QC, THAT'S WHERE!
QC, THAT'S WHERE!
Courting Success with UNI's Basketball Star Grace Boffeli
When Grace Boffeli decided to take her basketball talents to Northern Iowa, little did she know that her story would become an inspiration for countless young athletes in her hometown of the Quad Cities. In our latest episode, Grace, a former North Scott High School phenom and now a key player for UNI, sits down to recount her exhilarating journey. She shares how the roar of her local fans fuels her on-court prowess and reminisces about the pivotal moment she chose to become a Panther, embracing the familial bond nurtured by her coaches. Not only does Grace share her excitement for the Missouri Valley Conference tournament, but she also brings to life the adrenaline rush of playing with a "home-court" advantage during the conference tournament season.
Then, we swerve from the hardwood to the hearts of the community, highlighting how women's sports at UNI are carving out a powerful legacy. From the irresistible charm of Whitey's Ice Cream discussions to the palpable increase in game-day crowds, we showcase the growing influence of female athletes. We're also let in on game-day superstitions and the beloved college memories that will last a lifetime. As we peek into the future, Grace reveals ambitions that extend well beyond the arena, into careers that promise to shape the minds of the next generation. Join us for these heartfelt narratives that celebrate the indelible imprint of women's athletics and the enduring spirit of the QC community pride.
QC, That's Where is a podcast powered by Visit Quad Cities. Through the people, partnerships, and personalities woven throughout the Quad Cities region, you'll meet real Quad Citizens and hear the untold stories of the region.
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I know, no matter what at the tournament, I'm gonna have so many fans, family, friends, coaches back at home just coming. It's a 10 to 15 minute drive, so I'm just super excited to see everyone in the stands and put the support when we play the games.
Speaker 2:Where do you find a family of communities connected by the storied Mississippi River, where young explorers and dreamers, investors and entrepreneurs thrive? Where can you connect with real people living and creating in a place that's as genuine as it is quirky QC? That's where.
Speaker 3:Hello everyone, welcome to QC. That's where podcast I'm your host, velia, today. I know you guys are used to seeing Katrina, but I could not pass up this opportunity to get to interview the one and only Grace Befelli, one of the best basketball players I know. Grace, thank you so much for coming on to the podcast. Thank you for having me, of course. So, Grace, for people that don't know, kind of talk about where you're from, where you went to high school, where you play basketball now and then we'll just get kind of into it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so I went to North Scott High School and now I play basketball at Northern Iowa. I am a fourth year and I'm going to play my next year, my COVID year, so I have one more year after this year.
Speaker 3:Yay, that is so fun. So you're from the Quad Cities, which is really exciting. Quad City native and playing for you and I kind of close, do your parents get to come to a lot of your games? Family old coaches.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I don't think my parents have missed a game since, really, I've gotten into college, and then my aunt, uncle, sister, brothers they always come too. So, yeah, I have a strong support system, and it also helps that I only live two hours away.
Speaker 3:So yeah, it's pretty exciting. I know picking colleges can be kind of intimidating, like when I picked to go to Iowa State. I was like, well, I know, I'm only three hours away, it's a perfect distance for your family to be able to come if they need to. But you also feel like you're independent and you kind of have your own life outside of your parents. So let's kind of talk about the beginning of the season or where you guys are at now. Well, you're taking five in conference, which is huge, very exciting. You're fifth in the NBC. You just had a huge win against Murray State 89-7. That was awesome and that was your coaches.
Speaker 1:She's now the most wins in the NBC now. I saw that I think I had a 202 wins.
Speaker 3:Oh my gosh, she's such a son. She's so awesome. I saw the video of you guys I think it was you and Kaba maybe pouring water on her.
Speaker 1:Water yeah, half three one. Yeah, that was fun.
Speaker 3:I think she was kind of expecting you guys to do that, because she kind of came in like ooh, I know.
Speaker 1:I know, I know, and then a lot of the players just kept going.
Speaker 3:I thought I was gonna stop, and then I don't know who was following.
Speaker 1:We just went for it.
Speaker 3:In your recruiting process? Was she a big part of why you wanted to go to UNI?
Speaker 1:Yeah, I got recruited kind of late in high school I think it was my junior year, going into junior year and you and I actually was like the first school that reached out to me. They recruited me at the camp that they had in the summer and then the next day I just kind of committed. So it was a quick decision. But, yeah, the coaching staff was very supportive and then when I went on the visit they're so supportive and super nice and I know I wanted to come here.
