GREAT FALLS — Last winter was tough for the Great Falls CMR girls basketball team, only winning five games and finishing seventh in the Eastern AA. Although, this season's team brings back a majority of that core.
"We just want to redeem ourselves from that, last year was something else," senior Kaylei Schultz said during CMR's practice on Tuesday at the high school. "The biggest thing us seniors are excited about is that we get to redeem ourselves from last year and we're definitely ready to work as hard as we can."
"We had a really good second half of the season last year and I think we want to build off of that," senior Kieva Mapes said. "We didn't make it to state, so I think that's another big goal for us."
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Another noteworthy headline about this team is that head coach Haley Vining returns after some time away last season. Schultz and Mapes said that should provide a boost, as well.
"We're definitely held to a higher standard to execute this year," Schultz said.
"(Vining's) just like our calm to the team and she's pretty good to us," Mapes said. "It helps us be good to each other, as well."
Vining said she's excited to lead her team again.
"Last year was kind of an unorthodox year for us. We had two coaches that had a baby in the middle of the season, so we just kind of had to figure it out," Vining said.
"It feels like we have a lot to get better at right now. I'm sure everybody kind of feels the same, but I've just been super impressed with our energy. We stressed competing, not just working hard, but we're trying to win in everything that we do."
CMR sets small goals to focus on each week, Vining said.
"It's just kind of easier when you think of the season as like little things instead of, oh, we need to accomplish all this in like one day," Vining said. "We're just trying to get a little bit better each day and not trying to hit a home run right from the start."
This is a group which is familiar with one another, as a handful of girls, Schultz and Mapes included, just played in the Class AA volleyball state championship.
"Getting a taste of like playing in a state championship was really cool," Schultz said. "I just want to go to state and just make the best out of what I can, and just have the best season for myself and our team."
"A lot of us are like good enough friends, and having that chemistry from volleyball and like the season we had, like we're able to build up off that and bring it in to this year, as well," Mapes said.
The CMR girls tip off their season in Kalispell next Friday and Saturday against Glacier and Flathead, respectively.
