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Freshman Taylor Varsho brings competitive edge to CSU women’s basketball

Before the morning of April 12, 1994, Gary and Kay Varsho may not have known every detail about their second coming child. Who knows if it would have his eyes or hers, what hair color or if it would be a boy or girl. The most important, and only certain thing, was that it would be an athlete.

Taylor Varsho was born into a family consumed by sports. Her mother ran cross country, and her father is a former Major League Baseball player and coach who has experience with some of the biggest names and organizations in baseball.

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The two made it a point early on to share their desire for athleticism with all three of their children.

“Athletics has always played a huge part in our livelihood,” Gary said. “All the kids grew up in a pretty competitive atmosphere. We would play hoops in the yard or some sort of stickball game. It was always competitive around the house, no matter what you did.”

Taylor first got involved with sports at the age of four, when she took after her old man and began playing baseball.

However, Taylor got an early baseball experience a bit more impressive than the little league, recreational team most kids lived. She spent her early years traveling with the family to spring training in Florida and interacting with the families of professional athletes like Jimmy Rollins.

“I was in about the first grade when I first got my head around the idea of my dad being in the majors,” Taylor said. “Looking back, it was an awesome experience I can say I’ve lived that others haven’t.”

As Taylor got older, she acquired more athletic experience. She continued to pick up more sports including softball, tennis and gymnastics, before ultimately landing on her decision to play basketball.

“I was a little worried to tell my dad that I wanted to play basketball at first, because we have always been a huge baseball family,” Taylor said. “I think he was pretty heartbroken at first, but now he supports it.”

So Taylor, a once three sport varsity athlete in her early high school career, spent her senior year competing in one sport. She strived to take it to the next level — and that’s exactly what she did.

After making the decision to chase playing Division I basketball, Taylor left her home state of Wisconsin and landed in Fort Collins. She has wasted no time making her mark on the CSU hardwood. She was the first Ram on the scoreboard this season, and has started every game.

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“The things we’re asking from Taylor Varsho, as a freshman, are unbelievable,” CSU coach Ryun Williams said. “She’s been brought up the right way, in a competitive teaching environment. I think that’s why you see her play as hard as she plays.”

But what may be news to some is only recurring information to the people who surrounded her over the years. The people who aren’t surprised by her ability are the ones who have been keen to it all along.

“The thing about Taylor, in this family, is that she’s the middle child,” Gary said. “She isn’t going to take any crap from anybody, and it’s been that way her whole life.”

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