Athlete Spotlight: James Wood girls' basketball player Makayla Firebaugh

James Wood High School 17-year-old senior

Sport: Basketball. Position: Guard

Parents: Jamie and Kevin Firebaugh

Hometown: Winchester

What do you love about basketball: The part of being a team and connecting with others.

Most memorable moment in basketball: When we won the seventh-grade championships [for NVJL] with Frederick County Middle School. It was close the whole game, but we were down the whole game against Aylor. We went 1-1 against them in the regular season. It was just great to win the championship.

Most embarrassing moment in basketball: Probably airballing a free throw my freshman year of travel basketball with the Winchester Rising Stars. I think we were up by about 15 points or so, and I was at the line and I guess I wasn't concentrating. Everybody was watching and the gym was dead silent.

Most difficult moment in basketball: When we were losing to a team we knew we shouldn't have been losing to during travel basketball my sophomore year. It was a championship game. It was an older team, but we knew they shouldn't have been beating us by what they were. It was frustrating because our team just couldn't come together in the moment and we wound up losing the game.

Three people you can have dinner with, dead or alive: Bill Gates; just because I want to know how he got rich. Michael Jordan; he is known as the best basketball player to live so far. And James Harden; just because of his shot.

Favorite teacher: [James Wood driver's education teacher] Alyson Burkhart. She just has a good personality and a good way of teaching.

Favorite athlete: Michael Jordan

Favorite sports team: Pittsburgh Steelers

Favorite movie: "The Notebook"

Favorite TV show: "Grey's Anatomy"

Favorite song: "Spark" by Chris Noah

Favorite food: Chicken

Plans after high school: (Firebaugh will be attending Rider University on a basketball scholarship.) I plan on studying criminal justice. I want to end up going into forensic science. I like problem-solving and putting pieces together. I like the mystery behind [forensic science].

— Compiled by Robert Niedzwiecki