Illinois Wesleyan senior Lexi Baltes is a three-year letterwinner and a two-year starter. She recorded the first triple-double in IWU women's basketball history with 14 points, 16 rebounds and a school-record 13 assists in a 93-87 overtime win over Howard Payne on December 28, 2013, and (as of Jan. 7) is No. 15 in career assists, No. 36 in rebounds and No. 46 in career points.
She is one of the 202 nominees for the 2014 Allstate WBCA Good Works Teams® announced by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) and Allstate Insurance Company.
At Illinois Wesleyan she is a member of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee, president of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and a member of DRL. Working with her hometown church, Christ Community Church, she helped lead a high school mission trip to Nicaragua this summer and through Compassion International, Baltes also sponsors a child from Nicaragua.
She is a Phi Beta Kappa Fellow and a member of Pi Sigma Alpha political science honor society. In 2012 she also earned the "Elite 89" award for highest GPA for player involved in NCAA Division III women's final four round when the Titans won the national championship.
Majoring in English with a concentration in secondary education and political science at Illinois Wesleyan, she is the daughter of Tom and Marsha Baltes.
Why you chose Illinois Wesleyan: I wanted to win a National Championship.
IWU class you’re most qualified to teach: Dance Appreciation…
The hardest challenge about being a Division III student-athlete is: Time and money.
Worst grade in a class you ever got – what and when? B+… Chaucer
I’m deathly afraid of ... : worms
Worst habit: My complete dependence on Dunkin Donuts coffee has gotten a little out of hand…but no going back now
Most expensive traffic ticket: A $20 parking ticket form the City of Bloomington…still makes me mad. I was plenty far from the crosswalk and the street the crosswalk was on was closed! I tried to fight it but ended up having to pay a late fee as well.
Language I’d like to learn: French, then perhaps I would get a better grade in Chaucer…
The longest I could survive without my cell phone: Yikes…a day?
One word your mother or father would use to describe you: My dad said “competitive,” my mom said “crazy”
Favorite sports figures: John Wooden, Kerry Wood, Derrick Rose, Aaron Craft, Jim Cook
My greatest moment in sports was: There have been a few truly great moments, but of course, the National Championship.
The best player I ever faced was: Rosa LaMattina from University of Mount Union
Worst dresser on my team: Hmm…I don’t like this question.
Thing that’s been in my fridge the longest: Fish oil … I try to force myself to drink it, but the bottle still seems to be full
Person I’m dying to have dinner with: My grandparents, all of them.
Favorite food: Rice. Have you ever had bad rice? I think not.
Vegetable I won’t eat: Love them all.
Pepsi or Coke? Such a silly question. Pepsi, obviously. No one likes Coke.
Favorite TV shows: "The Big Bang Theory", "Homeland", "Downton Abbey"
Favorite musical groups: Zac Brown Band, NEEDTOBREATHE
Favorite movies: "White Christmas", "Cool Runnings" ,…again, far too many to list
If a movie were made of my life, I would like the following person to play me: Jennifer Aniston
If my life were on TV as a reality show, I’d call it: "Mind Games"
The person in history I would most like to meet is: There are sooo many: Ronald Reagan, John Wooden, C.S. Lewis…
My dream job would be: College professor
Place I’d most like to live: Wrigleyville
Two things that are tops on my “bucket list”: Completing an Ironman Triathlon, taking a train across the country.
My possession that would fetch the most on eBay: My car, I suppose.
Who is the luckiest person in the world? Well I don’t know, but I feel pretty darned lucky
What I miss most about being in the third grade: Mrs. Raney, soccer at recess, mints on Friday, the days before my siblings went off to college and grew up