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When Janelle Allen transitioned into college last fall, time turned out to be a puzzle.
“It’s definitely not high school,” said Allen, a Marian Central graduate. “The first semester was a challenge.”
As a women’s basketball player at NCAA Division I Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass., Allen found some helping hands to put her busy schedule in order.
She worked with professors to set up a calendar of due dates for assignments, and Holy Cross coaches helped her set up practice, meeting and treatment schedules. Allen also made sure to schedule in her meal times.
Six months later – and one semester down – Allen is finding that time is her biggest opportunity, especially on the basketball court for the Crusaders.
Despite playing on a 15 minutes per game limit because of a recurring calf injury, Allen won Patriot League Rookie of the Week honors last week after averaging 11 points and 4.5 rebounds in a pair of games against Boston University.
“It meant a lot,” she said of the award. “I was very excited. To see all my hard work from high school, middle school, AAU, everything pay off, it felt great.”
Allen scored a career-high 15 points and pulled down five rebounds in a Feb. 20 loss to BU. A day later, she had seven points and four rebounds as Holy Cross beat BU for the first time in five tries this season, 60-52.
The 5-foot-11 Allen has found a home at center off the bench for the Crusaders (7-7), averaging 8.1 points and 3.3 rebounds.
“That’s where I belong,” Allen said. “That’s my spot.”
Playing in the post against veteran opponents provided some lessons, but Allen said she adjusted quickly.
“It’s a little scary,” she said with a laugh. “These girls all have at least a year under their belts. I had to not be intimidated. I didn’t have a choice.”
While spending plenty of time in the weight room gaining strength, Allen said playing at center has been a natural transition.
“It’s what I’m most comfortable with,” she said.
As for the 15-minute limit, Allen is making the time work in her favor.
“I know when I take the floor, I have to do something,” she said. “If I go out there and don’t provide for my team, then I wasted my time.”
On Sunday, No. 5 seed Holy Cross faces No. 4 Lehigh (7-5) in a quarterfinal game of the Patriot League Tournament. (1 p.m., ESPN-Plus)
In two meetings in January against the Mountain Hawks, Holy Cross lost by 21 points in both games.
“Those two games were probably our biggest teaching moments,” Allen said. “We definitely didn’t play like Holy Cross. If we play like we did against BU, then we can beat anybody in our league.”
Redbird headliners: In Illinois State’s season-opening football game last weekend, several McHenry County area players made big contributions during the 27-20 loss to South Dakota.
Senior fullback Tim McCloyn (Huntley) scored his first career touchdown on a 1-yard, first-quarter run for the Redbirds of the D-I Football Championship Subdivision. Senior cornerback Jarrell Jackson (Marengo) blocked a South Dakota field goal attempt and had five tackles, including a tackle for loss. Senior defensive tackle Michael Gomez (Cary-Grove), a transfer from D-II Winona (Minn.) State, compiled two tackles for loss and a sack among his four total tackles.
UCF standout: Crystal Lake’s Mallory Olsson earned American Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week Feb. 15 after scoring a pair of goals in the University of Central Florida’s season-opening women’s soccer contest against Temple.
Olsson, a junior forward, scored in the 37th and 72nd minutes to give the Knights (2-1) a 3-0 triumph. UCF currently sits atop the conference standings thanks to Olsson, who is tied for the AAC lead in goals (two), ranks third in points per game (1.33) and fourth in points (four).
Winning at Wichita: Senior setter McKayla Wuensch (Marian Central) is averaging 5.06 assists and 2.24 digs per set this season for Wichita State’s volleyball team, which started the season 8-1. Wuensch posted a season-best 29 assists in a four-set victory Feb. 12 against Tulsa. In four of the past five Wichita matches, she has compiled 20 or more assists.
NACC’s best in hoops: Dundee-Crown graduate Allison Michalski and Cary-Grove’s Bailey Steinkamp have won Northern Collegiate Athletics Association women’s basketball player of the week honors in the past three weeks.
Michalski, a senior forward, was honored Tuesday as the NACC South Division’s top player by averaging 20 points and 6.5 rebounds a game during the previous week while helping D-III Benedictine University to a 3-0 record last week. She leads the Eagles (4-0) with 17.9 points and 6.0 rebounds per game.
Steinkamp, a sophomore guard at Concordia Chicago, secured the South Division honor Feb. 16 after 19 points and 7.5 rebounds in a two-game sweep of Rockford University. For the season, Steinkamp is the leading scoring for the Cougars (3-7) at 12.9 points per game and leading rebounder (5.9).
Leader of the Knights: Cary-Grove grad Amber Olson has produced a team-high 5.53 assists per set this season for the University of Central Florida volleyball team. The Knights started the season 8-0 before sustaining their first loss last week against Florida State. Olson, a junior setter, also is averaging 2.28 digs per set.
· Barry Bottino writes about local college athletes for the Northwest Herald. Write to him at barryoncampus@hotmail.com and follow @BarryOnCampus on Twitter.