Kate Holmquist's toughness is one reason Maple Grove beat Lakeville North in the semifinal and will play for a state title on Saturday. (Richard Tsong-Taatariii/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Kate Holmquist is a tenacious defender for the Maple Grove girls basketball team. Her dedication to smothering her opponent can be traced to her mom’s coaching in youth basketball.

“One of her key things was to take a lot of pride in our defense,” Holmquist said.

For opponents who have been guarded by Holmquist and felt that tenacity, this might not come as a surprise: Kate’s mom once worked as a Secret Service agent. And so did her dad.

Good luck topping that at career day, kids.

For more on the Holmquists, click here to read the story on startribune.com.

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