JEFF FIELDER Editor
SCOTTSBLUFF – Taylen Holten, a senior at Scottsbluff High School, is this week’s Nspire Today! Female Athlete of the Week, sponsored by Kristy Culek Agency, LLC-American Family Insurance. Holten helped the Scottsbluff varsity girls basketball team qualify for state this past season and win its first-ever game at state. During high school, Holten has also been a key member of Scottsbluff’s girls soccer team, which hasn’t been able to practice or play the last few weeks because of the COVID-19 outbreak. The Nebraska School Activities Association extended its suspension of all spring activities until May 1. Taylen’s parents are Larinda and Bryan Holten.
Q: Talk about how exciting the girls basketball season was for you and your teammates.
HOLTEN: “I thought we did very well. It was one of the best seasons Scottsbluff has ever had. I was super proud of Yara [Garcia] and Aubry [Krentz] for stepping up and making plays and also for the contributions from my other teammates like Emma Herman. We had a great time. I love that team more than anything. I think we achieved more than what a lot of people thought we would achieve.”
Q: What were your expectations for the team going into the season?
HOLTEN: “I wanted us to go to state really bad. I knew we had a good chance because we had put so much work into it.”
Q: What do you think were the biggest keys to Scottsbluff having such a successful season?
HOLTEN: “We played a ton of games in the summer, which really helped us. Also, we spent a lot of time working on our shooting before and after school during the offseason. I think our team bond also helped us a lot. Our team was really close. Our coaches really helped us succeed, too.”
Q: How many years have you been playing basketball?
HOLTEN: “I’ve been playing since I was in fourth grade.”
Q: Ten years from now when you look back on this season, what will you remember the most?
HOLTEN: “I’m going to remember my teammates the most and how hard we worked.”
Q: How does it feel to be part of a team that claimed the first win at state in program history?
HOLTEN: “It feels great. Throughout the season, we broke quite a few records, and even my junior season we broke some records. So, making more history [at state] with those girls was a huge accomplishment. I’m super proud of my teammates, and I was super excited to be part of that.”
Q: How much are you going to miss playing basketball?
HOLTEN: “I’m going to miss it so much, especially being around my teammates and coaches. It was a great part of my life. I’ll miss playing, but I’m looking forward to watching my younger teammates play in the upcoming seasons.”
Q: Talk about the role you wanted to play on the team.
HOLTEN: “One of the roles I definitely wanted to play was being a supportive teammate. I didn’t play very much, but I wasn’t on the team just to play [in games]. I really wanted to be there to support everybody. I enjoyed being on the team. I wanted to be a good teammate more than anything.”
Q: How special was the senior basketball group?
HOLTEN: “We’ve played together since we were really little. We were the only four left from our class [to play basketball]. I’m so glad we stuck it out because the four of us are really close.”
Q: What is the team’s outlook for next season?
HOLTEN: “The younger players are really good – players like Emma Foote, Brady Laucomer, Mariyah Avila, and Payton Burda. They’re all really good team players. They want to get work done, so I see really good things for this team in the next few years – maybe even some more state wins.”
Q: Let’s talk a little bit about soccer. How many years have you been playing soccer?
HOLTEN: “I’ve been playing since third or fourth grade.”
Q: What’s been your role on the soccer team?
HOLTEN: “My freshman year, there weren’t many freshmen who went out, so I had a really good role on the varsity team as a goalkeeper. Then the next two years, I kind of switched back and forth from the field and the goalkeeper position. This year I’m going to be a full-time goalkeeper – if we get to play.”
Q: How much does soccer mean to you?
HOLTEN: “I love soccer. It’s my favorite sport. I think it’s a really great sport. It’s been a big part of my life.”
Q: What were the team’s expectations going into the season?
HOLTEN: “We have a lot of good, younger girls on the team who have played a lot of club soccer. This was supposed to be a really good season for us. We had really high hopes coming in.”
Q: Describe how you’ve felt with the COVID-19 outbreak affecting your senior year of school and soccer.
