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When describing herself, only one word came to her mind —
determined.
"I go into every season determined to do everything the coaches expect and fill the spots that need to be filled," Jamie Rattunde of the Saint Mary's University women's basketball team said. "Our season has been so team oriented so far; we're determined to do great things.
"I'm not a big person on stats, and to be honest, I don't really look at them that much."
But her stats are nothing less than impressive.
Rattunde, a 5-foot 9-inch forward turned guard this season, currently leads the Cardinals with 137 rebounds (39 offensive and 98 defensive), grabbing an average of 9.1 per game. She ranks second in points (15.3 per game) and leads her team in assists (69), steals (62) and minutes (33.3 per game).
"She plays with heart and hustle and has begun to fuse the mental side of basketball with a phenomenal drive," SMU coach Dan Messmann said. "She's very likable, and her teammates look up and understand how committed she is. Actually, there are times we wish she'd be more selfish."
Rattunde graduated from Winona Senior High School in 2001, where she competed in varsity volleyball, basketball and softball.
However, when she chose Saint Mary's for her undergraduate studies, she also made the decision to focus solely on basketball.
"The first year I came to Saint Mary's, I didn't want to have too much going on," Rattunde said. "I wanted to focus on one thing, and when I was given the role of captain, I decided to stick with one sport and be there for the freshmen. In high school, I really focused on defense like I do now."
And thanks to her concentration, defense has become her niche on the basketball court.
Not only does Rattunde lead SMU in many defensive categories, but she also leads the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in steals, tallying 10 more than Carleton's Linnea Engel, who ranks second.
She also ranks fifth in rebounding, third in defensive rebounding and second in assists.
Last season, Rattunde was named to the first-team All-MIAC and MIAC All-Defensive teams. She led her team with an average of 15 points per game, 8.6 rebounds per game, 73 total assists and 100 steals, a steal record that ranks her first for steals in one season in both the MIAC and SMU record books.
However, next to her impressive statistics, it's her love of the game and team spirit that make her a leader both on and off the basketball court.
"We can completely read each other, and that's what the basketball athlete looks for," teammate Angie Arrington said. "Jamie's the most unselfish player I know. When it comes to getting recognition, she doesn't like it."
Lisa Parsons, women's basketball coach at Hamline University, agrees.
"Jamie's a person who won't give up and is an all-around good athlete," Parsons said. "She's a unique and smart individual, and the only way to stop her is to slow her up before she starts."
Riding on her individual success, Rattunde and her teammates have high expectations as the current season winds down.
Last season, SMU finished with an 11-11 MIAC mark and were 11-15 overall, finishing fifth place in the MIAC and making its third straight MIAC post-season tournament appearance, only to lose in the opening round to St. Thomas, 74-59.
However, the current season has started out much better, with the Cardinals currently holding an 8-4 MIAC and 9-6 overall record, with conference losses only to St. Benedict, Carleton, Gustavus and Concordia-Moorhead.
"We definitely have the team to do great things this season," SMU guard Tessa Stranik said. "We have the attitude and motivation to become one of the top teams in the conference, and that's one of our highest priorities right now."
And Rattunde agrees.
"We've done a lot better than any of us expected," she said. "Everyone is stepping up to their roles and doing their part. Each night it's a different person, and if we go into each game knowing we're not the underdog anymore, I can see us finishing in the top four teams in the conference."
