Oswego East Co-Student Athlete of the Week (Feb 9th-Feb13th)

As the old adage goes, you can’t teach size. Standing at 6 feet 2 inches tall, sophomore Sydney Schultz was blessed with the size to be a game changing basketball player. While her height may be the biggest initial impression she leaves on a stranger, it is her character, drive, knowledge, and maturity that make her so special, which is why she is this week’s Oswego East Co-Student Athlete of the Week.

Born to parents Monique and Dan, Sydney began playing competitive basketball at a very young age. Sydney has traveled the country playing AAU basketball, competing in national championships in the 5th and 6th grade, and traveling the country every summer since. Her talent, size, and exposure have helped garner her attention from major division 1 programs, despite only being a sophomore.

Having played varsity basketball since her freshmen year, Sydney already tied the record for rebounds in a season last year, a record she “would like to break this year,” she says. She has also managed to work her way to 2nd overall in shots blocked for a career, with an opportunity to surpass and run away with the record with another 2 and a half seasons remaining. Despite being limited early in the season from an injury, Sydney is averaging about 9 points and 6 rebounds a game, and has led the team in assists, scoring, and rebounding in multiple different games.

One would think a player of Sydney’s caliber would see her become the lone centerpiece of the team, with the team playing well only when she does. But to assume this would be to underestimate Sydney’s relationship with her teammates, and her drive to win, regardless of her personal stats.

“[Sydney’s] as happy to see her teammates score a basket as much as herself, and takes as much pride in scoring an assist as she does a basket,” says her father Dan.

Being only a sophomore, Sydney understands she has a lot of room to grow as a player. “I want to grow as a leader,” says Sydney, something her head coach, Mr. Abe Caretto, has seen her do quite a lot of since her freshmen year. “I have seen [Sydney] grow into someone that her teammates look to in game situations and practice,” says Caretto. He goes on to say, “[her teammates] want her to do well and know that she is a big part of our team’s success.”

Although Sydney will continue to garner major attention for her accolades on the court, it is her successes off the court that make her so special. Carrying a 3.47 G.P.A., Sydney challenges herself in the classroom as well, taking challenging courses such as Honors English, Honors Algebra 2, and Advanced Placement Microeconomics. Most likely because “math comes easy to me,” says Sydney, her future plans include majoring in the economics/marketing/finance arena. Her Algebra 2 teacher, Ms. Christina Kill, says, “[Sydney] is very bright, and I think she can be successful in anything she tries. She has the motivation and the drive to excel.”

As Sydney and her teammates get closer to the playoffs, she believes the lady wolves are capable of, “making a deep run.” Having seen them compete on multiple occasions this year, this writer would not be surprised if the lady wolves are in line for some major hardware by season’s end. Despite her career not even being halfway over, Sydney continues to serve as one of the leaders of this year’s team, and fortunately for East, a leader for the future as well both on the hardwood and in the classroom. Her advice to those looking to play alongside her, or looking to have success in any other activity here at East, is to work hard because “…it pays off-you will not get anything if you do not work hard for it.” Here’s hoping the hard work Sydney and the lady wolves have put in this year pays off come playoff time.

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