Battling back from injury

CEDAR RAPIDS - Injury plays a key role in all sports. Athletes deal with minor injuries like a slightly twisted ankle or a bruised rib. Other injuries can be season ending or even career ending.

Xavier junior McKenna Andersen suffered a season-ending injury last year, tearing her ACL as a sophomore on the Saints' varsity girls' basketball team. The shooting guard is back, looking to continue playing for the varsity team.

Coming back from an ACL injury is difficult. Andersen will have to wear a brace this year, a precautionary step she believes will help her in the future. According to another orthopedics expert, Dr. Jonathan Cluett, a full recovery takes anywhere from seven to nine months, depending on the athlete and the sport.

Andersen has let time and intense physical therapy heal her injured knee.

'After sitting out for a year, I'm mostly looking forward to getting back on the floor and playing with my teammates,” Andersen said. 'As always, I would love to make it back to state.”

While state is the goal, the Saints have a full season ahead of them. Playing all 26 games her freshman year, Andersen hopes to do the same this season.

Andersen is joined by classmates Jenny Dickes and Meghan Joens as the three junior girls returning with significant experience. These girls will have to step up and have a big role this season after the Saints lost three seniors, including leading scorer Hayley Deutmeyer.

State-championship winning coach Tom Lilly is looking forward to this season.

'Her overall knowledge of the game from a year learning and observing from a position of a coach will help her this year,” Lilly said. 'Her perimeter shooting and state tournament experience will help us a lot this year.”

The Saints are 2-1 in the MVC Valley division, 3-2 overall after a 57-39 loss to Iowa City West on Monday. They host Kennedy on Friday.