Speaker 3:That always makes it a lot easier when it feels like a family. You know you're going to be, you know, safe and you get to play the sport you love. So that was. And then you guys just had a really big win against Southern Illinois 74 51, which was huge. And then you have a big game against Drake coming up. How are you guys preparing their what number one in the NBC right now? So what are you guys doing to?
Speaker 1:get prepared for that, drake. It's always a rivalry. They beat us last time a few weeks ago, I think it was under 10 points, so it'll be a close game. It's going to be hard, but we're really excited.
Speaker 3:I think those like in-state rivalries are the best. I think they bring a lot of you know, attention, media attention, people come out. It's usually a bigger crowd. It's really fun and I don't know it just. It just is kind of a little more exciting to prepare to play when you're when it's. You probably played with a lot of the girls on Drake Before, maybe like in travel ball or yeah.
Speaker 1:And we played. I'm just growing up all the time and so, yeah, we're super excited, the environment's going to be good at the NAP center and yeah it'll be.
Speaker 3:it would be a really good win going into the Missouri Valley conference tournament. So that's coming up soon. Obviously it's in the Quad Cities. Talk about how you know exciting or fun it is to kind of have that home court advantage for you Not necessarily that it's you and I, but because you're from the Quad Cities.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's super exciting Just to think about March because I know, no matter what at the tournament I'm going to have so many fans, family, friends, coaches back at home just coming. It's a 10 to 15 minute drive, so I'm just super excited to see everyone in the stands and for the support when we play the games.
Speaker 1:When dear like teammates know you're from the Quad Cities, so when you're coming in, like on the bus, you're like, oh, that's where I used to do, ever do that, or yeah, sometimes, and like last year, we actually practiced at the pit twice, I think, and then we ate at my house. So hopefully that's going to happen again this year. So, yeah, it was fun to go back to my high school.
Speaker 3:I was going to. I was going to say, like I love bragging about the Quad Cities. I mean you move away for a little bit and then I come back. Actually, and I brought a lot of my teammates from who are like from California and Texas and they're like the Quad Cities like just farmland, like where am I going to go? And then I bring them. Wait, this is so much more than I thought I'm like I know you guys just have to give the Quad Cities a chance. So did people kind of have a, you know, a skewed view of what the Quad Cities was before they came?
Speaker 1:I mean, I don't really think they realized how much stuff is in the Quad Cities, but it was just fun to like bring them to my house and then like even I think a few weeks ago we won at Bradley and so after we win we usually get smoothies or ice cream. So we stopped in the Quad Cities at tropical or at smoothie King and door, but I'm like we're in the Quad Cities.
Speaker 3:This is where I'm from. I thought you guys are either going to say you took them to like Whitey's or whatnot.
Speaker 1:I wish. Why is it so good?
Speaker 3:What do you usually get?
Speaker 1:I like the banana gram.
Speaker 3:You know what's funny? You say, that is, we do like polls in our office to see what everyone likes.
Speaker 3:So I wrote on our. We have a whiteboard that we can draw on. I wrote on it and I was like, okay, what's everyone's go to Whitey's order and I never heard of banana gram and like four different people wrote it it's so good, I need to make sure I get it the next time because that's just, it's funny. Whenever I'd come back from college for like Christmas break Thanksgiving, I'm like we have to go to Whitey's right this second and it's always busy, it's always a long line, but whenever I have friends come in town we have to take them to Whitey's. It's the best. So I'm going to have to try a banana gram.
Speaker 3:I think I usually get moose tracks.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's good too.
Speaker 3:Cookie dough? I don't know, it's just a quantity staple.
Speaker 1:And like the Whitey's in Eldridge, is always packed.
Speaker 3:There's always a line. There's always a line. I've gone there a couple of times and I know it's just the whole town's there. When you guys practiced at the pay which for people that don't know North Scott's gym, did you get to like walk them around the high school Like this was my locker?
Speaker 1:No, I wish, but they were like in school last year. So like I think like my athlete or North Scott's athletic director was kind of like blocking off the students from like watching our practice. But I don't know if we're going to go there or not this year, cause I think North Scott's going to be on spring break.
Speaker 3:Yes, I think it's during spring break, which is really exciting, because I'm hoping that more students and young athletes go and watch you guys at the vibrant arena so they can watch basketball. Especially women's basketball is in like the heart of media right now, with Caitlin Clark, I mean with Grace Vafelli, maya McDermott, like the whole UNI team. How does it feel to kind of you know, inspire Not like you guys are truly inspiring the next generation of student athletes?
Speaker 1:Yeah, like you said, women's basketball is definitely it's bringing it's. I don't even know like just coming more to the news, everything the whole Caitlin Clark, angel Reese, like that all thing but just like, even like at UNI, like more people are coming to our games and like you can just see that like women's basketball it's like it's here and just it's just super exciting. Like after games there's just like kids wanting us to sign things and it's just super heartwarming Like oh my gosh, like we're making an impact on young lives and it's just really exciting for the future.
