Extra Effort: Three-sport athlete Brigid Dooley a true ambassador for Notre Dame

PEORIA, Ill. (*WMBD/WYZZ) — Brigid Dooley came to Peoria three years ago when her family moved to central Illinois from Boston.

She said it was culture shock.

“It didn’t seem like it was going to go so well,” Dooley said as she stepped off the plane and noticed corn fields. “But I’m here in Peoria and I love it. I turned out really well.”

Dooley now embraces being a student at Notre Dame. A three-sport athlete, she is also on the front lines of the cheering section for other Irish teams.

Dooley has a key role as a forward coming off Notre Dame’s bench on the basketball team which plays for the class 2A state title on Saturday.

But she’s front and center as a student ambassador helping promote her school. And Dooley recently had a starring role in a online video series for Notre Dame’s Facebook page called “A day in the life at PND.”

“I’m not afraid to carry a camera around school. I like to talk to people, so I interviewed students and had fun with it,” said Dooley, who talked to students and faculty members in hallways and classrooms to give people a feel of a typical school day.

Along with playing basketball, the senior is a member of the Irish tennis and track teams. And is also in Spanish Club and St. Jude Clube.

“I love to show people how great our school is. I love this school very much,” Dooley said. “I’m glad it has good feedback. I hope it recruits kids to come here.”

She’s been accepted at the University of Illinois and plans to study psychology there.

“She’s been an amazing addition to our program and the PND student body. She’s a well-respected kid, involved in everything. And wants to do everything at a high level,” said PND girls basketball coach Layne Langholf. “But honestly, she’s about (putting) other people first.”

Saturday, she can help her team win its first ever girls basketball state championship. The Irish play Nashville for the class 2A title at 1 p.m. in Normal.

“It’s crazy,” Dooley said. “I knew we could come this far. I’m excited to finish it off.”

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