In society today, it is very easy for us to make judgments about who people are and place labels on them, especially those we see on stage. This is no different when it comes to athletes, who are labeled with that title in all that they do, even if it is not related to athletics.
Today, we look into one of the women’s basketball players here at Iowa State, sophomore guard Aili Tanke.
Although Tanke is not at the forefront when it comes to attention from the media, she is one of the few athletes on campus. We will get some good insight on how a Division l basketball player finds the balance of school, practice, weights and we will discover more about who Tanke is beyond the athlete label.
To start off, Tanke wakes up around 8 a.m. and leaves her house around 8:20 a.m., where she then goes to class until 12:00 p.m.
Tanke is majoring in human nutrition and is hoping to go to nursing school after she graduates from Iowa State.
“I really enjoy doing a lot of sciences right now, and that’s something I really enjoy, so I actually am interested in going to class,” Tanke said.
One of Tanke’s classes is a biology lab class taught by McKayla Fullem, a doctoral candidate in neuroscience.
“She is a really great student,” Fullem said. “She pays attention and asks questions, and I like having conversations in class and she is able to do that.”
After classes are done for Tanke at noon, she catches the CyRide and heads to the Stark Performance Center (SPC) to grab lunch that is similar to a buffet style or grab-and-go before heading to weightlifting, which starts at 12:30 p.m. and goes to 1:15 p.m.
Tanke takes weightlifting seriously and is intentional about her time in the weight room, mentioning that the emphasis for lifting changed from high school to college basketball.
“When I got here, there was an emphasis on lifting and I kind of learned to enjoy it,” Tanke said. “Now it’s like beating my weight from last week or getting new personal records, and that’s what gets me going in the weight room and keeps me excited about it.”
After weights, Tanke has around 30 minutes to do any sort of rehabilitation or activation exercises that will help get her ready for practice. This usually lasts until 1:45 p.m.
Tanke then takes the court for pre-practice shooting for about 15 minutes until 2 p.m., which is when practice starts.
Practice end times can vary depending on the season of competition for the team, but usually end at around 4:30 p.m. Tanke takes an active role in practice as a player and a teammate, stressing the importance of roles.
“Every person has a job, like a role, and it’s making sure that you do your role,” Tanke said.
The team’s success has been fueled by players who have accepted their own roles and have played to their strengths as the Cyclones are currently 4-0 this season.
“The way we try and play, especially when Audi [Crooks] is getting double-teamed, she can really shoot it and she’s confident in her shot,” Iowa State Head Coach Bill Fennelly said during a press conference addressing one of Tanke’s roles on the team.
After practice, Tanke will go back to the athletic trainer if she feels sore after practice for about 30 minutes from 4:30 to 5 p.m. After this, Tanke will go back to the SPC and grab dinner for the night.
After dinner, Tanke then works on homework for the night, usually around 5:30 to about 7:00 p.m. After this, Tanke uses the rest of her night to wind down, watching TV shows and TikTok.
“‘Dancing with the Stars’ every Tuesday is a must,” Tanke said. “Then I kind of just go back to my comfort shows, like I’ve watched Grey’s Anatomy all the way through twice already and watch it, and then Vampire Diaries I’ve also watched two times fully, and then I’ll watch random episodes.”
Tanke also credits watching Grey’s Anatomy with sparking her interest in the medical field, causing her to be specifically interested in becoming a doctor, but ultimately Tanke decided to forego the doctor route and pursue nursing instead.
Tanke usually goes to bed around 10 p.m. This is a day that Tanke is heavily involved with school, weights and practice. On other days where she has more fluidity, Tanke’s favorite off-day activities are baking.
“I love baking, that’s what I love to do in my free time, and it’s kind of my stress release, so I try to do that on my off days,” Tanke said.
Tanke loves to bake brownies, cookies and is even learning the art of making tres leches. She even uses some of her baking skills to connect to the basketball court. Tanke commonly cooks with her teammate and friend, redshirt junior forward Alisa Williams.
“I’d say I’m more of the helper,” Williams said. “I’ll just do stuff on the side, but we’re either listening to music or watching a TV show.”
Williams said her and Tanke have a good friendship that breaks the label of just teammates.
“I think we are not just teammates, like we’re besties off the court, so I don’t get tired of being around her,” Williams said. “We say that we share the same brain cell cause we’re always on the same brain wave, but it’s great to have a teammate that’s also like your best friend and not just your co-worker.”