Speaker 3:You truly are. It's so fun to watch how many, how much more people are going to your games. So, just with social media even because, like everything is being posted fun videos you get just people's personality Like I don't know a whole lot of like the players on UNI besides like a double, but even the video of you like pouring water on your coach. You got to see different teammates' personality and it's just fun to watch that and it's inspiring young people. More games are on TV, like ESPN are picking up games. You've got all of these like Fox, cbs. It's just crazy to like, because a couple of years ago, even like while you were still in college, you would never imagine how crazy basketball is.
Speaker 2:Does it?
Speaker 3:add kind of more fuel to the fire. Does it make you more nervous, or?
Speaker 1:I think it's just exciting just to play in front of a big crowd, in front of a lot of people. But just talking about like environments, that Iowa game was obviously a really fun game. We had some injuries during that game, so the outcome wasn't how we wanted it, but it was just a super cool memory that, like McLeod, is packed and it was just fun.
Speaker 3:I think it's cool too when young athletes come to your games because at the end of the day, they don't care if you're like the star player. Not everyone has to be Caitlin Clark. They're just excited to be in the same gym as you and like you could be on the bench. You could never play, you could just have that uniform on and they're like can you please sign my phone?
Speaker 3:or my hat or whatever. It's just heartwarming, it makes me so happy. I don't know, as, like a former student athlete too, I'm like oh, how many athletics are just on the up like up and come up? We just had division three women's wrestling in the Quad Cities. Have you ever watched women's wrestling?
Speaker 1:I have not, but it's it's. I've seen so many things on social media like it's so popular.
Speaker 3:He's crazy. I went to the, I went to the mat. I was like these girls are ruthless.
Speaker 1:Oh, my gosh Crazy, you'll have to like I mean it's becoming more popular.
Speaker 3:I know you and I is like very big for men's wrestling, so I'd be surprised if, like, women's got a team in the next couple of years or whatnot. But grace that stuff is. It's crazy.
Speaker 1:I'm like these girls are there. I've seen stuff on social media like the women's state, I don't know a few weeks ago, like Iowa wrestling girls and stuff like that.
Speaker 3:yeah, it's it's so crazy. Well, really excited to have you come back to the Quad Cities. Are there any places like your favorite places? Whenever you come back in town, you have to go.
Speaker 1:Ooh, I always have to go to 392 cafe. I'm obsessed with that place, me too. Okay, the vibes, yeah, yeah. And then I love Smoothie King. We don't have a Chipotle in Sierra Falls, so you know, I always have to go to. Chipotle.
Speaker 3:Oh, it's okay, 392,. What do you get at?
Speaker 1:392? I like the toast with peanut butter and the strawberries, oh my gosh, it's literally.
Speaker 3:I know I could like do that at home, but it just works better at 392. Yeah.
Speaker 1:And then I like the super monkey drink.
Speaker 3:Yeah, the protein drink.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 3:Will you be like, will your teammates and you, when you come for the conference tournament? Will you be able to like go out and about?
Speaker 1:If we get like, if we we're gonna win, yes, so after wins we usually get like smoothies or something. So maybe if we have like a day game, we can go get us something like a 392 or Smoothie King. But before every game we have to go to Starbucks, so we'll obviously making a trip to Starbucks.
Speaker 3:I know, obviously it's always like coffee. I don't know if you've seen, like on TikTok, all those funny videos of teams that are like traveling, they're like trying to find the local coffee shop or coffee shop around, just so we can get our coffee before a game. It's just what everyone has to do. What's your go-to order?
Speaker 1:Ooh, I like the, just a shake and espresso.
Speaker 3:It's the way to go. It gets you kind of stuffed up for the game. Do you have like a? Do you have any superstitions before a basketball game? Ooh.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I have a few. I have to at home games. I have to eat the same thing, so I always have a Smoothie. Okay, what's in your Smoothie? I actually got a tropical Smoothie and I get a Smoothie called Blimey Limey.
Speaker 3:Okay, I've seen that on the menu. Is it good?
Speaker 1:Blimey, let me think what else. That's kind of it Just what I eat, yeah.
Speaker 3:I had some teammates in college who were like so crazy and they had to do the exact same thing, and I used to be like that. I remember one time in high school too, for a track meet I had these special socks. They had hot sauce on them and I forgot to bring them to a meet and I really freaked out, had my mom call me out of class. Oh my gosh. We went home to find it couldn't find it freaking out. I was like I'm gonna run horribly. But I ended up running like a PR. I'm like okay, that's when superstitions are out. Because I was like if I have superstitions, like I'm gonna freak out, I'm not gonna be able to, but eating is one thing. Like I would do that too. I'd always eat the same thing. There's some teammates that had to do the same exact hair.
