Girls athlete of the week
// The Post-Gazette’s top female performer from the past seven days
The past week: Poling dropped 22 points in Frazier’s win against Monessen. She’s averaging 22.5 points per game for the Commodores (75) and is a top 10 scorer in the WPIAL this season.
Check this out: The junior became the Frazier girls program’s all-time leading scorer as a sophomore, and as of Jan. 13, she has 1,597 points. Poling is the daughter of coach Ken Poling. What was it like becoming the all-time scorer? I was just trying to get through the season and play as a team together, and try to win, and it came as it came. It’s really exciting to be able to do that. Did you take a second to take a little pride in it? Yeah, definitely… it was a huge deal to me. Just being remembered by the school in that way, that meant a lot to me. What’s going right for you so far this season? Just playing together as a team, and defensively, we get a lot of steals and fastbreaks, so that helps me to be able to score a lot. A lot of the players [came] back from last season, so we have good chemistry together, so that helps, too. What’s it like being coached
by your dad? It’s rewarding at times then at other times it’s frustrating. To come home to it and hear it all the time. But then again, he knows my strengths better than anyone else would, so that helps, too. What’s the best present you got for the holidays? I would have to say my shoes. I got shoes. What kind? Michael Kors shoes… I also got an essential oil diffuser, that was something I asked for. Is there a player you try to emulate when you play? My favorite player in the NBA has to be Steph Curry, but I don’t know if I play like Steph. What’s your pregame routine?
Take a nap. I always take a nap before my game and then get on the bus. That’s about it. What’s something people would be surprised to know about you? I like to eat a lot of hot stuff. Like I sign waivers to eat hot wings and stuff like that.
Waivers? It’s like if something would happen to you because it’s so hot, that you can’t sue them or anything like that. So Quaker Steak & Lube, they have the atomic wing challenge, so if you sign off on that, to be able to eat the wings. That’s intense, I’m impressed.
Yeah [laughs].