STOMSKI ELECTS PATH TO SUCCESS

JESSIE STOMSKI'S HARD-WORKING OFF-SEASON HAS MADE LAST YEAR'S BIG TEN FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR BETTER THAN EVER.

Wisconsin State Journal

Nov 25, 1999

After being named the Big Ten Conference Freshman of the Year for the 1998-99

season, University of Wisconsin forward Jessie Stomski faced a decision.

She could take the path of least resistance, gliding down Easy Street and

resting on her laurels. Or she could take the road less traveled, a more

difficult tollway that winds toward self- improvement.

"Jessie has paid the price," UW women's basketball coach Jane Albright

said. "All athletes react to success in one of two ways. They either sit

back and count their trophies and say, `Look at me,' or it fuels their

desire to see how good they can be. I think it has fueled her desire to

be the best. That's really encouraging as a coach."

Stomski, a 6-foot-3 sophomore from Oakdale,Minn., parlayed an off- season

and preseason regimen that included improving her conditioning and changing

her shot into a strong start to this season. She averaged 19.5 points and

10 rebounds in the Badgers' two victories at the Time Warner Cable Classic

last weekend in Lincoln, Neb. That resulted in Stomski's selection as tournament

Most Valuable Player and the Big Ten Player of the Week.

"She's a warrior," said Nebraska coach Paul Sanderford, whose team lost

to UW, 92-85, in overtime in Sunday's title game. "She can play for me

any day. She bangs and beats on people. She plays the game the way I think

it should be played."

"That's quite a compliment," said Stomski, shy off the court, but not on

the floor when she's tracking down a rebound. "I never really see myself

as a good player or a top player. I'm always playing against people who

I think, `Wow, those are great players.' When I think about myself, I think

about what I have to do to work to be at that level.'

Stomski averaged 14.3 points and 6.7 rebounds per game last season, but

said she needed to improve her strength and conditioning this season.

"The main thing was to get in better shape physically," she said. "I lost

some weight. In the preseason, especially, I really worked hard. Last year,

I think other coaches made comments that our post game was slow. Not that

this year I'm fast, but I wanted to improve that."

Stomski said she lifted weights and subscribed to a low- carbohydrate diet

over the summer - eschewing sugar, bread and pasta, while eating primarily

meat and vegetables. The 190-pound Stomski said she lost 20 pounds before

this season. Her new-found endurance was demonstrated when she played the

entire game, including overtime, against Nebraska.

"Jessie really got the `eye of the tiger,' " Albright said. "Any time you

see an athlete who has totally transformed their body, you know she is

serious about it. She lost 20 pounds and is just quicker on her feet. We

are a much better defensive team with Jessie alone because she can cover.

She couldn't cover last year."

Stomski said she also analyzed her shot with the assistance of UW women's

basketball manager Eric Ferris. Her technique was altered, from keeping

her elbow in to adjusting her release. The left-hander shot 60.9 percent

from the field at the Nebraska tournament, including making the first two

3-point shots of her UW career, and was 9-for-11 from the free-throw line.

"Before this year, no one taught me how to shoot," she said. "I just shot

how I taught myself to shoot."

Stomski also emphasized rebounding this season, saying she wanted to average

a double-double in scoring and rebounding. She matched her career high

with 14 rebounds against Nebraska.

Stomski, who has been battling the flu this week, is expected to start

Saturday for No. 25 UW at No. 8 Rutgers.

"She takes no prisoners," Rutgers coach C. Vivian Stringer said about Stomski.

"She gets the job done. She's a hard worker."

For Stomski, choosing the more challenging path during the off- season

appears to have paid off.

Ticket update: A total of 2,870 single-game tickets have been sold for

UW's game against Tennessee Dec. 5 at the Kohl Center, pushing tickets

distributed for that game to 8,907. Seats remain available in the 100 and

200 levels, and the courtside 300 level has been opened for sale.