If need be, St. Charles East junior Sara Rosenfeldt can dominate in the post purely with her height.
That’s fine in high school, but the 6-foot Rosenfeldt has aspirations of continuing her career in college. That means skills like outside shooting and ball handling become just as important as height.
Still a work in progress, a more well-rounded game has allowed Rosenfeldt to increase her scoring, she said. She’s averaging in the 18-point range so far this season for the Saints (8-2).
“I think my shot has been better and I’m a more dynamic player than I was,” Rosenfeldt said. “Everyone knows me, so I have to get around that and keep working.
“It’s really nice knowing you can make shots. They have to get up on you and you can go around them, and that’s my game — driving.”
The drive to succeed has always been a part of Rosenfeldt’s game.
St. Charles East coach Lori Drumtra immediately inserted Rosenfeldt into the starting lineup as a freshman. She has started every game on the varsity in her career.
In that time, Rosenfeldt has gone from being a tall player who can score inside into a well-rounded threat who’s attracting considerable Division I interest.
“She’s worked really hard on her outside and three-point shot,” Drumtra said. “Between her freshman year and now, it’s amazing how much better she is. She’ll continue to work on that. She gets a lot of offensive boards and putbacks, but her free-throw shooting and outside shooting have improved immensely.
“She’s got a lot of tools. You think of Sara as just a post player, which she can do, but what we have found is that she is even more effective when we can move her outside because she can shoot and she can attack.”
Rosenfeldt has a distinct advantage on the perimeter. She is often guarded by other tall players who may not have her level of athleticism. That allows her to drive, and if she’s double-teamed, she can kick out a pass.
Having players like senior guards Samantha Munroe and Marissa Urso who can knock down shots in those situations makes the Saints even more dangerous.
“They have been playing really well,” Rosenfeldt said. “When people double me, it’s an easy kick and they can make the shot.”
A red-hot start has the Saints ready for the meat of the Upstate Eight River schedule. The Saints are already 2-0 in conference, including a 58-53 victory over rival St. Charles North.
“We are really happy as of right now,” Rosenfeldt said. “Everyone is working hard and putting out 100 percent effort. We’ll see what it brings us.”
The process of selecting a college is underway as well for Rosenfeldt. She’s relishing this once-in-a-lifetime chance.
“It’s a great opportunity to be recruited to play at the next level, which I’ve always wanted to do since I was a little girl,” Rosenfeldt said. “It really shows how much work I’m putting in and the amount of hard work I’ve put in.
“It’s good so far. I have around five offers and I’m hoping to make a decision before senior year, but we’ll see how it goes.”
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Paul Johnson is a freelance writer for The Courier-News.