Viking girls basketball squad dreams of state title

By Danielle Strenke

Itís easy to see why the North Branch girls basketball team is so successful on the court. Their 24-2 record this year earned them the conference title, and now the girls are eyeing their third straight state berth.

Once you start talking with the varsity team members, most of whom have played together for many years, itís also easy to see that this is a group of very special individuals off the court as well.

The girls all knew at the beginning of the season that everyone was expecting them to go far. ìWe put the pressure on ourselves, too,î senior Errin Koehler said. ìWe know we can achieve that, and we wonít accept anything less,î senior Kelly Lines added.

All of the ten-member varsity roster agreedñthey will only be happy with another state appearance.
Their first goal was a flawless conference record. Their second was to finish first. But still, the girls were disappointed in two non-conference losses this year. ìThe worse thing about the season was losing,î Lines said. ìJust because they were two games we could have won,î senior Jamie Schlagel said.

So what does it take to build this kind of success? ìDefense is a key,î Schlagel said. Others quickly added experience and quickness to the list.

It also takes a head coach like Dan Schindler, who has led the team to three straight conference titles. The girls give him a lot of credit for helping them become the quality players that they are.

Among some of the more notable speeches he has given, they say, are ìdefense wins championships,î ìshooters are made in the summertime,î and ìone game at a time.î

Sure, most of their success can be attributed to undeniable talent and a strong coaching staff, but no one on the team discounts the rituals and superstitions they believe help them win games.

ìWe have a lot of things we do,î senior Megan OíHern said. ìCoach Schindler makes sure we line up the same way everywhere we go, and do the same thing for the national anthem,î junior Traci Reimann said.

They also listed just a few good luck rituals, such as slapping the top of the doorway as they enter the gym, or hitting the pop machine on the way in.
The team has another ritual before every home gameñthe pre-game meal. They rotate between their homes, eating dinner together to get ready for the games.

It is also a starting point for their fun, which is another key component to this team. ìWe get really crazy,î Lines said. When asked who the biggest joker was, it was easy for the other nine members to quickly point at junior Christina Sampson. ìThis girl right here is always out of control,î OíHern joked.

While Sampson was denying the claim, the rest of the team was sharing a story about a particular trip to a restaurant after one of their road games. ìShe got a waitress to give her a piggy-back ride,î Lines said, as the rest of the team shared the story.

The team also said a highlight of the season is the bus rides, where they relax and have fun. But when they talk about the state tournament, the team is serious about making it there.

ìIt will be disappointing for us, especiallyñthe seniors, because weíve been there before,î Koehler said.

What they havenít liked about the season is the week-long wait between the end of the season and their first playoff game, which comes tonight at North St. Paul against Mahtomedi.

If they make it to the state tournament, the girls expect nothing less than a state championship. ìI used to watch the tournaments on T.V., and now Iím the one who gets to be on T.V.,î Lines said.
The rest of the team knows they are role models for younger kids. ìKids come up to me and say hi, even though I donít know them, so I say hi too,î Reimann said.

And class acts that they are, the team was quick to express their gratitude to another Schindler, this time for Marcia, Danís wife.

ìShe makes these scrapbooks that are really thick for everyone,î junior Rauna Dallman said. ìNot just generic stuff, but personalized,î Schlagel added. The girls referred to her as a ìMrs. Basketball Momî who makes them cookies and signs to show her support.

Tonight, they start down the road to what the team hopes will culminate in a section championship Friday, and a trip to state next week. But they never take game for granted.

ìWe canít overlook anyone, because that next team could bring an upset,î OíHern said. ìWell, we were the upset team for the last two years,î Reimann added.

Whatever happens, these girls have exhibited a maturity and togetherness throughout the season that epitomizes the word ëteam.í Kelly, Megan, Jamie, Errin, Traci, Sheena, Rauna, Christina, Alison and Sarah are all excellent representatives for North Branch High School.

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