The wait is over. She’s back on the court. Senior Mary Stisser’s final basketball season has officially begun.
This is Stisser’s fourth year as a player on the varsity team, and her third year starting. She has just come back from a recent injury to play for her last year. From waiting for the season to begin and waiting to be cleared to play, patience was a huge aspect for Stisser, but with the help of those around her, she made it through. “Being committed to play college basketball was helpful and having good friends who understood what I was going through helped me stay motivated through my recovery,” Stisser said.
Stisser had her first game of her senior season on Nov. 17, against Mahomet Seymour. While the outcome of the game may not have been what the team hoped, Stisser played well for not having played in an actual game since June. Stisser said, “It feels amazing to be back on the court, like I’m me again.”
A big part of recovery and growth in any sport comes from one’s coaches. Multimedia teacher and assistant varsity coach Ryan Gunderson has been a huge person in Stisser’s life since freshman year. “Mary has grown every single year, and she has made gigantic leaps every year. She’s almost like a coach. My goals for her are to continue to do those things to help her in college and to increase her game on the floor. Even though she’s on a high level now, I want her to increase that, if possible,” Gunderson said.
A big part of Stisser’s senior year is stepping into the leadership role. The varsity squad is extremely young this year, consisting of only two seniors and three juniors. “I already led by example and playstyle last year. With a younger team, I’m trying to be a positive role model and talk people through what I can,” Stisser said.
Because Stisser has been a varsity player since her freshman year, many have cycled through and gotten the opportunity to play alongside her. Junior Libby Muffler is someone on the team who has gotten multiple years to play with Stisser, but this year will be her last. “I’m most excited to just have fun with Mary this season and enjoy the memories. I’m also excited to have drive and kick out moments with her because we’re both able to hit threes.”
Stisser has made a huge impact on the basketball team. She has continually grown throughout her high school career. “Freshman year I was extremely shy and timid, overall underdeveloped as a basketball player. Through being surrounded by great people and putting a lot of time into myself, I’ve come a long way,” Stisser said. But it doesn’t stop here. After high school, Stisser plans to spend the next two years continuing her academic and athletic career at Black Hawk College in Moline, Illinois, where we can expect to see continued success.
