It’s fall 2006 and Megan Rumschik is grinning from ear to ear. A sophomore guard on the women’s basketball team, it is her first practice after sitting out for two months with a back injury. Her satisfaction shows as she goes through the drills with more purpose than ever.

 

Forward Tracy Bradley, also a sophomore at the time, focuses on her job in the offense. She cuts and moves to the appropriate spots and gets ready to set a pick to spring open one of her teammates. Her target is none other than Rumschik, who hustles to stay glued to her opponent.

 

Like two trains on a collision course, the two athletes crash, and the smaller Rumschik falls to the hardwood. The gym falls silent, as if the walls, along with everyone else, are thinking, did that just happen? Before there is an answer, Rumschik bounces to her feet, takes a look at Bradley and prepares to restart the play.

“This girl lays me out,” Rumschik said, pointing at Bradley. “I went flying.”

The story of one of their first practices together, which Rumschik and Bradley remember so fondly, also marks the beginning of their friendship.

“She just bounces everywhere,” Bradley said. “Megan and I beat up on each other all the time. We don’t take it personally at all.”

Since their freshman year, that tough-love relationship triggered a friendship and respect that goes beyond basketball.

“Even though we aren’t even at the same position, we would go at it,”Rumschik said.

Laughing, Bradley agreed.

“Someone would always end up knocking the other person down,” she said.

Now the only two seniors on the women’s basketball team, the Bradley-and-Rumschik friendship has survived the odds.

“Everybody says not to live with your friends because you’ll end up hating them,” Bradley said. “Rummy and I have basically lived together for three years and never have had a problem.”

The two learned to leave everything on the court creating a rivalry in their first day of practice. They said their blue-collar style of play was the only approach to take.

“We are kind of the definition of the idea that hard work gets you somewhere,” Rumschik said.

Head Coach Dan Raymond is the biggest advocate of this, constantly reaffirming that the two seniors are the hardest workers in practice and in games. He has rewarded them with more playing time every year.

Now, with both athletes starting every game together for the first time, their satisfaction shows. While they said they are meeting their personal and team goals, playing with each other in this capacity means a great deal to their friendship, as well.

“The bond we have is very sisterly,” Rumschik said. “I know that a lot of times siblings play together on the court and it’s a natural instinct that they know where each other is going to be, and I feel that same mind-set with Tracy.”

When players know where their teammate is going to be at all times, it is trouble for the opposing defense.

“Megan always looks inside to the post, and I try to always kick it out or hit her cutting in the middle,” Bradley said. “It’s a result of having each other’s back since we were younger.”

While they use each other to elevate their game on the court, both are pursuing their own individual goals in their senior season. Rumschik is trying to play as much as possible despite nagging back and ankle injuries. Bradley has the reputation of going to the extreme to be in shape.

“She is nuts,” Rumschik said about Bradley’s workout routine. Bradley consistently stays after practice to run extra sprints or do push-ups.

While many teammates agree with Rumschik, the two seniors give the rest of the team a standard that everyone, regardless of skill level, should live up to. The team is benefiting as well, now the class of the Empire 8 with a record of 8-2.

Though both say they are not stud athletes, Raymond said he knew from the start that their constant hard work would be valuable to that team concept.

“We looked at them as people that we could rely on to set the tone,” he said. “I had no idea that they would be where they are now though.”

After going through four years of college basketball, they now rely on each other to lead the team and set the mood of every practice and game. By playing different positions, each can help out their teammates in their facet of the game. When Rumschik gets in a teammate’s face for not working hard or not doing a drill correctly, Bradley is the person who encourages, and vice versa.  

The pair is also responsible for helping each other. After not being sure about playing time in their first three years, each athlete needed someone to fall back on.

As freshmen, the two went on their first team trip to Florida, which helped to cement their friendship. They now speak fondly of how Rumschik had a little bit of trouble away from home.

“Rummy got homesick a few times,” Bradley said, laughing once again. “I had to be there to comfort her.”

The constant support made it easier for each to adjust to college life and their role on the team. Though the long season can become strenuous at times, being so close made it easier for them to recover more quickly.

With the season coming to a close, a different type of sadness will be shared between the two. Thanks to their bond though, they will have some good times to reminisce about.

“I’m going to look back on my memories in college, and over half will be with basketball, with Tracy in every one,” Rumschik said.

One memory that they share comes from the end of their sophomore year. The team had a talent show and juniors Katherine Bixby and Jeanine Burke, freshmen at the time, played the parts of Rumschik and Bradley, respectively.

It went something like this: “Oh my God, Rummy!” Burke said. “Oh my God Tracy,” Bixby said. “I haven’t seen you in like 13 minutes! I missed you so much!”

Though a bit overexaggerated, the skit proved to be “hilarious” and pretty true to form.

“It made me realize that we really are out there with each other,” Rumschik said. “It showed what people thought of us and that the bond we have is ridiculous.”