One moment all you can hear is the roar of the crowd counting down, “5, 4, 3, 2, 1…” The next, you can hear a pin drop. The orange ball with its familiar feel rolls off the tip of his fingers as the buzzer sounds. The ball floats through the air seemingly in slow motion. The crowds of both teams let out a gasp. Swoosh. The ball goes in, and he’s done it. Austin Alexander has hit the game-winner at the buzzer.

Alexander has a love for the game of basketball. He spends a lot of his time in the AHS gymnasium because most of his success as an athlete started in that gym. Alexander has made a lot of memories in high school, but there is one that stands above all: the sub-State final basketball game his junior year. “We won and it was a huge accomplishment not only for our team but for our community,” Alexander said.

Alexander has had a lot of influences in his life but said the greatest would be his father, Matt Alexander. Alexander said his father gives great advice and is always there for him. “He has done a lot of things for me most parents don’t do for their kids, and I’m very thankful for him,” Alexander said.

Alexander has committed to Northwestern College in Orange City to play basketball and plans to major in secondary education with the hopes of becoming a high school physical education teacher.