59ers' Zurek headed to Indiana State

Updated: March 29, 2011 11:38AM

Natasha Zurek didn't need long to decide Terre Haute was where she wanted to spend the next four years.

The Andrean senior recently gave an oral commitment to attend Indiana State the same day she made an official visit to the campus.

For academic and athletic reasons, the Sycamores were a perfect fit for the Post-Tribune All-Area third teamer.

"They had my position open, they were looking for a point guard," Zurek said. "They had my major, athletic training. They have a really good program for that."

That being the case, Zurek saw no reason to extend her recruiting.

"It's a load off my mind," she said of having her future settled. "The process was enjoyable at the beginning, when you get all the schools (calling) and stuff. When school started, it kind of slowed down a bit. It was a little nerve-wracking."

Andrean coach Ken Markfull believes Zurek will fit in well with the Sycamores, who were 16-16 this season under first-year head coach Teri Moren.

"It gives her an opportunity to play at a level that's commensurate with her skill level," Markfull said. "It's very satisfying to see a kid (who) has a goal and really makes a commitment to achieving that goal over a four-year span."

Truth be told, Zurek's had the dream of playing Division I basketball a lot longer than that.

"It's been my goal since maybe about fifth grade," she said. "I probably realized when I was midway through my freshman year that I can actually achieve this goal."

Zurek filled the stat sheet for the 59ers this season, averaging 12.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 4.9 steals per game.

"Her strength is really the ability to play the game well in every facet," Markfull said. "She handles the ball very well, sees the floor well, can make plays in the open court and half-court (game)."

Zurek hopes to contribute on both ends of the floor.

"I feel like I can really help them with ball-handling and defensively," she said.

In the meantime, she'll try to polish up a few areas of her game to prepare for the next level.

"I want to work on my shot a lot more and my endurance," she said. "It's going to be a lot different (from high school)."

© 2012 Sun-Times Media, LLC. All rights reserved. This material may not be copied or distributed without permission. For more information about reprints and permissions, visit www.suntimesreprints.com. To order a reprint of this article, click here.