Speaker 1:Do you have people like that? In high school, I used to wear the same spandex and same socks, but I'm not like that. Now I've changed, I realized that none of it really matters.
Speaker 3:No, really it just it kind of depends on the atmosphere, how you play your mindset. Do you have, like a certain playlist or songs.
Speaker 1:I do have a certain playlist, but it doesn't have to be the same songs every time. Do you get to be on aux ever? Or people like no, I don't really like being on aux. I just let some other teammates take it away.
Speaker 3:I was gonna say, like I never got to be on aux, I wanted to play one direction. That's so like weird announcing that. No, but I like one direction.
Speaker 1:Okay, you do.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I'm hoping that they. I'm hoping they come back as a band. I don't think it's gonna ever happen. One direction is pretty good. I also like sad music. I don't know it gets me like, it gets me ready to go. Okay, I have some fun questions for you. So if you could play any other sport besides basketball, what would it be?
Speaker 1:Probably volleyball, Did you? You played in high school, I played. I played for a few years in high school. Did you see the new?
Speaker 3:rule that was just passed.
Speaker 1:Yeah, the no doubles now. Yeah, so setters can just Wait. Like I know, like I've seen a lot on TikTok, like some people are mad about it yeah, because they're like I don't know and some people are happy.
Speaker 3:I think the setters are mad because they've trained their whole life to not double it. But now the middles are happy because they're like watch out.
Speaker 1:I'm setting the ball. It's going to be interesting.
Speaker 3:It will be interesting. Okay, would you ever move back to the Quad Cities after college?
Speaker 1:Yes, Maybe yeah. I don't know. I don't know what my future holds. Maybe yeah.
Speaker 3:Because you do. You do have one more year of college basketball. What are? I know you still are focusing on like the end of this year, still have a lot of season left. You know conference, post-season run. What are your goals though? Kind of looking into next year Basketball school life.
Speaker 1:I don't know, probably just take it day by day. Just, I mean, I'm almost done with college, which is crazy. Time really does fly. But just to probably try to figure out what I want to do after college is probably my biggest goal. I'm studying elementary education, so I don't know what I want to do, where I want to teach, but we'll figure it out.
Speaker 3:That's very cool. Do you have like a grade in?
Speaker 1:mind. I like the upper grades, I think, but like third and up.
Speaker 3:I think that would be so good. You'll be such a great teacher. I don't know how many kids are in the class now like 20 bajillion.
Speaker 1:Well, I think of like for my like participation weeks I've done it's like 25, 20.
Speaker 3:Yeah, have you had to do student teaching yet?
Speaker 1:I'm doing that next year but I've done like my level ones, level twos and level threes, and then I'm doing eight weeks of student teaching before season starts and eight weeks after season. So you get a little break in. But From splitting it up which is rare, but I think the NCAA has to approve of it, but it will, that's so cool. So did you have to work with, like your counselors, your coach, just to get my athletic advisor?
Speaker 3:Yeah, so is your coach pretty good with working with everyone's schedule? I know once you get like junior senior year, it gets really hard because there's classes you have to take and sometimes it's only one time during the day and it could be during your practice time. So she pretty good at managing schedules and yeah, coach Warren's super understandable with that stuff.
Speaker 1:Like a girl on my team right now, she has class twice a week and we practice in the afternoon and she has it like three o'clock so she only can practice for like an hour but then she has to go because you can't do much about it and education is important too when you're still playing basketball.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I think it's really awesome when coaches like you know they value your sport, obviously, like you're there to play basketball. You know that it's why you went to UNI. But they also value education because at the end of the day, it's very minimal that you know athletes women's athletics. They go and play professionally, which I wish it was like more the case, where there'd be opportunities, but it's just not the case for everyone. So for them to value you know your education is huge. Would you ever play professionally?
Speaker 1:I don't know, I don't know, probably not. I just kind of wanna five years of basketball is it's a lot? It's a lot, but I'm very thankful for it. But I'm excited to also impact younger students in the future.
Speaker 3:Yeah, the future, the future. Grace Pfeffeles. Yeah, oh my. Yeah, I don't know, like how's your body holding up? You're on your fourth.
Speaker 1:My body is holding up. I actually this season non-conference. I actually fractured my clavicle so I was out for a month and a half, but it's healthy now and I'm doing good. How does your?
