TOKYO -- Don’t let that sunny smile fool you; Mia Weinland is as competitive as they come.

A five-time Far East champion - three times in volleyball and two in basketball - Weinland has never lost a home game. The four-year starter and class president hates to lose.

That’s why Nov. 6 left a bitter taste in Weinland’s mouth as she forced her bum knee to carry her off the volleyball court while Kubasaki celebrated. For the first time in her four years at American School in Japan, she had lost a Far East championship game.

“I know what it’s like to be expected to win, and it’s a lot of pressure sometimes, but I know what it’s like to feel like we [as a team] are expecting to win,” Weinland said. “We came into that game maybe a little too calm, too relaxed and Kubasaki had the right mentality, so they beat us.”

Weinland used that loss as motivation for the basketball season, which ended with a Mustang title and Weinland repeating honors as Stars and Stripes girls basketball Athlete of the Year.

After the volleyball tournament final, she went to a doctor to have her knee examined.

“He asked if I need to play basketball, if it was something I have to do,” Weinland said. “I had been playing basketball with my teammates since seventh grade, so I knew it was something I have to do for them. It was never a question of not playing so much as I how I was going to do it.”

So the Mustangs star 6-foot athlete told her teammates she was going to go against her doctor’s concerns; she would have some injections to help the torn cartilage in her knee and play to defend the school’s Far East title. Teammates expressed their own concerns for her health, but she reassured them it would be OK before they voted her captain.

“There's days when our trainer won't let her run with the team,” coach Julie Rogers said. “So one day, I knew she was excused, but I heard a loud ruckus outside the gym door. Mia was dragging a stationary bike into the gym so she could ride the bike while her teammates ran up and down the court. She wanted to stay in good shape, not damage the knee any more, but she also was the team captain and nothing was going to keep her away from her teammates.”

The Mustangs went 20-3 on the season. The cool and collected Kate Latimore acted as the passionate Weinland’s calming force and Allie Rogers was her on court coach, sometimes praising and sometimes critiquing her captain’s play.

Kadena made a statement by steamrolling the reigning champions 65-47 in pool play at Far East. A limping Weinland found herself in early foul trouble and sat on the bench for much of the game, her seven points hardly making a dent.

But Weinland wasn’t ready to concede.

“Mia is a competitor - she's in it to win it. She shows up game after game both mentally and physically, so I wasn't surprised when she came to the top of the bleachers a couple hours later to sit and talk with me,” Rogers said. “Her one question: ‘how are we going to beat them?’ She wanted to strategize because she knew the Mustangs had it in them to beat this talented Kadena team.”

Two days later in the championship, ASIJ unleashed a new defensive scheme born from that meeting in the bleachers. The Mustangs rebounded to beat Kadena 46-38 to repeat as champions. Weinland had 22 points, 19 rebounds and never came out for a minute.

“There’s just so many people who got me here and I’m so thankful for everyone I’ve met,” Weinland said. “Betsy Knowles helped me transform from a lanky freshman to where I am now, Lizzie Hill [ASIJ freshman shooting guard] is so funny and can always make me laugh. I can’t be more thankful for my teammates.”

kimber.james@stripes.com

Twitter: @james_kimber1st Team Mia Weinland, PF-C, American School in Japan; Emme Warnken, SF, Taejon Christian; Jasmine Rhodes, SG, Kadena; Kate Latimore, F-C, ASIJ; Ti’Ara Carroll, PG, Zama2nd Team Sarah Claypool, PF, Yokota; Maddie Thies, C, Seoul Foreign; Jamia Bailey, PG, Yokota; Vanessa Black, PG-SG, Robert D. Edgren; Allie Rogers, PG-SG, ASIJ

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