North's Rudeen wants to end senior season on high note
By Jason Cowley Journal sports writer | Posted: Thursday, May 22, 2008
North's Alexa Rudeen congratulates Kristen Chartier after Chartier scored against Ottumwa last June. At right, Julia VanderWilt gets ready to bat. (Staff photo by Jim Lee)
Alexa Rudeen has always dreamed of playing softball at the highest level.
The talented North senior is going to live that dream next fall when she enrolls and competes for the University of South Dakota softball team.
South Dakota will be making its transition from NCAA Division II to Division I, just one of the factors that led the third-team Class 4A all-stater to pick the Coyotes.
"I liked the softball program and their turning to Division I," said Rudeen, who enters her fifth-year as the starting shortstop at North. "It's nice to play at a bigger level and it's still not all that big, plus it's close to home.
"I have always wanted to play Division I softball."
Now that her college decision has been made, Rudeen and her teammates can concentrate on this summer, her last at the high school level.
North, led by Rudeen, went 35-12 a year ago, but lost both its games in the state tournament. That's a fact not lost upon Rudeen.
"Hopefully, we can do something at state (this year), not just get there," said Rudeen, who batted .333 a year ago. "We really want to show the state what the Sioux City North softball program is really made of."
Rudeen is one of two fifth-year starters taking the field this year for Coach Kevin Dicus' Stars, tabbed seventh in the pre-season Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union's rankings.
Kristen Chartier returns in the outfield for her fifth season and the North team as a whole has eight of its 10 starters back from a year ago.
"She's (Rudeen) a fifth-year starter in the system," said Dicus, entering his sixth season at North. "It's always good to have her out on the field."
Rudeen has battled through injuries in each of the last three seasons, the latest of which -- a torn ACL, which she suffered in the spring of her junior year -- needed surgery in August.
"(I'm) better than last year," said Rudeen of her health. "It's (knee) all healed up for the first time in a while and I'm pretty excited to get out there and play."
Dicus will lean on Rudeen and Chartier for experienced leadership while the returning roster also includes senior starters Alex Zeimet and Brittany Dicus as well as juniors Erica Denney and Julia VanderWilt.
Sophomores Kate Knepper and Lindsey Remien were also starters a year ago, while Dicus hopes that another starter in Heather Cook, who tore her ACL in basketball this winter, can join the team sometime this summer.
"Not too many girls can say they have been five-year starters," said Dicus of Rudeen and Chartier. "To have two of them up your middle, we're pretty pleased with that."
This season's accomplishments may rest on the pitching shoulders of Denney and Zeimet. Denney went 19-7 with a 1.82 earned run average last summer while Zeimet, who will play at Nebraska Wesleyan, was 16-5 with a 1.34 ERA.
Chartier led the Stars offense last summer with a .415 average while leadoff batter Dicus, who will play at Biola University in California, hit .371 and stole 59 bases.
Rudeen expects to get battles in the Missouri River Activities Conference from both Heelan and East.
"Heelan and East are always pretty decent," said Rudeen. "Everyone is going to want to come and get us."
North won the conference title a year ago with a 10-0 mark. East went 7-3 and Heelan 5-5.
"It feels great to finally be healthy and be able to go out there and give it all I got," added Rudeen. "I have one more year left and hopefully will do my best to stay healthy."
The talented North senior is going to live that dream next fall when she enrolls and competes for the University of South Dakota softball team.
South Dakota will be making its transition from NCAA Division II to Division I, just one of the factors that led the third-team Class 4A all-stater to pick the Coyotes.
"I liked the softball program and their turning to Division I," said Rudeen, who enters her fifth-year as the starting shortstop at North. "It's nice to play at a bigger level and it's still not all that big, plus it's close to home.
"I have always wanted to play Division I softball."
Now that her college decision has been made, Rudeen and her teammates can concentrate on this summer, her last at the high school level.
North, led by Rudeen, went 35-12 a year ago, but lost both its games in the state tournament. That's a fact not lost upon Rudeen.
"Hopefully, we can do something at state (this year), not just get there," said Rudeen, who batted .333 a year ago. "We really want to show the state what the Sioux City North softball program is really made of."
Rudeen is one of two fifth-year starters taking the field this year for Coach Kevin Dicus' Stars, tabbed seventh in the pre-season Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union's rankings.
Kristen Chartier returns in the outfield for her fifth season and the North team as a whole has eight of its 10 starters back from a year ago.
"She's (Rudeen) a fifth-year starter in the system," said Dicus, entering his sixth season at North. "It's always good to have her out on the field."
Rudeen has battled through injuries in each of the last three seasons, the latest of which -- a torn ACL, which she suffered in the spring of her junior year -- needed surgery in August.
"(I'm) better than last year," said Rudeen of her health. "It's (knee) all healed up for the first time in a while and I'm pretty excited to get out there and play."
Dicus will lean on Rudeen and Chartier for experienced leadership while the returning roster also includes senior starters Alex Zeimet and Brittany Dicus as well as juniors Erica Denney and Julia VanderWilt.
Sophomores Kate Knepper and Lindsey Remien were also starters a year ago, while Dicus hopes that another starter in Heather Cook, who tore her ACL in basketball this winter, can join the team sometime this summer.
"Not too many girls can say they have been five-year starters," said Dicus of Rudeen and Chartier. "To have two of them up your middle, we're pretty pleased with that."
This season's accomplishments may rest on the pitching shoulders of Denney and Zeimet. Denney went 19-7 with a 1.82 earned run average last summer while Zeimet, who will play at Nebraska Wesleyan, was 16-5 with a 1.34 ERA.
Chartier led the Stars offense last summer with a .415 average while leadoff batter Dicus, who will play at Biola University in California, hit .371 and stole 59 bases.
Rudeen expects to get battles in the Missouri River Activities Conference from both Heelan and East.
"Heelan and East are always pretty decent," said Rudeen. "Everyone is going to want to come and get us."
North won the conference title a year ago with a 10-0 mark. East went 7-3 and Heelan 5-5.
"It feels great to finally be healthy and be able to go out there and give it all I got," added Rudeen. "I have one more year left and hopefully will do my best to stay healthy."
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