Latvia - Westerwind alum heading to Olympics

From media.www.westerncourier.com
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A former Western Illinois University athlete is taking part in the world of sports' biggest event: the Olympics.

Zane (Teilane) Taman, who led the Westerwinds basketball team to four straight regular-season conference championships from 2003-06, will compete in the Beijing Olympics this summer with the Latvian national basketball team. Latvia won the rights to compete in the Olympics after making it all the way to the semifinals of the FIBA qualifying tournament.

In the game that sealed Latvia's Olympic fate, Taman's squad defeated Angola by 58 points, with Taman scoring 13 points and grabbing eight rebounds.

"After we won the pre-Olympic tournament, it was crazy in Latvia," Taman said of the country's excitement after the team clinched the Olympic berth. "All of the magazines and newspapers were writing about us and we even have plans to go visit our country's president."

Going to the Olympics hasn't made Taman forget about her time at Western Illinois. Taman, who left holding five all-time school records, including points, said coming to Macomb has been key to where she is going in the future.

"To come all the way to the United States to play at Western was one of my life's biggest challenges," Taman said.

Taman also had nothing but praise to add when it came to women's basketball coach Leslie Crane. "Coach Crane helped me become a much better player and if I hadn't come to Western, then I probably wouldn't be where I am now," she said.

When this summer's Olympic athletes meet up in Beijing, it will be a collection of the best athletes in the world competing for gold. One of those athletes has the purple and gold of Western Illinois to thank.