Faith Cornmesser (30) wrestles the ball from an Elko player during a game earlier this season.
Churchill County High School junior Faith Cornmesser has been hot on the basketball court, scoring 296 points with 72 free throws, 315 rebounds and 22 assists in her varsity career.
She first joined the Greenwave basketball program in seventh grade and came to varsity last year. She’s played for the school every year as well as on independent teams.
According to her parents, Cornmesser is extremely competitive. Her mother, Vivian Cornmesser, said her daughter hates to lose whether it’s a basketball game or a race to the car with her brother.
“She’s very driven for sports, she’s very driven for her grades; she just likes to be on top,” Vivian Cornmesser said. “She likes to win and it’s an awesome thing.”
Faith doesn’t let her competitive spirit or athletic achievements go to her head though. Vivian said her daughter is very sweet and nice to everyone. When asked her thoughts on her contributions this season, Faith said she just does what she needs to.
Anne Smith, head girls’ basketball coach, said the Fallon junior has a quiet confidence. She may not get the limelight, but she always does her best.
“You can see that in all of her sports,” Smith said. “You can see that leadership and that quiet confidence.”
This year, though, Cornmesser has entered the spotlight more; as a starter for the team, she has been on the floor much more and played very well; this season, she has scored 164 points with 142 rebounds and nine assists.
Smith said Cornmesser is a very coachable player, listens to feedback and does her best to do whatever was asked of her. Even when facing defeat, Smith said Cornmesser will keep trying to get better.
Smith was especially impressed with the player’s understanding of how important little things are. She said Cornmesser does well with rebounds — leading the league in them last year — and is a solid defender. She also said other coaches have taken notice and complimented Cornmesser’s ability.
“She’s been here all along, she just wasn’t out in the front,” Smith said. “She was behind the scenes taking care of those details that sometimes don’t get as much attention as they should, but are crucial to a team’s success.”
Smith said she was fortunate to have the opportunity to coach her and that she makes coaching fun.
Vivian Cornmesser said this year’s team gets along well with very little drama. She said they all want to win and the coach is able to motivate them to perform their best.
Faith Cornmesser said she likes this year’s varsity team; she said the players mesh well and have a special bond.
“We just know what each other are going to do and how we’re going to play,” she said.
It wasn’t always the case, though. According to Steve Cornmesser, Faith’s father, she had a rough start to high-school basketball. He said his daughter’s junior varsity team did not mesh as well as the current varsity team.
This quickly changed, though, and he recalled she was upset when her sophomore basketball season ended.
“She wasn’t done playing,” he said. “That was crazy to hear, because softball was the next season she was going to do. She was so upset the season was over because she said ‘I’m not done playing’ … she really loved the heck out of it.”
Steve Cornmesser attributes her love of basketball to Tommy Thomson, a U.S. History teacher at CCHS, and Shelly Dalager, the JV boys’ basketball coach. He said they pushed the girls to do the best they could, bringing out their individual talents, and taught them the game well.
“Great basketball coaches,” he said. “They understand the game. They probably know more than anyone in this town.”
Faith Cornmesser also plays on the Fallon volleyball and softball teams. She said she plans to join the basketball team for her senior year. After graduating though, her plans are to pursue softball in college.
“That’s her No. 1 thing, is softball,” Steve Cornmesser said. “Next is basketball.”