Speaker 3:mindset change. I mean, you were pre-season NBC player of the year and you come out, you do great, you get an injury. How do you kind of have to switch your mindset to be like okay, I have to be a different role on my team until I'm healthy?
Speaker 1:enough. Yeah, I gained a new perspective after I got hurt. I was coaching from the sidelines, helping my teammates out, but I just kind of realized, like don't take anything for granted, because you really don't know what can happen. Like a girl on my team, my roommate she actually just had a knee injury season ending. So like you really don't know what's gonna happen. So I think every day when I go to practice I just work as hard as I can because you really don't know what's gonna happen. And then once I got back from my injury, that was also something new, because I'm not gonna be as good as I was right from the beginning of the season. I've missed almost two months but I'm starting to work back into it. I'm in the flow. But the first two or three games coming back from my injury it was tough, but it is what it is and I'm learning to just give myself some grace.
Speaker 3:Yeah, definitely, that was such a good answer. I think it's tough. I mean, you're such a star player on the UNI Asselt team. People look to you, you're a leader, you're constantly putting up big numbers and then to have you on the bench. But I think your team I mean correct me if I'm wrong, but I bet they were so grateful to have you helping them out, coaching them. I mean, you guys look like you are such a solid group, like you get along well. Yeah, okay.
Speaker 1:I was like good, I was like good.
Speaker 3:You guys look like you're having a blast having fun along the way. Obviously, there's gonna be bumps in the road, but it's cool that you have multiple perspectives on your team. Coach Grace, Would you ever?
Speaker 1:coach. I actually was gonna get my coaching minor, but I don't have enough time, so I think I'm just gonna after after college. I'm just gonna get that certification.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I mean, yeah, I wanna be a coach in the future. I love that. I mean, you have so much knowledge. It makes the Quad Cities proud that you're from here and that you get to play. And you're a great student as well. I was looking up all your stats on her role. I'm like, oh my gosh she's got a list.
Speaker 3:I was like, how much longer do I have to scroll on all of her stats? And you're just what. Fourth or third on the rebounding you and I all-time rebounding list. You're two away from being the next spot up, oh wow.
Speaker 1:I didn't even know that.
Speaker 3:And you got a whole another year.
Speaker 1:Yeah yeah. I'm excited.
Speaker 3:I'm excited for you. I'm excited for you guys to come to the Quad Cities. It's just fun to have all these teams come experience. I mean, the fans are crazy. People are excited. Are your parents ready? Are they already planning? Are they bringing everyone to Quad Cities? Probably.
Speaker 1:Probably probably. All my family probably will be coming.
Speaker 3:Oh my gosh, there'll be a whole Grace Befelli fan, I think ever like my past three years.
Speaker 1:my neighbors and all my family friends come and I think two years ago they held up big heads of me and then last year they held up the letters of Grace. They love it. Yeah, they love it.
Speaker 3:I mean like, yes, you're only a couple of hours away from the Quad Cities so they can go, but to literally have a game in your backyard right there, everyone can come. I wish more people could experience that. And, of course, the Quad Cities community as a whole is just so supportive of every event we bring in, but especially athletics and women's athletics. It's fun to see how excited they get, and so I'm hoping there's so many people there cheering you on, but just all the teams on. It's gonna be a blast. Fun fan zones it's gonna be crazy, I don't know.
Speaker 3:I just it's fun to just get to chat with you and see how you are, because I've known you in high school you were a sub basketball player but to see, like, how much you've grown, how much of a leader you are, you just it's great. You had a win last night. You played well.
Speaker 1:We did win. Yep, you have an off day today. No, we got prep for the Bulldogs Grind nevers Prep for the Bulldogs.
Speaker 3:I really appreciate you taking time out of your day to talk with me. Get to hang out. This was more fun of an interview for me, I think, than for you. I really appreciate it. Well, we always it's tradition we have to end the podcast with fill in the blank. I gave you a little bit of time to think about it. Yeah, I've been thinking Good, so fill in the blank. Qc that's where Student athletes thrive.
Speaker 3:Boom For Grace Mofelli. That was great. Seriously, thank you so much for coming on the podcast. It was so fun to kind of hear your story, hear how excited you are to come back to the Quad Cities. We're rooting for you. We're rooting for the Panthers.
Speaker 1:Yes, go Panthers.
Speaker 3:Yes, we're rooting for women's athletics like let's go.
Speaker 2:Thanks for listening to QC. That's where A podcast powered by Visit Quad Cities Text Visit QC to 38314 for insider events, activities and updates sent straight to your phone. That's V-I-S-I-T-Q-C one word to 38314. Message and data rates may apply. 156r Free.