Transitions

Busch decides to forego her last

year of eligibility, focuses on

finishing degree, moving

on to graduate school MISSION - After leading the Chadron State College women's basketball team in both scoring and rebounding over the last three years, Sunni Busch, a Todd County high school graduate, is passing up her fourth year of eligibility to focus on completing her undergraduate degree from CSC in nutrition and food. She plans to take some of the six classes left for her degree online in the fall, return to the campus in Chadron in the spring then enroll at South Dakota State University in Brookings to work on a graduate degree in dietetics and food science.

"It was just time to move on to the next chapter of my life, I've paid my dues in basketball," said Sunni Busch, as she looks ahead to next year and beyond, "I'm really ready to finish up my degree and go on to get my graduate degree and then work for the Indian Health Service as a dietician, for the WIC program, for a school district or as a personal trainer."

At the end of the season, Busch was named to the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference all conference team, she averaged 15.6 points, 9.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists a game; she led her team with 41 steals. Busch also was named to the RMAC academic all conference first team. In February, Busch became the ninth CSC woman to score 1,000 points, she ended up as the ninth all time scorer with 1,067 points and the fourth all time rebounder with 587 rebounds.

"Sunni Busch was our team's most talented player on both ends of the floor, not even close," said Tim Connealy, Sunni's third coach in three years, "she was an excellent student as well, carrying close to a 3.8 grade point average but she came to see me a day after the season ended to tell me she wouldn't be back to play for the team for her fourth year - she leaves some big shoes to fill."

It was really difficultto start over with a new coach every year, Busch added, you'd have to learn a different system and get used to a different style each fall, it was a difficultride.

After three years it just was too uncomfortable, the atmosphere, the sense that you gave a certain amount of effort and weren't getting back as much from the program, concluded Sunni.

"No matter how hard it gets, don't give up and if you quit basketball don't quit school," said Busch in advice to incoming college freshman, "above everything you need to continue to work on your education and finish up your degree."