Segelke to sign dual-sport letter with Concordia today

No need to be decisive if you’re Karissa Segelke.

Segelke, a three-sport standout in the Sidney High School Lady Raiders’ athletics program, was looking to continue her basketball and track careers — she also starred on SHS’s Final Four volleyball squad — at the college level.

When the dust finally settled, Segelke settled on the best of both worlds.

This afternoon, the SHS senior is set to ink a national letter-of-intent to attend Concordia University in Seward, as a member of the Bulldogs women’s basketball and outdoor track programs.

“My passion is basketball, but I love track,” said Segelke, the daughter of Duane and Carla Segelke. “Concordia offers me an opportunity to where I can play two sports.”

Segelke is a three-year starter in Tyler Shaw’s SHS basketball program, averaging 12.6 points and 6.1 rebounds as a junior, and thus far in 2012-13 is averaging in double figures, after three games.

“She’s a really good athlete who can do multiple things,” Shaw said. “First and foremost, she is a great person, and works really hard at improving herself, on and off the court.”

Segelke will likely be a guard at the college level, but Shaw said that shouldn’t be a problem.

“Whatever Karissa needs to work on, she applies herself to it,” Shaw said. “This summer, she worked on her low-post game and then her ballhandling skills.

There’s no doubt she can work on her outside shot, because she will do whatever she takes to help the team.

“You have a lot of high-scoring hgh school stars who come into the college game, and are asked to be role players at the next level. They can’t adjust to it. I don’t think Karissa will have that problem,” Shaw added.

Although CU women’s basketball coach Drew Olson was unavailable for comment, Segelke said Olson was “excited to have her” in the program and that the coach felt Segelke would fit in well with the Bulldogs’ squad.

Concordia, an NAIA school which participates in the Great Plains Athletic Conference, finished 34-3 in women’s basketball last season and reached the Final Four.

CU is ranked No. 1 nationally this season, and is off to an 11-0 start after knocking off No. 5 Briar Cliff last night.

In track, Segelke had a breakout season, competing in the 100-meter high and 300-meter low hurdles.

She owns personal bests of 15.3 seconds (hand-held) in the highs and 46.2 (fully-automated timing) in the highs. Segelke also participated on two relays which medaled, the 4 x 1 and 4 x 4, the latter of which ran second.

“Karissa handles her time well,” SHS coach John Ganser said. “She has an outstanding track commitment.”

Segelke will be broadening her horizons some this spring, as she will compete in the long jump.

“I might need a fourth event,” Segelke said, “and it might help the team score extra points in meets.”

CU assistant track coach Mark Samuels handles sprinters, hurdlers and pole vaulters, and will be working with Segelke.

Since Segelke will be devoting the winter season to basketball, her track seasons will be limited to outdoor.

“Karissa will be a great addition to our program,” Samuels said. “She will definitely give us some depth and help us during the outdoor season. We’ve won three conference championships in the past couple seasons, including the GPAC outdoor title last year.”

At CU, Segelke will have partial scholarships from both sports, and along with an academics package, a great portion of her college education will be met.

“The scholarship money will help toward the total financial package,” Samuels said.

Segelke says she will enroll at Concordia as an undeclared undergraduate, though she says she is leaning in the direction of CU’s radiology program.

Segelke isn’t making any grand promises about putting up numbers with either track or basketball, but she hinted that she will continue to dedicate herself to both.

“I want to get stronger and grow,” Segelke said. “By playing both sports, I should be able to do that.”