9C Extra: Hi-Line Athlete Profile: Paij Peterson, North Star

When it comes to 9C girls basketball, it's doubtful many players in this weekend's tournament have logged as many minutes in tournament games inside the famed HHS gymnasium as North Star's Paij Peterson has.

In fact, when it comes to being a veteran of the 9C tourney, Peterson might as well be the poster-child.

That's because, from her first days as a freshman at North Star, Peterson has been a varsity athlete, whether in volleyball or on the track. But, where Peterson has really shined has been her play on the basketball court, and she knows, as well as anybody, what the spirit of the 9C tournament is all about.

"It's an awesome experience," Peterson said before the Knights beat Hays-Lodge Pole in a thriller Wednesday afternoon. "Playing in this tournament has been really cool over the years. The atmosphere around this tournament, there's nothing like it. It's so much fun."

Peterson has thrived in that atmosphere, too.

She's a three-time all 9C performer and a two-time Class C All-Stater in basketball. She also has plenty of accolades in volleyball and track and field, but again, some of her fondest memories have come at the always-huge, always exciting 9C tournament.

"My sophomore year when we made it to divisionals," Peterson said, "that was a great experience. That was really cool. But it's just always so much fun playing in this tournament."

And Peterson and the Knights are now just two more wins away from making it back to Great Falls. That's the goal for her and her team this season, a team in which she says she accepted a much bigger leadership role on from her point guard position.

"That's been different, being more of a leader," Peterson said. "Being a leader on the floor has been a different experience for me, but, it's a lot of fun, and I love this team. It's a great group and I'm proud to be a part of it."

Indeed, Peterson is a big part of it. She scored six points, grabbed five rebounds and dished out three assists in Wednesday's win, and she'll do whatever it takes to help the Knights keep going this weekend, and hopefully beyond.

"One of our goals is definitely to make it to divisionals," Peterson said. "We know we can do it. We just have to stay focused and play hard."

Before Peterson and the Knights go on in the 9C tourney, which includes a semifinal bout with undefeated Box Elder tonight, the Havre Daily News caught up with the three-sport North Star star for five questions.

HDN: Explain to people what the 9C experience is really like.

Peterson: "It's amazing. It's loud, it's packed, everyone is involved. The boys teams come and cheer and get crazy for the girls games, and then we do the same for them. The fans and the students dress up, I remember the mascots going at it a couple years ago, and then there's the support. There's so much support from everybody in your community, and, it brings all the communities together. It's amazing."

HDN: The 9C girls tournament has been so tough for so long now. It's really good isn't it?

Peterson: "There's tons of great teams. For a while now, Box Elder and Fort Benton have been the best. They're both really good. But over the years, you've also had Turner, and us (Knights), CJI made it to divisionals a couple years ago, and Chinook has been really good, too, over the years. It's just a really tough tournament every year I've been in high school, and it can always go any way. You just never know what's going to happen."

HDN: You've played varsity since you were a freshman. How has your game grown?

Peterson: "I think the biggest thing is, I have gained more and more confidence over the years. I feel like I've become more ball-smart too, and I've grown as a leader. My coach tells me I need to shoot more too (laughing). But overall, I think I've just become a smarter and more confident player as I've gotten older."

HDN: This is your last 9C tourney. What are your plans for the future?

Peterson: "Well, I'm going to have surgery (hips) in March, so I won't be able to do track this year, which is really disappointing. And my recovery time will be pretty long, so I'm not sure about college (sports). I do know I want to go to Eastern Wyoming to become a vet tech though. That's what I want to be."

HDN: What are the goals for the Knights this week in Havre?

Peterson: "First, to take this tournament one game at a time. We know what we have to do to win. We have to play tough, we have to stay strong, and we have to stay focused. We're a good team, and we want to show it. And we definitely want to make it to divisionals."