By Jelissa Julmist
Point guard extraordinaire, Hannah Bates has been playing basketball for as long as she can remember, starting in the Sequim youth basketball program and finishing her career here at Peninsula College.
Hannah being only five feet and two inches tall has faced adversity while playing basketball her whole life, Bates stated that watching her oldest brother Dustin was her inspiration and reason for starting basketball, him being 5’5 and still earning a starting spot on varsity through high school taught her that as long as she worked hard she could accomplish anything, and she did.
“Childhood sports were always very frustrating for me because I was always so serious about my sport (basketball) and putting in time for my sport, and I always felt like my teammates didn’t have the same passion for the game as I did.”
Hannah originally planned to study at Central Washington University and leave sports behind for good, but after meeting with an enthusiastic coach Alison Crumb, Bates decided to stay close to home. Growing up in Port Angles Hannah had many opportunities to watch past peninsula college teams thrive, attending many games and even being a part of the p program as a kid made Hannah’s decision an easy one.
Although Hannah is originally from Port Angeles, she spent her adolescence attending school in the Sequim school district, Hannah was a part of a record-setting 2022-2023 high school basketball team, placing fourth at state, becoming the first Sequim team to go undefeated in league, and placed second in the district tournament. These accomplishments would not have been possible without Hannah’s hard work and skill as a point guard. Hannah hopes that her talent and basketball IQ can contribute to earning a championship here at Peninsula College.