The new show Viks Versus, produced by The Front, gives Western Washington University athletes a chance to compete and get to know other Western athletes.
Viks Versus is a show based off of a 2009 show “Shaq Vs.” where Shaquille O’Neal played professional athletes in other sports. Viks Vs was lucky enough to have three standout athletes to participate.
Freshman women’s basketball player Mason Oberg and sophomore women’s basketball player Brooke Walling got to go out of their comfort zone and participated in a penalty shootout against junior men’s soccer goalkeeper Brandon Locke.
Before the penalty shootout happened, they decided they needed four penalties to win.
About the Athletes:
Mason Oberg:
Oberg is a freshman from Vancouver, Wash. and made The Seattle Times All-State Girls Basketball Second Team her senior year after sitting out her junior year with a knee injury.
She said her most embarrassing basketball moment was when she thought that her team was down two points so she shot a jumper and made it and went to celebrate because she thought she had forced overtime, but they were down three instead so they still lost.
She hopes to improve her defensive ability in the offseason to have a great sophomore year.
Brooke Walling:
Just like Oberg, Walling is from Vancouver, Wash. The sophomore spent two seasons at Fresno State University before she transferred to Western. This season she was All-West Regional tournament MVP and Honorable Mention All-GNAC team.
In high school Walling was the 3A state player of the year.
Walling said that once they got momentum in the regional tournament she knew that this was going to be a special year. They just kept rolling after they won in the tournament.
Walling averaged 16 ppg and 8.7 rpg in the playoffs.
Brandon Locke:
Locke is from Federal Way, Washington and is a Sophomore. This year Locke led the GNAC with a .93 goals against average and was All-GNAC second team. Locke also qualified for the GNAC All-Academic team.
Locke said the best save he has ever made was his senior year in the state quarterfinals he saved two out of four penalties enroute to the win.
When Locke was asked what position he would play if he didn’t play goalie, he said “Forward. You either got to score the goals or save them.”
Drew McFall (He/him) is a sports and recreation writer for the Western Front this quarter. He is a news editorial major with a minor in communications. He wants to be a sports journalist or broadcaster. As a reporter, he wants to focus on WWU sports teams and players. In his free time, he loves watching sports, playing sports, and running on trails.
