W. Hoops' Austin grew up playing with the guys

Mikaelyn Austin has been a tomboy her entire life. The junior point guard and sixth man of the Penn women's basketball team relishes this quality, and often found herself to be the only girl amidst a sea of males growing up. "I grew up around guys. My best friends were all guys," she said. "I knew I was a girl and they were all guys, but I never really considered the difference between us." Austin's mostly male friendships helped to cultivate her love for sports. Though she now focuses on basketball, Austin played a number of other sports as a child. Growing up in a small, Northern California town, she put on skis for the first time in kindergarten. "I started off skiing," she said. "And that's my love. They had a program where they would bus kids up to the local ski resort. It's exhilarating, it's my favorite thing to do." Having discovered her athletic ability, Austin wanted to try every sport that she could. She next stepped onto the baseball diamond, playing catcher and pitcher as the lone girl on her team for seven years. Austin enjoyed being the only girl amidst the boys. "I was pretty quick," she said. "And all the dads knew there was a girl on the team who was a pitcher, so they would get really upset when their sons struck out. I have a vivid memory of this dad yelling at his son and the kid crying. It was great." When the season was not right for baseball, Austin could be found playing in her local Pop-Warner football league. Once again, she was right in there with the boys and often found herself the target of opposing teams. "Once the other teams found out that I was a girl it was like, 'hit her with full force,'" she said. "I guess they just thought it was funny." It wasn't until seventh grade that Austin found her passion for basketball. She began playing club ball at the age of ten, but found the league to be dominated by the boys. "All they wanted to do was dribble and shoot and stuff," the current junior said. "I was tall, so I would just stand in the middle of the court and just jump up there and grab the ball and give it to one of the guys. So, I never really particularly liked it." At the age of 12, Austin moved from her small town and was too far from the ski slopes to indulge in her passion for the slopes. Instead she turned to the basketball court to fulfill her athletic needs. "I would go down and shoot free throws with my dad," she said. "We would go every day during the summer." In high school, Austin was one of the first freshmen to play on her varsity team, and led them to the Northern California championship that year. "It was kind of the first time I realized that basketball was probably the thing I should go with," the fine arts major said. "I was pretty good at it." When it came time to apply to college, Austin originally had no interest in Penn or any Ivy League school. "My dad kind of pushed the truth because I thought Ivy League schools were crazy," Austin said. "He said it was a good school and after I got back from the recruiting trip my dad confessed to me that it was Ivy League." But despite her father's urging during the application process, the pressure had not appeared before. "They never pushed me into sports," Austin said. "They never pressured me to do anything." Instead, Austin just went along with the other kids. "Everyone at school was talking about it and I just wanted to try it," she said. "I learned about sports because of the neighborhood -- the sandlot environment that I grew up in." Austin's parents continued to support her athletic endeavors, even moving to San Diego after her freshman year of high school to give her a better chance to develop her athletic talents. In fact, the Austins continue to follow their daughter for her basketball career. They are currently taking a three-month long vacation from sunny southern California to brave the bitter East Coast winter to watch their daughter compete. The Austins are able to maintain their careers on the road as Mike Austin, a retired professor, is able to work from home, as is his his wife, Betti. "We could work out of an apartment and spend two and a half months here," Mike said. "It made sense." The younger Austin is thankful for her parent's support. "I can never get away from them," she said. "It's not a bad thing though, I like them. I like them a lot." The fact that Austin's parents are able to be here to encourage her has helped the junior to excel on the court. This season, Austin consistently provides a much needed spark for the women's basketball team. "Mik is our player that can flat out score," Penn coach Kelly Greenberg said. "She comes in and gives us a flat out burst." Austin dominates from behind the three-point line, averaging 6.9 points per game, with a 29.7 three-point shooting percentage. She has broken her own personal record many times this season, scoring a career high six three-pointers against Harvard Feb. 11. "No matter where we are in the game or who we are playing against we can rely on Mik" Greenberg said. "She is an offensive spark." Though Austin has only started one game this season, she averages 18.4 minutes per game and has played in each contest No matter what role she plays on the team, Austin strives to contribute in any way she can. "I always want the team to win," she said. "And whatever I need to do that, I will."

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