Emmamuella Sennowo, a 5’11” first-year forward from Woodbury, says she likes St. Olaf’s 350-acre campus in Northfield, Minn., 35 miles south of the Twin Cities.
“It is quiet,” says Sennowo, an East Ridge High School graduate. “The city area is a bit quieter, but on campus I would say it’s fine.”
She is the only Black female on the Oles WBB team.
“I was being recruited by a couple of the schools in the MIAC conference,” she recalled. “But the reason I chose St. Olaf was mainly for its academics. That’s what really stood out to me.
“I just like the environment, the campus was so beautiful, rich in culture. I really enjoyed it [during her visits], so it was really big and pretty clear I wanted to go here.”
Sennowo, who is an economics major, besides adjusting to classroom and campus life, also needed a new role on the basketball court.
“I came from high school where I was more of a defensive player. This year I’ve had to adapt to switching my focus and becoming an offensive player, which was different. That was a bit of a change, but it’s great because my coaches believe in me, and as a freshman, being able to play was a great opportunity,” she explained.
The Oles freshman has thus far started three games back in December and in a loss at Hamline in January, when Sennowo tied for team scoring honors (eight points).
“The game moves so much faster,” said Sennowo. “The girls are so much more skilled. You just gotta go out there and just play your game. I have done a good job adjusting to the conference and adjusting to the playing style.”
During our 10-minute phone interview, Sennowo says she’s quiet by nature. “I can be on the quieter side once I’m new to a different environment,” she pointed out. “They have a lot of activities, but I think I’ve gotten better with communication and just being open to new perspectives and new people.”
Sennowo pointed out that her offensive game is far from finished. “I think my finishing is good, but also in games when I have a great pressure on me, I can tend to turn over the ball or just hesitate. That’s where I need to work on.”
Charles Hallman welcomes reader responses to challman@spokesman-recorder.com.