Showcase Q&A: Palmyra’s Williams discusses her coaches, community support and her brother’s cooking
The fourth annual Muddy River Showcase takes place June 21 at John Wood Community College’s Student Activity Center. The girls game will tip at 2 p.m. with the boys game to follow at 4 p.m. General admission is $10.
PALMYRA, Mo. — The pressure of being a champion at showing goats is quite different than the stress of excelling on the basketball court.
Clare Williams does both rather seamlessly.
However, showing goats at the county and state fairs and other events gives the Palmyra standout hoopster a needed break from the rigors of developing into a college athlete.
“You get away from basketball,” Williams said of showing goats. “You get away from being stuck in a gym. Basketball is a whole lot of pressure you put on yourself, and you always want to get better. There’s anxiety that comes with that pressure, and getting away from that and showing goats, my heart just settles and I relax and I get to have fun with friends.”
Basketball, though, remains a love and a passion.
Williams, a guard, earned All-Clarence Cannon Conference and all-district honors as a senior when she averaged 18.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 3.6 steals per game. Her clutch play and leadership, along with those stats, made her a valuable signee for the Ottawa University women’s basketball program.
And she’s looking forward to living on the Ottawa, Kan., campus.
“It’s away from home, but it’s going to be home to me,” Williams said. “I think it’s just going to be very welcoming. I’m going to miss home, but I’m not going to miss it so much I’m going to want to go back every day.
“The city is so perfect. It’s a little bigger than Hannibal, so you get to do a lot of fun things. They have a cute downtown. I think being around all of the basketball girls is going to be a lot of fun.”
Williams recently chatted with Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman about her relationship with the Palmyra coaches, the community support and having her extended family at every game for this Muddy River Showcase Q&A.
Q: What are you looking forward to about playing in the Showcase?
A: I think just playing again for (Palmyra coach Kelsey) Stuart and Nicole Kroeger. I didn’t have enough time the past two years with them. I wish I had a full four years. Just having one more game with them will be just a joy.
Q: What did you enjoy about playing for them?
A: I was able to grow a great relationship with them. Personally, outside of basketball, we just had great connections. We could stay connected, not just about basketball but about daily life.
Q: You can see that continue once you go off to college, can’t you?
A: Yes, when I’m at college, I can text (Stuart) for advice. She gives great advice.
Q: What’s the best piece of advice Coach Stuart has given you?
A: Even though something doesn’t go my way, keep my head up. Evne though we were a young team last year, I had to keep my head. She’s given me great advice about keeping my head up when things don’t go the way we want them to. It’s the next play, the next play mentality.
Q: What’s the best piece of advice your parents have given you?
A: To always praise God, even if we win or lose. Just to keep going no matter what and that He has it in control.
Q: What’s the best piece of advice you would give your younger teammates?
A: To always keep working hard. You cna get better outcomes when you keep working hard. It really does show. We were such a young team, and we were beating teams with a lot older girls. It showed we wanted it more when other teams didn’t because we worked hard.
Q: What was the best part about playing for Palmyra?
A: I think the atmosphere is great and seeing the community come together is special. A lot fo the older folks, they just love coming to the games, and when I’m out and about or at a restaurant, they come up and tell me they enjoy watching us play.
Q: That community spirit is pretty special, isn’t it?
A: Yes, it is. They make it special.
Q: Growing up, did you realize it was going to be like that at the high school level?
A: I was actually a water girl whenever I was a little kid, and I wanted to be like the big kids. They felt like all-stars to me. So seeing the little kids watching us, I’m sure they feel the same way. Whenever me or Sydney (Compton) and all the other girls were playing, we were treated like we were the cool girls.
Q: Is it going to be weird next year not playing with Sydney?
A: Yes, it is. I kind of feel bad for her because she’s not going to get to play her freshman year at Quincy (University). That kind of stinks. It’s going to feel weird not being on the court with her. She always passes me the ball great, and I pass her the ball good as well.
Q: What was the best part about going to school at Palmyra?
A: As a senior, I only had to go to school for five hours out of eight, but they were fun classes and serious classes, too. I think the teachers try to make things fun but make sure you learn at a high level, too. The teachers were just a joy for me.
Q: DId you have a favorite class or a favorite teacher?
A: I really love my kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Burwinkle. She’s always been one of my favorites. I really like Mr. Thomas, who is now the assistant principal at the high school. I had him for sixth grade. He taught me some really good life lessons growing up.
Q: What made Mrs. Burwinkle special?
A: I always gave her hugs, and I loved her so much. She was just so fun. As a kindergartener, you just want to play and have fun and color. You never want to take naps, so nap time was the worst. But I remember kindergarten being so fun.
Q: Have you decided what you want to study in college?
A: I’m going to do exercise science.
Q: Do you know what you want to do with your degree?
A: I plan to go be an x-ray technician. I’m going to have to transfer after my four years and go to school for a couple of more years to get all the classes that I need.
Q: What made you decide to go that route?
A: Probably my aunt. She’s been telling me a lot of things about it. It’s great pay, but it’s also very rewarding. I think me going to the doctor to get myself x-rayed for my ankles multiple times and my shoulder because I’ve had shoulder problems made an impact. Just seeing that is pretty cool.
Q: Is your aunt an x-ray tech?
A: She’s an MRI technician.
Q: When you want to get away from basketball, what gets your mind off things?
A: I go swimming or my brother, Noah, and I go to goat and sheep shows almost every weekend.
Q: To stay fit and active, you have to eat right. So what’s your favorite meal?
A: I like pork burgers and mac and cheese. I could probably eat that three times a week.
Q: Do you cook it yourself or someone else?
A: My brother cooks it.
Q: Is Noah a good cook? Do you see him becoming a chef someday?
A: He is a good cook. I’m going to guess he’ll cook for his future wife someday.
Q: What does the family support mean to you?
A: It’s amazing. When you get your family from Bowling Green and they want to come to every game, it means something. My grandparents live in Philadelphia (Mo.), which is 40 minutes away from Palmyra, and they show up to every game. That just shows how much they love me and Noah and they just want to come watch the team. They told me they still want to come watch Palmyra girls basketball because they love the chemistry they have on the team.
Check out more of the Muddy River Showcase Q&As at the links below:
Payson Seymour’s Blake Schwartz
South Shelby’s Callie McWilliams
West Hancock’s Lewis Siegfried
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