MADISON - Megan Scheele just may be the Division III version of Badgers workhorse Joe Krabbenhoft.
With one big difference.
In addition to duplicating his tireless motor and enigmatic influence, she also happens to drop in a whopping 25 points per contest.
All of 5 feet, 9 inches, Scheele subscribes to the mantra, "big things come in small packages." Still playing the post position she occupied at New Glarus High School, the Eagles junior has put in more than her time in the gym to fully-utilize her undersized frame.
"I definitely feel her success comes from her work ethic," Edgewood College coach Tola Neils said. "In the 10 or 12 years I've been coaching, she's one of a kind. She just outworks everybody."
As a result, she now leads the nation in D-III scoring at 25 per game.
While that's fine by her, it's anything but a priority. When it was pointed out to her after a home game last Tuesday, she was more satisfied that her young Eagles had just upended Loras, 61-52.
While she undoubtedly enjoyed the appreciation on New Glarus/Megan Scheele Day at the Todd Weir Edgedome on Dec. 29, her 37 points and 14 boards offered little satisfaction in a 94-92 double-overtime loss to UW-Platteville.
Aside from Scheele, longtime friend-slash-opponent Jenny Updike, a Monticello grad and Edgewood senior that was recently sidelined due to injury, the Eagles boast nothing but underclassmen.
"I don't really care about the scoring, just as long as the younger players are getting experience and we're winning," Scheele said. "They're gonna lead this program after I leave. It won't be what I've done at that point."
"The kids respect her and I think even moreso are in awe of her just because of her work ethic," Neils said. "If we had five Scheele's moving around, we'd be moving in the right direction pretty fast."
Late Introduction
Perhaps the most remark aspect to Scheele's emergence is how quickly she's come of age. After having played soccer since the age of five, she first handled the ball with her hands in the seventh grade.
"I wasn't very good at all," Scheele said. "I didn't know how to shoot, but once I got going I just wanted to keep playing and I still love it to this day."
As a freshman joining Gary Beutler's Glarner Knights squad, Scheele still boasting a clunky two-handed shot.
"It was awful," she says with a laugh," "He just taught me to stick with it. He gave me a lot of pointers and actually taught me how to be a post player."
Along with Beutler's tutelage, Scheele ratcheted up her skills as an underclassman by working often with the Knights' juniors and seniors.
Now, the lessons that started to show their dividends in that junior season are invaluable during her current junior campaign.
As she drags double-teams to the rim relentlessly, no one will question Scheele's ferocity.
In Saturday's 70-63 come-from-behind win over Benedictine, it was tough to find her white uniform among the seas of red that draped on her as she owned the goal to the tune of 30 and 11 to go with three blocks and three steals.
Although college caliber tenacity didn't come overnight.
"Being more physical was an adjustment," Scheele said. "It's like, 'Boom!' in your first college game, you realize it's totally different than high school."
She also found out how much easier things got when she was able to extend her range farther away from the goal and force the defense to be honest.
"Now that she's taking the ball outside and hitting shots with confidence, she's tough to guard," Neils said.
If it please the court, Exhibit A: Scheele's 61.2 percent shooting from the field is good for sixth-best in the nation.
"I had to work at my shot and I'm such a gym rat," Scheele said. "I'm starting to feel confident shooting the ball outside, which is something I've never had."
Audible Acclimation
For a girl who rarely leaves the gym, there's a certain muscle set that it took a while for Scheele to get acclimated with: the ones that allow her to speak.
After following the template set by her seniors in her first two seasons, Scheele admits that becoming a vocal leader was "the hardest part."
"I would usually rather show how I work and play more than how I talk," Scheele said, "That's the hardest part is to open my mouth and actually have them listen to me."
But her reluctance is invisible as she conducts the floor on both ends.
"For me, that speaks volumes of the kind of person she is," Neils said. "She's not a bragger, she doesn't really like the spotlight. She just gets her work done and it's been fun to watch her go to that next step as a leader on the floor."
Neils, who also didn't pick up organized hoops until the eighth grade, is blown over by her leader's eating habits and "understanding of a good night's sleep."
International Flair
After "having a blast" during a playing stint in Australia last summer and with another schedule in England this upcoming May have Scheele already eyeing the prospect of playing overseas.
In addition to her insatiable love for the game, she also clung to the culture down under.
"It was so pretty, different and the way people interacted with each other was awesome," Scheele said. "The views ... man I saw kangaroos and koalas ... I was like, 'Whoa.'"
Her diligence to refine her shooting touch would prove a priceless commodity internationally, but her ball coach keeps going back to one factor that sets her captain aside.
"It's just fearlessness," Neils said. "She doesn't overthink things and I love watching her play because she can make the right decisions because she knows her body, knows what it takes to get around people. She has that knack for the game."
