Jenna Freudenberg wouldn't describe herself as superstitious, but before each home game she likes to sit in the center circle when she puts on her basketball shoes.
"I have to put my shoes on while sitting in the 'C' in the middle of the court," said the Concordia senior point guard. "I'm usually the first one out there and I sit in the circle by myself for a little bit."
Like the area she prefers to put on her shoes, Freudenberg has been a central figure on the women's basketball team for four seasons.
From Parkers Prairie, Minn., Freudenberg is a four-year starter at point guard. She was on the Cobbers team that advanced to the NCAA Division III tournament when she was a freshman. This season she is in the top five in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in scoring (15.1 points per game) and the top 10 in assists (3.2 per game).
On a team that routinely rotates 11 players, she would be the hardest to replace. One of two seniors on the team, Freudenberg has helped guide the Cobbers (8-4, 7-2 MIAC) to second place in the conference.
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"The first thing I think of is leader," Concordia coach Jessica Rahman said. "With Jenna and her leadership, it's not just what she says, it is how she does things. ... She is a good calming factor when she is on the floor. She acts like that senior."
Freudenberg is a versatile floor leader. Not only does she lead the team in scoring and assists, she shoots 48 percent from the field and is tied for the team lead in rebounds (4.6 per game).
At 5-foot-9, Freudenberg is often used in the post when she plays against smaller points guards. At times, she is called on to guard other team's post players because of her strength.
"Jenna is one that does everything," Concordia junior Sara Sorbo said. "She penetrates to the rim, dish and drive, stop and pop, shoots the 3. She sees the floor well. She reads the defense well. She's a great floor leader."
Freudenberg thinks the best quality of a point guard can't be quantified. She has been the point guard on every team she's played on since she started playing basketball in elementary school.
"It's someone who manages the game," said Freudenberg, who likes to share a Mountain Dew with teammate Lindsey Schultz before each game. "It's someone who knows where everyone is supposed to be and is able to get them there. It's someone who is able to control the tempo of the game."
Sorbo says Freudenberg is an "ESPN girl" who has a sarcastic sense of humor and isn't above pulling a prank.
Freudenberg and Sorbo snuck into Rahman's office earlier this season. The two placed a picture of Rahman making a weird face in the middle of one of her picture frames, which had a number of different shots from this year's team.
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Rahman had planned to put a quote in the vacant spot.
"It took me about a week to figure it out. I laughed it off, but I knew exactly right away who did it," Rahman said. "They make the season a lot of fun because they have a good sense of humor. It's about competing hard, but it's also about the relationships you develop out of that."
Freudenberg trained with Sorbo last summer, starting their workouts at 6:30 a.m. four days a week. The worked on speed, agility and jumping drills for an hour before an hour of weight lifting to get ready for this season.
"Six-thirty came early, but she motivated me to get out of bed and get going," Sorbo said. "She's a good friend, she's kind and caring. She's hilarious; quick-witted."
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