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Yost: It’s definitely different. You can’t expect it to be like high school. You team with new girls, who you haven’t always played with. It’s hard, but it’s fun and very rewarding.

Chieftain: How much time do you put into basketball?

Y: Technically, our basketball season goes from November until March. But that’s just our schedule of games. Basically, it last all year. In the fall, we go through conditioning: that includes track sprints, weight lifting, open gyms and plyo circuits – that’s jump training. It strengthens your core area. I’d much rather run, but our coach (Cara Cocchiarella) focuses on strength. That’s really important at the college level. She takes it seriously, as she should.

C: Do you ever tell people about winning the state title at Joseph?

Y: Ah, yes and no. I don’t want to be talking myself up, and tell all these stories about how we went 29-0 and won the state championship. But it’s been mentioned.

C: How are you red-shirting your sophomore year?

Y: I played last season on the JV. This year, my responsibility is to practice, get better and improve my personal game. Meanwhile, I’m meshing with the other red-shirts I’ll play with next season.

C: In addition to basketball, you’re also on the rodeo team?

Y: Rodeo is just like any other college sport. We practice and have five rodeos in the fall and four more in the spring. Team practices are twice each week, and I ride my horses every day during the season. They’re home right now.

C: Which horses did you bring along with you?

Y: This year, I have Reno, my sister’s rope horse, and Casino, my barrel horse. Most of the time, I’ll run the barrels. Sometimes, I’ll rope a breakaway. Actually, Reno’s not quite finished yet so right now I use my roommates’ horse, Ralph, for the breakaway.

C: What do you think of Dillon, Mont.?

Y: It looks a lot like Baker, with these mountains nearby. The campus isn’t very big. The surrounding community includes several ranches.

C: I heard you had a fun drive home for Christmas.

Y: I pretty much drove 20 miles per hour all the way north of Dillon, through Lolo and Missoula and then through Idaho. A tire went flat, and my windshield cracked. The trip usually takes eight or nine hours. This one lasted already 12 hours.

C: Do you have a wish for the holidays?

Y: I wish my new dog, Nani, would be potty trained. I’ve only had her three weeks but, she’s already a good guard dog. As long as I’m holding her up, she looks pretty tough. And she hasn’t eaten any of my homework yet. She did try to type a paper for me.