The Chart Online

Twin basketball players wreak havoc on court
Kristen Smith

Staff Writer

Lady Lions basketball fans will be seeing double this season as twins Chrissie and Nicole Greninger, freshmen, step out on the court.

Nicole is a heath promotion major and a shooting guard for the Lady Lions. Chrissie is pursuing a nursing degree while serving as point guard on the team.

The Greninger twins, as they are known on campus, actually are two-thirds of the Greninger triplets. Mark Greninger is their triplet brother who works for Gunlock Sheet Metal.

The women came to Southern from Webb City High School where they have been playing basketball for the past four years. They chose to play at Southern after learning it was the only college that wanted both of the women to play on the basketball team. Other institutions wanted Nicole or Chrissie, not Nicole and Chrissie. Both women received basketball scholarships from Southern.

"It s really neat playing with each other," Chrissie said. "We both know the other one is there without even looking at each other."

Nicole said they play well together as sisters although they are sometimes too competitive with one another.

"We try to play one on one and are so competitive that we just have to stop," Chrissie said.

Teammate Kacey Inman, junior, said it s neat having the twins on the team this year because they play really well together.

The Lady Lions team is expected to go far this season.

"We are like a family," Chrissie said. "We never fight or argue, and we spend a lot of time together."

Practices for the women are fun but full of life s lessons as well as learning basketball skills.

"As the games are getting closer, all the stuff they are teaching us is starting to click," Chrissie said.

Tim Greninger, the women s uncle, said his nieces are not only good basketball players, but great sportsmen as well.

The Greningers' career goals go far beyond that of college basketball and earning their degrees. Chrissie wants to become a nurse anesthetist and would also like to continue her basketball career after college if given the opportunity.

"I want to go to World Wrestling Entertainment and become a pro wrestler," Nicole said.

She said she would like to continue her basketball career, but thinks she has a better chance at qualifying in MTV's television show, Tough Enough.

This is no joke to Nicole. Her family is well aware of her pro wrestling dream and continues to encourage the women to succeed in everything they do.

Mark Greninger, their father, said people told Nicole she couldn't play basketball at 5-foot-5, but she is proving them wrong. He said she will also prove them wrong when she succeeds in her wrestling career.

Chrissie and Nicole having been dribbling a ball since age 5, but give credit for their success to their parents and basketball coaches from high school.

"The person that taught me everything about basketball and pushed me the most is Rick Prigg," Chrissie said. "He is a great friend."

Prigg, who owns Four Season Sports Complex, also received much praise from the twins' father.

"If he hadn't pushed them so hard, the girls said they would have felt like they never had a chance," Mark Greninger said. "When you have a high school coach pushing you hard, all he's trying to do is get you ready for the next level."

Greninger said he gave Prigg permission early on to be hard on his daughters and push them to their limits.

Both of the women earned All-State honors in high school, and Chrissie was a second-team All-State pick last year.

Their dad also played a role in their success other than encouraging their coaches to push them. Mark and their Uncle Tim attend weekly practices held in Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.

"When we were little, he made us practice everyday," Nicole said. "In a foot of snow, he would tell us to go shoot. That's why we are where we are today."

Chrissie and Nicole look forward to tipping off their season. The Lady Lions battle against the University of Central Oklahoma Friday at Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Okla.