BUFFALO, NY - Senior Kate McMeeken-Ruscoe of the UB women's basketball team has aspirations to shoot for both on and off the court. This native New Zealander is hoping to be selected to play basketball for her country's team at the Athens Olympics next summer.

McMeeken-Ruscoe was an all-around athlete in her years at the Nelson College for Girls

Kate McMeeken-Ruscoe

and acted as captain of the New Zealand Under-18 and Under-20 National Teams. She played two seasons of basketball at the University of Hawaii until deciding to transfer to the University at Buffalo for its athletic and academic reputation. Since 2000, McMeeken-Ruscoe has been a vital player and leader for the Bulls as a captain, co-creator of the Athletes-for-Athletes program, and as a volunteer. Last year, she graduated top in her class from the School of Management.

McMeeken-Ruscoe is currently on a watch list of thirty-one players for the Creamland Dairies Women's Collegiate Basketball Student-Athlete of the Year award. Ten semifinalists will be narrowed down in March, three finalists during the NCAA Tournament, and the winner will be announced at an awards dinner on April 9, 2003 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Until the MAC Tournament in March, McMeeken-Ruscoe is using her "court wisdom" to help out the younger players and improve the Bulls' game. This season, she is leading the team with an average of 14.2 points per game. McMeeken-Ruscoe believes that if the team works hard to progress every game, the Bulls have the potential to be unbeatable by the time the MAC tournament rolls around.

The senior drives versus Miami (OH)

An elder on the court, the twenty-three year old is the opposite in the classroom. McMeeken-Ruscoe is in her second semester of work towards her MBA. Sports Marketing is a potential field for McMeeken-Ruscoe and she would like to do some work experience there to see if it is right for her. In response to what her long-term goals are, McMeeken-Ruscoe said, "The world is my oyster and is full of opportunities, so I'm not restricting myself to anything. I could go play basketball in Europe, I could work in Europe, or work somewhere in The States, so I'm pretty much up to whatever. I'd also love to travel."

McMeeken-Ruscoe will be calling Buffalo home until she is done dedicating her time to helping the Bulls win and finishing her MBA degree. "Going back to live in New Zealand isn't in my plans for right now," she said. "There's still so much I want to see and do. I will be going home every now and then. I love New Zealand. You don't appreciate how beautiful it is until you leave. Every time I go home, it is so breathtaking. The people and family at home, I love and miss every day. But, it is exciting and fun being over here, doing what I want to do."

Another goal of McMeeken-Ruscoe's is to go to the 2004 Olympics with the New Zealand women's basketball national team. She sends videotapes to the coaches in New Zealand and they keep an eye on her stats. She writes weekly e-mail diaries on her performance, in order to keep them constantly updated. At the end of the season in March, she will begin participating in the High Performance Program for the New Zealand team. McMeeken-Ruscoe is one of 20 potential Olympic players selected to be on this list, and one of 10 located outside of New Zealand in the United States, Europe, and Australia. The players will be watched separately and will come together to play at camps during the summer. McMeeken-Ruscoe summed up her feelings on playing in next year's games by saying, "Everything about New Zealand I have such pride in. To be able to represent it at that level would just be a total dream come true."

~Written by Ariella Levine