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Feb. 1, 2008
The article can be found in today's, Friday, Feb. 1, paper on page C3 or in its entirety below. _________________________________________________________________________ WOMEN'S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Knees Pay Price as Upper Iowa's Hammel Passes 1,000 Points
By Jeff Johnson
FAYETTE -- It's a nice milestone, scoring 1,000 points in your college basketball career. But to Christa Hammel, it's a lot more than just nice. The senior center hasn't been healthy much of her career at Upper Iowa. It's debatable if she's been healthy at all. Hammel tore the ACL in her right knee toward the end of her sophomore season. She has dealt with an array of chronic problems in her left knee as well. "I've always struggled with tendinitis," Hammel said. "And a floating kneecap." Ouch. But despite playing on balky knees, Hammel was able to surpass the 1,000point mark in a victory over Northern State (S.D.) last week. She had a double-double in the game: 20 points and 10 rebounds. "It's an accomplishment," Hammel said. "I'm just hoping for a better season. I'd like for us to finish up strong and win a few more games." Upper Iowa has struggled in its transition to a fullfledged NCAA Division II program. The Peacocks take a 6-17 record into a game Saturday night against Winona State, though they've won two in a row. Hammel isn't used to so much losing, coming from a successful high school program at Waukon. Losing and injuries have been tough, though she has persevered. "She has made it through," said Upper Iowa Coach Ben Conrad, who calls Hammel a "true 5, back-to-the-basket player." "I think she has just been consistent throughout her career," Conrad said. "Her play has never dipped. She probably hasn't done as well as she would have had she played healthy, but she's done well." The toughest part of that career, she said, was tearing the ACL as a sophomore. Six months of grueling rehabilitation was more than enough. "That was the worst experience of my life," Hammel said. "Rehab went real slow, very slow. I wanted to just go, go, go, but I couldn't. It's tough not to be able to jump and run and play for six months." The frustration continued into her junior season, as she tried to get back to the level she was playing at before the injury. She has been steady as a senior, averaging 8.4 points and a team-best 6.7 rebounds. Hammel said a preseason talk with Conrad and the team's trainer helped ease some of her frustrations. They basically told her to just go out and play, don't worry about the things her knees won't let her do. "She is a tough kid," Conrad said. "And she's had a nice career." Contact the writer: Jeff Johnson, at (319) 398-8259 or by e-mail. |
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