College Athlete of the Week: Dacia Heckendorf

Player: Dacia Heckendorf

Year, school: Freshman, George Fox University

Sport: Basketball

Hometown: Marysville (Marysville-Pilchuck High School)

What she did: Scored 18 points off the bench while hitting 3 of 4 3-pointers in back-to-back wins over Whitworth and Whitman, then played eight minutes in victory over Lewis & Clark on Tuesday night as Bruins improved to 20-0 this season.

What's next: Heckendorf and the Bruins, ranked third in the nation in the latest NCAA Division III poll, play host to Pacific (Ore.) tonight in Newburg, Ore.

Two-minute drill

Your first year of college basketball has been quite a ride. What's it been like playing at George Fox this season?

It's been really fun. I love being here, and the atmosphere, and how much basketball is involved in everything we do. It's so competitive. Every day we come to practice, you know it's going to be competitive. I love all the girls; we get along really well. It's fun knowing we're the team to beat.

As we speak, the Bruins have won 19 consecutive games (before Tuesday night's win over Lewis & Clark). Does the team have any superstitions during the streak?

One thing about us is we have a lot of seniors who won a (Division III) national championship by going 32-0. The thing with them is one-game-at-a-time. They talk about having a big target on your back, that everybody is going to give us their best game. So we always have to be ready.

So how far can this year's team go?

Right now, we're ranked third in the nation. We're just hoping, if we take each game at a time, we can go as far as that or even further than that.

Of course, you're used to historic seasons, having been a part of a 2010 Marysville-Pilchuck team that went to state for the first time in 13 years. What was that like?

To me, that was really crazy because of the connection. My dad was the last one to coach a team to state, so it was great to bring that back.

You come from a basketball family, as you mentioned. Both your father (Kendall, at Marysville-Pilchuck) and uncle (Jody Schauer, at Kamiak) coached high school teams. How has that helped you develop as a player?

It helped me knowing it takes a lot of hard work and knowing where you want to go. No matter how much talent you have, you still have to work harder than the next person to get there.

It's been 12 years since your father passed away. What do you remember about him?

I remember being in the gym so much. Even sometimes when I go home, I'll see former players and they'll say: 'You've grown up so much. I remember when you were in diapers in the gym.' That's what I remember, being in the gym for all the practices, and being in the ball cart.

You were actually in a ball cart?

I was. I liked sitting in there.

I read that you used to tuck photos of your father in your shoes before every game. Do you still do that?

Yeah, it's something I still do. The ones from high school are so ratted _ I did it since third grade _ that there no picture on it anymore. So since I got here, I've been using new ones. I've been using old credit cards, and just cut his picture out of those.

What started that tradition of putting his photo in your shoes?

I don't know. So much of me playing basketball is about reminding me of my dad. It's a big part of what my dad was. He was so family-oriented. It's a way of showing remembrance. And I've always been No. 34, even at George Fox. Knowing everything I do, he's with me _ especially when I was younger _ that has always helped me.

Did you have to get the No. 34 jersey from a teammate?

No, they didn't even have that uniform number. They ordered it especially for me, which was really nice. It was really nice. I'll never forget that.

On a lighter note, you once made it to the finals of the Tulalip 3-on-3 tournament. How different is 3-on-3 basketball than 5-on-5?

It's so different. It's so weird how different it is. Three-on-three seems so much faster. Any team could beat anyone in 3-on-3 because of the way the game goes. I grew up going to Hoopfest (in Spokane) every year, and we won it three years in a row. I wish high school was 3-on-3. I love it. It's so different.

What age when you won it?

I was younger than the other girls on my team. I think it was in third, fourth, and fifth grades.

And you were a sprinter on the Marysville-Pilchuck track team. Does that speed ever come in handy?

Yeah. It's so nice. I hated track in high school _ but just because it was running. It helps me so much with basketball, being able to be in shape and knowing that at my top speed, I could be able to beat a lot of top girls. Even though I didn't like it, it helps me with everything.

So you weren't exactly lining up to join the George Fox track team?

It's funny. One of my friends here was trying to talk me into it, and I'm like: 'No, I don't like it.' But then we would get to talking about it, and I realized I miss it. We'd get to talking about the 4x4 (4x400 relay), and I would get all this adrenaline. It's such a different sport than basketball. I think back, and I think I actually loved it.

Maybe you'll be using that speed to run onto the court after a national championship title this year?

Yeah, hopefully. Hopefully.