Erin Monfre and Waukesha South reached the 2005 Division 1 state championship game against De Pere before falling just short of a state title. The Blackshirts' standout went on to a strong four-year career for the Marquette women's basketball team.
1. I remember at the beginning of the year, your picture was on the front of the Wisconsin Basketball Yearbook for girls hoops. What was your reaction to that -- was it daunting to be as high-profile as you were by senior year? Did you feel like there were a lot of eyes on the South team in general that season?
First reaction that I can remember as if it was yesterday was simply, "Wow, look how far I have come in four years with the teammates I've been lucky to have who have constantly pushed me and supported me." Even though it was only me on that front cover, I would have loved to have every single girl on that senior-year roster surrounding me. That senior-year team was special. Our practices were cut throat day in and day out. We wanted to get to state, we had big goal set.
Daunting, no ... it kept me accountable, it never allowed me to settle. There were people who had expectations of me, people who doubted me and expectations I had for myself. That spotlight kept me in line, as well as motivated. There absolutely were a lot of eyes on our '04-'05 team that season. We finished the year before undefeated in conference at 14-0 with quite a few returners. We had nine seniors who meshed like sisters. People paid attention to what we were doing each and every game.
2. The path to the state final wasn't littered with many land mines on paper -- were any of those games particularly threatening to your playoff run at any point? What did De Pere do in the title game that you hadn't seen at any point along the way?
Every game was threatening in the path to state. We were expected to win. We carried the pressure of winning and advancing. At any time a team can fold; we decided to be stronger than ever and seal games off by getting a comfortable lead.
De Pere was a team that matched up with us equally. They had multiple threats just as we did, they had key players who needed more focus, as we did. We finally saw a team who had an entire team that made an impact, which made for a four-quarter, down to the buzzer game. They ended up with the upper hand.
3. You had a ton of assists in the first two state games. Where did passing rank among your attributes? I'm guessing even as a post player, you were trying to expand your game both for your team and for college. What skills really separated you from your peers?
I absolutely LOVED to make that extra pass and set up a teammate. Passing, assisting teammates, (some who were ready for those passes and some who may have caught them with eyes of a deer in headlights). I had a special vision on the court and I loved to find the open teammate. And they always found a way to connect. In fact, coach (Paul) Darling, from what I remember probably told me a few times to just go to the rim or take the open shot and quit passing SO MUCH. I wanted to win. If a teammate was open with an opportunity to put 2 or 3 points on the board, I was more than happy to get them the ball.
In high school my court vision and ability to score separated me from my peers. In college, my defense and 3-point shooting stood out and was a lot of the reason I earned playing time. Many times, I was responsible for the opponents top scorer, to shut them down. And if open at the 3, let it fly!
4. What do you remember about state weekend, both perhaps a major on-court memory and one off the court?
I believe it was against Janesville Parker my senior year, first round game. We had a lead and some of my teammates who didn't get as much playing time all were able to get an opportunity. It was the final seconds of the game and Megan Kadrich was on a fast break layup. Maybe the "right" thing to do at the time was to pull it out and let the clock run, but I remember it like it was yesterday ... she was SO determined to score that lay-up, rightfully so. All her hard work, she was at state, and that was her chance to make it in the box score. I was on the bench, the entire starting five was, on our feet in anticipation. When she scored that layup at the buzzer, we cleared the bench and all stormed her in celebration as if she won the game for us. We supported one another no matter our role on that team.
5. Where are you now? How did your high school career set you up for success at Marquette, and what have you been up to since?
My high school career set me up for success at Marquette because I was constantly challenged. Every game, every day in practice. I couldn't settle, nor could I take a day off. Pressure walked along side me daily; it was just a matter of how I handled it. Our games used to be almost sold out, Waukesha South allowed me to play in front of "larger" crowds than most high school girls may have experienced. Also, the convenience of being close to Marquette throughout my high school career allowed me to catch games and practices and really get to know their staff before starting my freshman year.
I am currently living in Louisville, Kentucky. I moved here in 2009 after graduating from Marquette. Two and a half years ago, I found a deep passion in Personal Training instilled by my late mother. I absolutely love helping people transition into healthier lifestyles as well as keeping them on that path. In fact, so much that I launched my own company Oct. 20, 2014, called FaceFitness. FaceFitness is virtual personal training. As long as people have access to FaceTime, Skype or Google Hangout, I can train them wherever they are. My vision with my company is to reach as many people as possible by making it convenient for them, comfortable (not in a public gym setting) and holding them accountable. I can correct form, show them how to do certain exercises, count reps and motivate them for the entire 30 minutes. I want to help maximize people's 30-minute workouts.