Shayle Arenson (left), seen here in earlier action, has been a valuable player for the Trevians this season. PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEVE HANDWERKER
You have to love the athlete in the Shayle Arenson.
The New Trier senior is best known for her play on the softball field. The athletic Arenson is a base-stealing middle infielder for NT’s Girls of Spring.
On the basketball court, the 5-foot-9 Arenson is more of a role player.
At the start of the season, the hustling guard was one of the first “athletes” off the bench for head coach Teri Rodgers, who loves having multi-sport athletes on her squad.
Then, in late December, Arenson was thrust into the starting lineup, when star point guard and Colgate University recruit Haley Greer sustained a back injury,
Greer has missed 16 straight games. And according to Rodgers, she remains “day to day.”
Arenson, meanwhile, is just trying to make the most of the situation. Usually, she finds herself in the shadows of teammates Jeannie Boehm, Kathryn Pedi and Autumn Kalis.
And, for the most part, that again was the case, when the Trevians edged Evanston 62-61 in a Central Suburban League South Division showdown on Feb. 5.
Harvard-bound Boehm did her thing. The 6-foot-3 McDonald’s All-American tossed in 27 points to go along with six rebounds and three assists. Pedi, a Holy Cross recruit, came up with 17 points and 15 rebounds. And the ever-improving Kalis tallied seven of her nine points in the second half. She added four assists.
And who came up with the biggest shot of the game? Arguably, that belonged to Arenson.
With 3:03 left in regulation, Arenson drilled a three-pointer from the left wing against an unsuspecting Evanston zone defense.
Her instincts took over.
“I was wide open,” said Arenson, who is not one to fire up a lot of threes. “I felt like I had to take it.
“I wasn’t thinking about anything,” she added. “My dad always says not to think when you shoot.”
The three-pointer was key. The pressure was on. After trailing by nine points after three quarters, Evanston was on a 6-0 run at the time. The Wildkits had cut NT’s lead down to three points.
“For her to take that shot right then. That was insane,” said Pedi. “But we have confidence in her. We have so much confidence in each other.”
In front of a huge crowd — this game preceded the varsity boys — New Trier (23-4, 9-0) did just enough to beat a dangerous Evanston team (21-4, 7-2). Wildkits guard Savannah Norfleet (18 points) missed a hurried half-court shot at the buzzer.
“It was an exhilarating win,” said Arenson.
The fun is just beginning. Basketball’s championship season begins on Feb. 15. The Trevians, who took third in the Class 4A state tournament, are set to host a sectional.
Once the season ends, look for Arenson at a local ball diamond. She’s got big plans for the 2016 softball campaign.
“I’d like to hit around .380,” said Arenson, who figures to start at shortstop.
Last spring, as the team’s starting second baseman, she hit .286 with 21 runs and 15 RBIs. She also finished with a team-high nine steals in 10 attempts.