With one big difference.
In addition to duplicating his tireless motor and enigmatic influence, she also happens to drop in a whopping 25 points per contest.
All of 5 feet, 9 inches, Scheele subscribes to the mantra, "big things come in small packages." Still playing the post position she occupied at New Glarus High School, the Eagles junior has put in more than her time in the gym to fully-utilize her undersized frame.
"I definitely feel her success comes from her work ethic," Edgewood College coach Tola Neils said. "In the 10 or 12 years I've been coaching, she's one of a kind. She just outworks everybody."
As a result, she now leads the nation in D-III scoring at 25 per game.
While that's fine by her, it's anything but a priority. When it was pointed out to her after a home game last Tuesday, she was more satisfied that her young Eagles had just upended Loras, 61-52.
While she undoubtedly enjoyed the appreciation on New Glarus/Megan Scheele Day at the Todd Weir Edgedome on Dec. 29, her 37 points and 14 boards offered little satisfaction in a 94-92 double-overtime loss to UW-Platteville.
Aside from Scheele, longtime friend-slash-opponent Jenny Updike, a Monticello grad and Edgewood senior that was recently sidelined due to injury, the Eagles boast nothing but underclassmen.
"I don't really care about the scoring, just as long as the younger players are getting experience and we're winning," Scheele said. "They're gonna lead this program after I leave. It won't be what I've done at that point."
"The kids respect her and I think even moreso are in awe of her just because of her work ethic," Neils said. "If we had five Scheele's moving around, we'd be moving in the right direction pretty fast."
Late Introduction
Perhaps the most remark aspect to Scheele's emergence is how quickly she's come of age. After having played soccer since the age of five, she first handled the ball with her hands in the seventh grade.
"I wasn't very good at all," Scheele said. "I didn't know how to shoot, but once I got going I just wanted to keep playing and I still love it to this day."
As a freshman joining Gary Beutler's Glarner Knights squad, Scheele still boasting a clunky two-handed shot.
"It was awful," she says with a laugh," "He just taught me to stick with it. He gave me a lot of pointers and actually taught me how to be a post player."
Along with Beutler's tutelage, Scheele ratcheted up her skills as an underclassman by working often with the Knights' juniors and seniors.
Now, the lessons that started to show their dividends in that junior season are invaluable during her current junior campaign.
As she drags double-teams to the rim relentlessly, no one will question Scheele's ferocity.
In Saturday's 70-63 come-from-behind win over Benedictine, it was tough to find her white uniform among the seas of red that draped on her as she owned the goal to the tune of 30 and 11 to go with three blocks and three steals.
Although college caliber tenacity didn't come overnight.
"Being more physical was an adjustment," Scheele said. "It's like, 'Boom!' in your first college game, you realize it's totally different than high school."
She also found out how much easier things got when she was able to extend her range farther away from the goal and force the defense to be honest.
"Now that she's taking the ball outside and hitting shots with confidence, she's tough to guard," Neils said.
If it please the court, Exhibit A: Scheele's 61.2 percent shooting from the field is good for sixth-best in the nation.
"I had to work at my shot and I'm such a gym rat," Scheele said. "I'm starting to feel confident shooting the ball outside, which is something I've never had."
Audible Acclimation
For a girl who rarely leaves the gym, there's a certain muscle set that it took a while for Scheele to get acclimated with: the ones that allow her to speak.
After following the template set by her seniors in her first two seasons, Scheele admits that becoming a vocal leader was "the hardest part."
"I would usually rather show how I work and play more than how I talk," Scheele said, "That's the hardest part is to open my mouth and actually have them listen to me."
But her reluctance is invisible as she conducts the floor on both ends.
"For me, that speaks volumes of the kind of person she is," Neils said. "She's not a bragger, she doesn't really like the spotlight. She just gets her work done and it's been fun to watch her go to that next step as a leader on the floor."
Neils, who also didn't pick up organized hoops until the eighth grade, is blown over by her leader's eating habits and "understanding of a good night's sleep."
International Flair
After "having a blast" during a playing stint in Australia last summer and with another schedule in England this upcoming May have Scheele already eyeing the prospect of playing overseas.
In addition to her insatiable love for the game, she also clung to the culture down under.
"It was so pretty, different and the way people interacted with each other was awesome," Scheele said. "The views ... man I saw kangaroos and koalas ... I was like, 'Whoa.'"
Her diligence to refine her shooting touch would prove a priceless commodity internationally, but her ball coach keeps going back to one factor that sets her captain aside.
"It's just fearlessness," Neils said. "She doesn't overthink things and I love watching her play because she can make the right decisions because she knows her body, knows what it takes to get around people. She has that knack for the game."
