Athletes of the Week: Alex and Brynn Wagner

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KJCT) - The Central Warriors girls basketball team had a great weekend at the Wildcat Classic, winning two close games on Friday and Saturday. At 5-1, Central is off to their best start since the 2009-10 season.

Alex and Brynn Wagner have played a huge role in the Warriors’ strong start. The sisters led an unbelievable comeback on Saturday, as Central erased a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter. Brynn hit a huge three pointer with less than one minute to play, and Alex nailed the game-tying free throw to send it into overtime.

“Saturday was one where we couldn’t hit any shots, we were terrible from the free-throw line in the first half,” says Head Coach Mary Doane. “But we finally got it going in the second half...Alex hit a big free-throw to send us into overtime. It was fun, it was exciting.”

The Wagner sisters live and breathe basketball. Their dad, Taylor Wagner, is CMU’s head women’s basketball coach. Both sisters say they grew up in the gym.

“We’re always shooting on our free time, and my dad’s always working with us,” says Brynn. “Having a dad as a coach is super fun too. I love learning from him, watching his games, and interacting with his players. Just learning from the best.”

Alex is a junior, Brynn a sophomore. They feed off each other on the court, and push each other to get better every day in practice.

“We get each other,” Alex explains. “We have expectations for each other and we’re always pushing each other to be better.”

The Warriors will look to build off their strongest start in more than a decade, with the Wagner sisters leading the charge. Central has two more games before a long winter break -- Friday against Grand Valley, and next Tuesday against Glenwood Springs. Both games are on the road.

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