Misti and Stratton Solomon have some competitive fun with a basketball. The married couple is playing basketball for the Adams State Grizzlies this season.

Misti and

Stratton

Solomon a hardcourt duo



By ERIC R. FLORES

ALAMOSA — Adams State College isn’t for everyone, but for Misti and Stratton Solomon it is the perfect place.

Stratton and Misti are transfer students here and they both play basketball. The two are here together sharing the bond of marriage. On top of that they share another bond that is known around the world known as competitiveness.

“ We are competitive in everything we do,” explained Misti. “Any type of game including sports and board games.”

When the two met, they remember playing racquetball.

“We played three games and he didn’t even score one point,” noted Misti.

“It turns out her aunt plays and is extremely good, and Misti humbled me,” Stratton added.

Because of his humbleness, Stratton has decided that since he got beat so badly he would have to try and make up for it and decided to commit his life to attempting to beat Misti at something.

Stratton and Misti married in the summer of 2007. They lived the first year together in Arizona where Misti was a basketball player for Eastern Arizona College in Thatcher. Stratton cheered his wife on as Misti played on the Gila Monster team.

As he remembered this, Stratton jokingly said, “She improved and she is now 10 times better as a Solomon than a Caldwell.”

“Getting married wasn’t weird at all,” said Misti. “The only thing I thought was weird was when they introduced me and announced my name at games and I would ask myself, ‘who’s that?’”

And with that, Misti and Stratton are both being introduced to a new life and a new college. The trip to Adams State was an interesting one for these two. Misti’s brother, Porter, was is a basketball player on the Eastern Arizona basketball team and had also decided to transfer over.

“My time was up (two years at junior college) and I had to go somewhere if I still wanted to play,” said Misti. “Originally my brother was going to transfer over and play for the ASC men’s team. But when he got here he found out that his credits wouldn’t transfer.”

“Misti and Porter were well known in Arizona, they were recruited to play here,” explained Stratton. “We originally came because we thought there would be family here, but with the fallout of Porter’s credits we still decided to stay here because they had a lot to offer Misti.”

“If they take my credits and they have the classes I need for my degree, then this is the place I need to be,” said Misti who made it through the recruiting process and made it on ASC’s women’s basketball team and now is one of the Grizzlies’ key players. Stratton walked on to the men’s team and made it, too.

Because the two teams travel together to conference games, the couple spends time sitting with each other on the bus as the coaches had no choice but to let them to that.

On the academic side, Misti wants to be a physical education teacher while Stratton wants to major in athletic administration. Last semester, they had three classes together and this semester have only one. Because of all these shared classes there are awkward moments.

“I remember the teacher asked if Misti and I were related and I just laughed and said, ‘yeah,’” Stratton explained. “Even though there were other students that thought we were cousins.”

When posed with the question how other people react when they find out they are married, they just smile and laugh. “My teammates thought it was weird at first,” said Misti.

“My teammates still think it’s weird,” agreed Stratton. “When I talk about Misti I say ‘wife’ so to them it’s different.” Seconds later he went on to laugh as he said, “If people think it’s weird then weird we’ll be.”

The two are very strong supporters of one another as much as they can.

“When I see her play, I never thought it would work on my emotions, but when I became her husband it did,” noted Stratton. “You want to see her succeed, and you get nervous when she goes down hard (on the court).”

After a loss by either team, both agreed that neither of them complains because they know what it’s like and they both have gone through it.

Everyday is the same.

“After a hard day at practice or a tough game it’s always good to go home and have someone there who understands what I’m going through,” said Stratton. “I really like coming home.”

Their competitiveness has shown up at least once this year. During the annual basketball previewing event, “The Late Show,” Stratton and Misti faced off in a 3-point shooting contest. To Stratton’s dismay, Misti dominated.

“It’s all friendly competitiveness,” laughed Misti. “But sometimes we get so competitive we have to stop what we’re doing and take a break.”

However, there’s no taking a break these days, because the Grizzly women and men’s teams are battling in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference races, and Misti and Stratton are working hard on the court to make a difference in their teams’ successes.

The ASC season continues at home in Plachy Hall this weekend as the Grizzlies host New Mexico Highlands on Friday night and CSU-Pueblo on Saturday night, their final home games of the season. Saturday also will be Seniors Night as Adams State recognizes its graduating basketball playing seniors.