ROGERS (KFSM)--Madison Sandor's sport of choice was soccer for the majority of her youth. A very important shift happened in middle school.
"I developed a love for basketball my seventh grade year. Coach [Preston] Early actually talked to me while I was playing at Elmwood, and I actually had no desire to play at any point," Sandor said.
The 5'10" senior is committed to play at Division II Central Missouri this fall. Five years ago, Sandor wouldn't have believed that college basketball was a likely path.
"I've never been a part of dance team or cheer team, that's never been me. And so, I'm really really aggressive and really competitive. I've always been a person who's loved to talk so playing sports, it just comes naturally to me. And getting to communicate with girls on the court is a really big part of the game," Sandor said.
As one of the eight Mounties seniors, Sandor has taken a bigger leadership role. "It's so natural for her to lead. She's a vocal kid by nature, she's smart and she has learned over the course of the year. It has been neat to see her grow in that role," Coach Early said.
Sandor is one of the more versatile players in Northwest Arkansas, able to drive and shoot the three. "I get really physical under the basket. I'm 5'10'' so I'm not undersized typically. But in the 7A west I do seem to be undersized a lot, and so I do have to be more aggressive," said Sandor.
"One of the things I have come to admire about her, is she loves to take on the challenge of guarding the other team's best player," Early said.
As a senior, Sandor is posting 9 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists per game, building on a junior season of 7 double doubles.