Simunek Named USCAA Academic All-American

Lady Lions hoops star Sophie Simunek was recently named to the HVIAC All-Conference team and is now also a USCAA Academic All-American.

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Lady Lions hoops star Sophie Simunek was recently named to the HVIAC All-Conference team and is now also a USCAA Academic All-American.

Athletes must have a cumulative GPA over a 3.5 to be considered for this prestigious award. Simunek is a senior from Cincinnati, OH and is a Politics, Philosophy, and Economics major. We caught up with Sophie recently for to ask her a few questions:

How long have you been playing basketball and what are your first memories of it?

I have been playing basketball since 4th Grade. I played varsity all four years of high school, was team captain junior and senior year, and was MVP my junior year. My first memories of it were lots of running and tiring practices. But I also remember forming a good, partnership with one of my teammates, who I continued to play with through twelfth grade. We were constantly competing for top scores and rebounds every game, but we understood each other as players so well that we could just throw the ball into a sea of opposing players and know the other would be there for the catch and shot. It’s having teammates like this that make the game so much fun.

What made you come to King’s?

I transferred to King’s because I was drawn to the multi-disciplinary approach of PPE, as well as the mission and vision of the school. It had what was lacking at my former school: rigorous academics and a strong and thriving community.

What is your major? 

My major is PPE. I work as a Teacher’s Assistant for Dr. Pincin and Dr. Parks, and I am the current President of the House of Clara Barton. 

It was a tough year as far as the win/loss record, but what were some of the positives you took from the season?

Although having a losing record can be defeating for the team as a whole, it was great to be a part of a team who remained committed anyways throughout the whole season. Coach Dom has been incredibly encouraging, pointing out our strengths both as individual players as well as a team. We had some really fun games where we were able to play some good basketball, and these made the overall season worth it.

What are your hopes for next season?

I am graduating this May, therefore, I won’t be playing next season. However, I hope that the school can have a whole team (ten girls) who can practice weekly. If we have these two things, King’s has great potential to have a successful women’s basketball team.


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