HOLTEN: “I’m super disappointed because I’ve been looking forward to this season since school started. Seeing it kind of go down the drain is really upsetting for me. I was looking forward to this season and being with those girls and winning some games – and maybe going farther than we have in past seasons. It’s really disappointing for me. Also, there’s only two seniors on the soccer team, and being one of the two is really heartbreaking.”
Q: I know the season has been up in the air. Have you been able to do anything to kind of stay prepared for the season?
HOLTEN: “Coach Larson has been sending us at-home workouts to help us stay in shape. He’s a really good coach. He wants the best for all of us, so he’s been really optimistic, hoping that we’ll still have some of the season. He’s one of the best coaches I’ve ever worked with. He’s been doing so much for us.”
Q: With the COVID-19 outbreak, is the suspension of the soccer season your biggest frustration as a senior?
HOLTEN: “I am really upset about soccer, but I’m also disappointed about graduation. We don’t know if we’ll have a graduation ceremony, and our prom is canceled. I was really looking forward to those things – the last things we would get to do in high school.”
Q: How are you handling the situation – especially trying to stay positive through all of this?
HOLTEN: “I have been working a little bit when I can. Mostly, though, I’ve been at home hanging out with my mom. I try to stay busy at home.”
Q: Where do you work?
HOLTEN: “I work at O Street Nutrition in Gering and Bluffs Nutrition Lounge in Scottsbluff.”
Q: How has work been going?
HOLTEN: “Right now, we’re only doing [curbside and deliveries]. We’re trying to keep contact to a minimum, so I can’t work very often right now.”
Q: What are your plans after you graduate from high school?
HOLTEN: “I haven’t decided yet. I was looking into maybe taking a few classes at WNCC or even owning my own nutrition bar. My bosses have talked to me about that. They are really encouraging. But I don’t know yet.”
Q: Outside of your school activities, what do you like to do for fun?
HOLTEN: “I do CrossFit with my mom sometimes. That’s really fun. I like working out when I have time. I also like to go to the lake when it’s nice out, and I enjoy walking the Monument.”
Q: What is your favorite class this school year?
HOLTEN: “My favorite class right now is video broadcasting because we get to do interviews around town, and we get to video different companies. It’s super fun, and my teacher – Mr. [Wayne] Lemoine – is great.”
Q: Who do you think is one of the kindest students at Scottsbluff High School?
HOLTEN: “That’s a hard question because there’s so many, but I would say Cali Wright. I play basketball and soccer with her, and she’s super kind to everybody. She helps people out all the time. She also has two sisters – Addi and Izzy – and they’re really great girls, too. They’re super kind to everybody.”
Q: During your educational career, which teacher do you feel has made the biggest influence on you?
HOLTEN: “Mr. [Todd] Menghini. I did summer school with him to get extra credits so I wouldn’t have to take English this year. He really helped me during the summer. Even this school year he’s continued to help me. He’s really good about making sure we learn what we’re supposed to learn. He’s a really good teacher – not only with English but also with life skills. He makes sure your head is on straight and that you’re a good person.”
Q: What’s the most exciting place you’ve ever traveled to?
HOLTEN: “I don’t travel much, so I would have to say state basketball in Lincoln.”
Q: What is your favorite local restaurant?
HOLTEN: “Scotty’s. Their burgers are really good, and I could eat their fries all day long.”
Q: What is your favorite type of music?
HOLTEN: “I love all types of music. But if I had to pick one, it would probably be classic rock like Red Hot Chili Peppers.”
Q: What is your favorite TV show?
HOLTEN: “Grey’s Anatomy.”
Q: Name one person who you feel is a big difference-maker in your community.
HOLTEN: “I would say my bosses – Brittanie Shaw and Kye Hudson. They moved here from Texas, and they started the nutrition company here – O Street Nutrition and Bluffs Nutrition Lounge. They want to make a difference in the community. Right now, they’re doing deliveries to nurses and other people who have to work during the pandemic. They’re really good people. I look up to them a lot.”
Q: What is your advice to people to get through this pandemic?
HOLTEN: “Do something that you’ve been wanting to do for a long time, but maybe you haven’t done yet because you haven’t had time.”
Q: Do you have any siblings?
HOLTEN: “I have an older brother, Zach. He’s 21.”
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.
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