Nov. 5—WORTHINGTON — Minnesota West sophomore forward Katrina Schutz is this week’s Peak Performer.
The women’s basketball season at Minnesota West began last weekend and Schutz is one of four returning sophomores to the roster. Last year, she helped the Lady Jays return to the NJCAA Division III tournament where they finished in fourth place.
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That season, the 6-foot forward from Eden Valley averaged 13.5 points, 10 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.2 blocks per game and was named all-MCAC honorable mention. She was also named to the all-national tournament team where she averaged over 19 points and 13 rebounds.
This year’s Lady Jays are ranked third in the preseason Division III poll and they opened the season Sunday against Des Moines Area Community College. Schutz scored 11 points and grabbed nine rebounds in that game.
Here are 10 questions to get to know Katrina Schutz.
Question: How did you first get into basketball?
Answer: “I moved schools when I was in first grade, so I think just a new school, it was kind of just like a new hobby that I wanted to pick up. My parents put me in it because the program at the school that I moved to was really good. That’s kind of when it all started, and then I just kept playing from there.”
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Q: What are your favorite parts of playing basketball?
A: “My favorite parts about the game would be just celebrating wins, celebrating big plays with my teammates. That’s always fun. But my favorite thing about basketball in general is the relationships that I make with my teammates and with my coaches. I’ve been lucky enough to build great relationships with all of my coaches that I still keep in touch with.”
Q: What brought you to Minnesota West?
A: “I actually had no intention of playing basketball after high school. I struggled so much with injuries that I just felt like maybe it was my time to be done. CJ (Nelson) reached out to me so many times, and finally, I just decided, ‘Let me look into this program, let me see what they’re all about.’ And I just ended up seeing all the success that coach Moz (Hayenga-Hostikka) had and that the team had in general. And then shortly after I committed, I saw they won the national championship, and so I was like, ‘Okay, this is going to be a good program for me.'”
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Q: What was it first like coming to Minnesota West?
A: “After stepping off the court for the last time, I was like, ‘Okay, I’m so glad I decided to play again, because I don’t feel like I’m ready to be done.’ And so coming into the season, I was really excited to get back into basketball, and I was excited to get my true love back for it. I felt like I kind of lost a little bit of passion for it. We didn’t win a lot of games my senior year, and so I just felt the constant pain of losing. And so I was excited to come to a program that was normally a winning program. It was also a little nerve wracking too, just because they did come off a national championship, and this program is expected to win a lot of games, and so I just felt a little bit of pressure and a little bit of nerves there, but that was calmed really quick.”
Q: What was it like adjusting to the college basketball level?
A: “I tell the freshmen now, it took me until February to be comfortable with the three point line. I mean, just that in general is just a crazy adjustment that’s so hard to make. But just the intensity and pace and dynamic of the team is so much different than high school, especially at a two-year college where every year the team is different. So I think that adjusting to college basketball or college sports in general is definitely really difficult, but definitely a good experience that I think is good for someone.”
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Q: When you first came to Minnesota West what skillsets did you think you could bring to the team right away?
A: “Ironically enough, I thought I could bring shooting to the team but like I said before, I struggled with that a lot last year. I also thought that I would bring a lot of post presence, as far as rebounding and inside shots. My free throw percentage was really good in high school, and so I knew that if I could attack and get to the line, I could benefit the team in that aspect as well.”
Q: What were your biggest improvements last season?
A: “I would say my biggest improvements would be my confidence in myself, and then with that came my skill in attacking. In high school, I didn’t attack much. I was completely a catch and shoot at the three point line or a dump down to the post. I hardly ever put the ball on the floor in high school and coming here, I definitely improved that aspect of my game.”
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Q: What’s a favorite Minnesota West memory that sticks out to you?
A: “I would say an on the court memory that really sticks out to me is our win against Rochester here at home. That was super exciting. I just remember feeling like the team was really into that game and I felt like everyone really was passionate and played from the heart. And so winning that game was just super exciting, and it felt really good. Another memory that I have that was not on the court was finding out that we got a bid for nationals. We all sat around the computer that was not working and was glitching, and everyone was freaking out. There were only four bids given out, and they still hadn’t called our name. And finally, we were the fourth bid, and it was just kind of a sigh of relief, and really exciting. And that was just a good memory as well.”
Q: What’s a piece of advice in your athletic career that sticks out to you?
A: “I would say that most of my coaches have always tried to instill confidence in me and that being myself is the only way that I will ever have success. I know coach Moz had said to me, I think, just last week now, in one of our classes, that if you try to be someone else, you’ll never be first. And that really stuck with me, because I think so many young women, not just athletes, try to be someone that they’re not. And I think that being yourself and being confident in yourself is one of the best skills in life.”
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Q: What are your plans for the future?
A: “After Minnesota West, I have decided that I’m probably going to be done with basketball, and I will be attending Mankato State to pursue a degree in athletic training. I do hope to play intramural sports there, hopefully basketball, and maybe try to be on a practice team or a scout team for their girls basketball program. But yeah, I just want to kind of focus on my schooling and my future.”
