Hi-Line Athlete Profile: Dakota Krass, Turner basketball

The 9C Girls Basketball Tournament has finally started at the Havre High Gymnasium. Over the course of this week, many basketball players and their teams will look to go on a run to finish in the top three of the tournament and clinch a spot in next week's Northern C Divisional.

One of those athletes is senior Dakota Krass of Turner. While the Tornadoes have not had the best season, Krass hopes to do well in her final appearance at the 9C tournament.

"I'm hoping to win a few games and hopefully make it farther than we did last year and just have fun," Krass said.

Krass has grown familiar with the District 9C Tournament over the years. With Turner being a small town, Krass got to play for the Tornadoes as an eighth grader in the 9C tournament. It was overwhelming at first, but Krass eventually settled down and enjoyed her time at the tournament.

"I was so scared but I had my sister there with me and she kind of calmed me down and it was a fun experience," Krass said.

Over the next few years, Krass enjoyed every time she got to play in the District 9C tournament. Her favorite moment came in her sophomore year when the Tornadoes finished second in the tournament to clinch a spot in the Northern C Divisional. Along with winning, Krass has enjoyed getting to compete in this gymnasium at the end of every season.

"I love the environment. I really like the bands and the cheerleaders," Krass said. "We don't get that all the time and I think that the environment is the best thing about the tournament."

The past two seasons, the Tornadoes have not had as much success. While the Tornadoes have fallen short lately, they continue to get the support of the Turner community during the District 9C Tournament.

"The fan group is crazy," Krass said. "Turner's a ghost town when tournaments roll around. They love watching us and they support us and I love it."

This week will be Krass' final time at the tournament. Once she is done with Turner basketball and high school, she plans on attending Montana State University-Northern to study agriculture business. After college, she plans to go back to work on her family farm.

Turner started the 9C Tournament with a 52-15 loss to No. 1 seed Chinook so it had to play in a loser-out game against Big Sandy this morning to stay alive in the tournament. Before she played possibly the final game in her high school career, Krass answered five questions for the Havre Daily News.

HDN: What have you learned from your time in Turner basketball?

Krass: "Dedication. Going to practices and everything, you learn to be there on time and the simple things."

HDN: What have you enjoyed about your senior season?

Krass: "It's been weird compared to all my other seasons but I like being the leader. I think I'm OK with it."

HDN: What is your favorite basketball memory?

Krass: "One time we went to Arizona to play AAU. That was with my sister and that was pretty fun. It was cool going to a different state that was actually warm all the time."

HDN: What was it like playing with your older sister Shyan for a few years in high school?

Krass: "It was great. I was the guard and she was the post and we would dish it into each other. It was like we were connected somehow. It was weird but I loved every second of it playing with her."

HDN: What did you learn from your older sister Shyan?

Krass: "She taught me almost everything I know. I was originally more of a guard and now I've been posting more because we don't have a big post on our team and I'm the tallest. It's been a little hard but she taught me everything I know."