Bartlett grad Schrader back on her game

Bartlett graduate Lindsay Schrader, now a junior on the Notre Dame women's basketball team, remembers when in-state foe Purdue came calling last season to South Bend.

"Purdue came in here and they were ranked and we pulled off the upset," said Schrader. "People were running out onto the court and there I was sitting on the bench."

That's because Schrader was sidelined for the entire 2006-07 with a torn ACL, an injury she has fully recovered from.

"You feel part of it, but you aren't really part of it," said Schrader, who suffered the injury on the fourth day of pre-season workouts last year. "If you are not practicing and you aren't playing you aren't physically into it. Those games hurt a little bit to watch. The NCAA game against North Carolina, there were so many plays where I was thinking to myself, 'I can help our team out and I can do this stuff.' It was definitely frustrating."

These days Schrader is back to her usual ways, helping the Fighting Irish navigate through the tough Big East Conference -- a circuit that featured four teams ranked in the national top 25 coaches poll to start the week. Schrader and Notre Dame checked in at No. 15 with a 23-7 mark after a Monday night loss in New York against St. John's.

Through the team's first 30 games, Schrader was averaging 10.6 points per game (third on the team) and a team-best 6.0 rebounds per contest, while shooting .479 from the field. She had 63 assists against only 52 turnovers. Schrader was second on the team in average minutes played per game (27.3).

"Lindsay has made some very significant contributions to our success this year, both offensively with her scoring and defensively with her rebounding," said Notre Dame coach Muffet McGraw. "I'm so pleased with the way she has come back from her injury last season and how she has blended with the other returning players to give us a strong core group that makes us such a difficult team to defend. I think Lindsey's best moments are Notre Dame are still to come. We're all looking forward to watching her continue to develop in the coming years."

Schrader said her time on the bench with the injury last year actually helped a certain part of her game.

"My passing is a lot better," said Schrader. "I can see the floor better. Sitting on the bench last year, I got a good view of all the games. I could see where people are open. I didn't work on passing that much over the off-season. It just came with it."

Looking back on her comeback, Schrader was pleased for the most part with how things went. Her opinion changed a bit after she got into a game situation.

"I wish I could have done a little better," said Schrader. "There's things you have to do in the off-season. But after the first game, I knew there were plenty of things I still had to work on. And there are still things I have to work on. I'd like to become more of a 3-point threat next year. I'm going to work on more of that in the off-season. And I definitely want to improve on defense. And there are plenty of things down the list, but those are two things I'm really focusing on."

Missing the time she did allowed Schrader to improve her relationship with the coaching staff.

"Coach and I see more eye to eye," said Schrader. "I know what she wants and I know what she is looking for. We have a better relationship and that goes with her and all of the coaches."

Schrader is fully enjoying the rigors of the Big East Conference.

"It's tough and rough," said Schrader, Ms. Basketball of Illinois in 2005. "How many teams are ranked in the Big East? It's a conference that is big and physical and quick. The Big East is probably the best conference out there. You go in night after night and play good teams. Our conference gets you ready for the NCAA tournament."

The fact that she's playing high-powered Division I women's basketball is something Schrader never forgets.

"I feel really, really blessed," said Schrader. "I sit back and thank God for everything he has given me. The ACL was tough, but things happen for a reason. I really believe that now. I know my family is truly proud of me and I'm fortunate enough to go to a great athletic and academic place, which will help set me up with my future plans."

Schrader is studying business at Notre Dame.

"The big key with school is time management," said Schrader. "Sometimes you are getting out of the gym at six or seven at night. There have been a few days where I've left the dorm at 5:30 (a.m.) and didn't get back until 10:30 (p.m.)."

But Schrader wouldn't have it any other way.

"It's a commitment," said Schrader. "You have to love every minute of it. Girls wouldn't be here if they didn't love it. There are few times when people have to get reminded of how much they actually love the game. When I tore my ACL, I couldn't believe how much love I had for the game. I used to take things for granted with basketball and in life. Now I think about how blessed I really am."

Schrader and Notre Dame earned the No. 4 seed in the Big East Conference tournament and will play Sunday at 11 a.m. (central) against either Pitt or Villanova. The game is slated to be televised live on ESPNU.

Locals at Millikin: A pair of former local track athletes competed in the recent Illinois College Alumni Classic indoor meet for the Millikin University men's track team. Cary-Grove product Chris Fitterer took sixth in the 800 run with a time of 2:07.86, while Elgin High School graduate Adrian Ayala was fourth in the 400 with a time of 54.32. Ayala was part of the fifth-place 800 relay team at the CCIW indoor meet, while Fitterer was part of the sixth-place 3,200 relay team. Ayala was also part of the sixth-place 1,600 team and the seventh-place distance medley squad. Cary-Grove product Madonna Ausderau turned in a season-best effort in the shot put at the conference meet.

Hansen at Aurora: Larkin graduate Karissa Hansen, now a member of the Aurora University softball team, went 2-for-3 with a run scored in Aurora's recent 5-1 victory over Methodist University at the Rebel Spring Games in Orlando, Fla. The win improved Aurora to 5-1.

Off at College wants your help: Send information and/or statistics on Fox Valley-area athletes competing collegiately to Mike Miazga at difibulator@aol.com.