is this week’s Nspire Today! Female Athlete of the Week, sponsored by Kristy Culek Agency, LLC-American Family Insurance. She’s in her first year as a starting forward on Mitchell’s varsity girls basketball team, and she also competes in cross country and track and field (4×800 relay, 1,600, 3,200). She also participates in student council, Tigers Committed, National Honor Society, Future Business Leaders of America, and Quiz Bowl. She has a 4.0 GPA. The Mitchell girls basketball team had a 7-4 record going into Friday. Her parents are Sara and Derrick Hessler.
Q: Talk about how the basketball season has been going for the Mitchell girls.
HESSLER: “It’s been going pretty well. We started out a little rough, but we’ve been improving. We’ve played well the last few games. It’s been a lot of fun.”
Q: How does it feel to be a starter this season?
HESSLER: “[The seniors who played on Mitchell’s teams the last two years] were really, really good, so I didn’t get the chance to play that much [on varsity]. But they helped me so much in getting me to where I am now. … It’s exciting to be a starter this year. It’s been fun playing with the younger girls – there’s only two seniors on the team.”
Q: What are your expectations for this year’s Mitchell team?
HESSLER: “I’m really hoping we can make it to state again. I think we have a good chance.”
Q: What are the strengths of this year’s team?
HESSLER: “We have some pretty good shooters and good ball handlers. Our posts are working hard to get their moves down. We have some height still, but I think one of our main things is our speed. We have a lot of fast and quick girls.”
Q: You also compete in cross country. How did the cross country season go for you this past fall?
HESSLER: “It went great for me. I had a few breathing issues, but I got over that toward the end, so I had a really good season overall. Our whole team did really well.”
Q: Are you excited about the upcoming track and field season?
HESSLER: “I’m excited for that. It’s the last sport in my last year of high school, so I hope it goes really well.”
Q: What are your plans after you graduate from high school?
HESSLER: “I’m going to college at UW in Laramie, and I’m going into nursing.”
Q: Why did you decide to go to the University of Wyoming?
HESSLER: “It’s sort of close to home, and my family has a cabin in Wyoming, and the school is also close to our cabin. So, I like that I’ll get to be out on my own, but I won’t be too far away from home or our cabin.”
Q: Why did you decide to pursue nursing?
HESSLER: “My mom is a nurse, so she really inspired me and encouraged me. It seemed like a good fit for what I want in my life. I think I want to be a nurse practitioner.”
Q: Are you excited to get your college career started, or are you sad that high school is about over?
HESSLER: “It’s a little bit of both. I’m excited to start a new chapter in my life and get out there, but I’m going to miss high school.”
Q: What is your favorite non-sports activity at school?
HESSLER: “Tigers Committed. The purpose behind it is to encourage kids to make good decisions and to be a leader and to stay away from substances and those sort of things. It has been great for me to be part of that.”
Q: How exciting is it to have a 4.0 GPA at this point in your high school career?
HESSLER: “It’s really exciting because I can get some of my college paid for – because of how hard I’ve worked in high school. It’s nice to know that I achieved that goal [of maintaining a 4.0 GPA]. I take my academics really seriously.”
Q: What is your favorite subject in school?
HESSLER: “Science. It’s always interested me – to see how things work.”
Q: What’s been the key for you to be so successful in the classroom?
HESSLER: “I think it’s my drive and how hard I work. I’ve put in a lot of effort and a lot of extra time to do well in school, and it’s paid off.”
Q: Outside of your school activities, what do you like to do for fun?
HESSLER: “Since my family has a cabin [in Laramie Peak, Wyoming], I like to go there and go on the trails. It’s just nice to go hang out where there’s no electricity. I also really like to read. I do that a lot.”
Q: What is your favorite TV show?
HESSLER: “This Is Us.”
Q: You said you like to read. What types of books do you like to read?
HESSLER: “I’ll read almost anything as long as it’s not super boring. Mostly, though, I read fiction books.”
Q: Have you always lived in Mitchell?
HESSLER: “Yes, I have.”
Q: What has it been like growing up in the Mitchell community?
HESSLER: “Growing up in a small town has been really nice. Everybody knows everybody.”
Q: If you could give a shoutout to one business in Mitchell, which one would it be and why?
HESSLER: “I think it would have to be the [Nile Theatre]. I’m very grateful that it’s as cheap as it is. Most movie theaters are really expensive, but [at the Nile Theatre] it’s not bad at all. It’s a really fun place to watch a movie.”
Q: Who is one of the kindest students at Mitchell High School this school year?
HESSLER: “Jayden Kanno. I play basketball with her, and she is one of the kindest people I’ve ever met.”
Q: What is something you wish people would do more of?
HESSLER: “I wish people would show more kindness to each other.”
Q: What is something that the community of Mitchell doesn’t have that you wish it did have?
HESSLER: “I wish we had a recreational center.”
Q: Name one person who you think is a big difference-maker in your community.
HESSLER: “One of my teachers, Mrs. Liliana Rada, has really made a difference in our community. She takes kids to other countries during the summer, and she also does a lot of community service projects with many of her students, like picking up trash. It’s been great for our community.”
Q: Do you have any siblings?
HESSLER: “I have three brothers: Garrett, 17; Evan, 13; and Tate, 11.”
If you would like to nominate someone for Nspire Today!’s Athletes of the Week, sponsored by Kristy Culek Agency, you may do so by sending an email to jeff.fielder@nspiretoday.com or by mailing a letter to Nspire Today!, P.O. Box 454, Scottsbluff, NE 69363. Nominations may also be submitted by sending a text to 308-220-8865.
In addition to being recognized online, athletes of the week will also be recognized in Nspire Today! magazine. To sign up for a one-year subscription (12 issues) to the magazine, please send $15 to Nspire Today!, P.O. Box 454, Scottsbluff, NE 69363. To pay with a credit card, please call 308-220-8865. If you would like to increase your subscription to $20, Nspire Today! will donate the extra $5 in January to Buckboard Therapeutic Riding Academy.
For all your insurance needs, visit The Kristy Culek Agency, LLC-American Family Insurance, located at 1012 Ave. I in Scottsbluff, or call 308-632-8598.
