Q&A
With
Ottawa's
Kelcie
Rombach
With
Ottawa's
Kelcie
Rombach
Division-I Prospect
Looks To Lead Ottawa
Into Uncharted
Territory ...
Looks To Lead Ottawa
Into Uncharted
Territory ...
| Northern Illinois Sports Beat http://www.northernillinoissportsbeat.com |
By Cody Cutter
Northern Illinois Sports Beat Publisher
Ottawa's girls basketball program has been successful many times in the past couple of
decades. But only a trio of student athletes over these years can say they went on from
being a Ottawa Lady Pirate to a Division-I basketball player.
Kelcie Rombach is one of those athletes.
Bursting on the scene as a freshman, she helped lead her team to a school-record 26 wins
(against just three losses) and a regional championship.
A freshman helping her team to a school record for wins? What could the next three years
bring?
Another regional title season was made possible through Rombach's play in the middle,
winning 22 games against six losses during her junior year.
This year, Rombach and company are back for more. The six-foot senior averages 13
points per game for the Lady Pirates, who are currently 14-4 overall and 5-1 in divisional
play in the Northern Illinois Big 12 West.
Kelcie would want nothing less than to bring home the program's first sectional
championship – something that no other sport at Ottawa, except the girls tennis program,
has done since 1998.
After the working of this season's goals Rombach will suit up for the Bonnies of St.
Bonaventure University, an Atlantic 10 Conference school located in Allegany, N.Y.
CC: What do you like and enjoy about basketball?
KR: I really enjoy the competitive spirit of it, the ability to compete and play hard.
CC: What do you think makes basketball better than any other sport out there?
KR: Basketball is a fast-paced game. There's not a slow minute in it, and you get to
compete the whole time.
CC: How did you first get involved in basketball?
KR: I played for our local YMCA in third and fourth grade.
CC: What do you think is one moment from your high school career that you are
most proud of?
KR: There's a lot of memorable ones. Probably last year when we won the regional. Not a
lot of people expected us to get through it and we ended up winning.
CC: What are your goals for this season?
KR: Our goals are to win regional, and win a sectional.
CC: Describe your role on this team.
KR: My role on this team is just to score with the ball and do whatever I can to get good
looks to people, and whatever's needed.
CC: What do you think has been the biggest improvement in your play since your
freshman year?
KR: Probably my aggressiveness. Both defensively and offensively.
CC: What's been the best advice given to you?
KR: To play hard. And don't think out on the court. Just play.
CC: Finish this sentence about yourself: In my spare time when I'm not doing
anything basketball-related I am ...
KR: Either shopping or eating.
CC: If there's one rule in basketball you'd like to see changed, what would it be?
KR: I ... don't know.
CC: Well, of the calls that go against you on the court, what aggravates you the
most?
KR: Half of my fouls I don't like.
CC: Traveling? Three seconds in the lane? Illegal screen?
KR: Illegal screen! Definitely!
Kelcie's Favorites:
Favorite Place to Eat At? Tracy's Row House in Ottawa
Favorite TV Show? Grey's Anatomy
Favorite Class in School? My AP English class
Favorite High School Rival? Sterling. [(CC: Why is that? Everyone I know from Ottawa
says Streator.) KR: It's always a tough game and it's going to be a dogfight no matter what.]
Favorite Pro Athlete? Becky Hammon of the San Antonio Silver Stars
Favorite Pro Sports Team? Chicago Bulls
Cody Cutter is the Publisher of Northern Illinois Sports Beat. He can be reached at
Northernillinoissportsbeat@yahoo.com. --- Talk about what's written on our Message
Boards!
Northern Illinois Sports Beat Publisher
Ottawa's girls basketball program has been successful many times in the past couple of
decades. But only a trio of student athletes over these years can say they went on from
being a Ottawa Lady Pirate to a Division-I basketball player.
Kelcie Rombach is one of those athletes.
Bursting on the scene as a freshman, she helped lead her team to a school-record 26 wins
(against just three losses) and a regional championship.
A freshman helping her team to a school record for wins? What could the next three years
bring?
Another regional title season was made possible through Rombach's play in the middle,
winning 22 games against six losses during her junior year.
This year, Rombach and company are back for more. The six-foot senior averages 13
points per game for the Lady Pirates, who are currently 14-4 overall and 5-1 in divisional
play in the Northern Illinois Big 12 West.
Kelcie would want nothing less than to bring home the program's first sectional
championship – something that no other sport at Ottawa, except the girls tennis program,
has done since 1998.
After the working of this season's goals Rombach will suit up for the Bonnies of St.
Bonaventure University, an Atlantic 10 Conference school located in Allegany, N.Y.
CC: What do you like and enjoy about basketball?
KR: I really enjoy the competitive spirit of it, the ability to compete and play hard.
CC: What do you think makes basketball better than any other sport out there?
KR: Basketball is a fast-paced game. There's not a slow minute in it, and you get to
compete the whole time.
CC: How did you first get involved in basketball?
KR: I played for our local YMCA in third and fourth grade.
CC: What do you think is one moment from your high school career that you are
most proud of?
KR: There's a lot of memorable ones. Probably last year when we won the regional. Not a
lot of people expected us to get through it and we ended up winning.
CC: What are your goals for this season?
KR: Our goals are to win regional, and win a sectional.
CC: Describe your role on this team.
KR: My role on this team is just to score with the ball and do whatever I can to get good
looks to people, and whatever's needed.
CC: What do you think has been the biggest improvement in your play since your
freshman year?
KR: Probably my aggressiveness. Both defensively and offensively.
CC: What's been the best advice given to you?
KR: To play hard. And don't think out on the court. Just play.
CC: Finish this sentence about yourself: In my spare time when I'm not doing
anything basketball-related I am ...
KR: Either shopping or eating.
CC: If there's one rule in basketball you'd like to see changed, what would it be?
KR: I ... don't know.
CC: Well, of the calls that go against you on the court, what aggravates you the
most?
KR: Half of my fouls I don't like.
CC: Traveling? Three seconds in the lane? Illegal screen?
KR: Illegal screen! Definitely!
Kelcie's Favorites:
Favorite Place to Eat At? Tracy's Row House in Ottawa
Favorite TV Show? Grey's Anatomy
Favorite Class in School? My AP English class
Favorite High School Rival? Sterling. [(CC: Why is that? Everyone I know from Ottawa
says Streator.) KR: It's always a tough game and it's going to be a dogfight no matter what.]
Favorite Pro Athlete? Becky Hammon of the San Antonio Silver Stars
Favorite Pro Sports Team? Chicago Bulls
Cody Cutter is the Publisher of Northern Illinois Sports Beat. He can be reached at
Northernillinoissportsbeat@yahoo.com. --- Talk about what's written on our Message
Boards!
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