University of Minnesota Athletics
Gopher Spotlight: Katie Loberg
2/24/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Note: This is a feature story on sophomore forward Katie Loberg that ran in the Feb. 13 Minnesota Basketball Game Program. Loberg, a native of Princeton, Minn., has played in 22 of 27 games for the Gophers, making 20 starts, and is averaging 9.0 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. She scored a career-high 20 points versus Northern Arizona on Dec. 22, and had a team-high 19 points in the win over Northwestern on Jan. 27. Loberg talks about her struggles with injuries earlier this season, and about one of her favorite off-the-court interests -- horses.
By Justine Buerkle, Athletic Communications Student Assistant
Katie Loberg got her first pony, Lacey, when she was about five years old. From that point on, she continued to acquire and ride more horses. Living on a farm in Princeton, Minn., her family had plenty of room to do this. Loberg's love for riding, and for horses in general, eventually led her to develop a love for horse shows. Horse shows require long, meticulous preparation the night before the show, and as early as 4:30 a.m. on the morning of the show. Those are not the type of hours most teens are looking for.
"The horse show is basically all day," Loberg said. "But it's definitely a lot of fun, and all the preparation is worth it when you've won the blue ribbon."
Of course, her participation in horse shows is not the main thing Loberg is known for. The dedication she showed in preparing for horse shows is also evident on the basketball court. Now nearing the end of her sophomore season, Loberg has become a starter for the Gophers. She averages 9.0 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. The 6-foot-4 forward also has great athletic ability, as demonstrated by her high jump accolades in high school.
Still, Loberg's journey to becoming a starter and key part of the offense has not been an easy one. As a freshman, she ended the regular season with her first career double-double, but overall she had a limited role, playing an average of 8.4 minutes per contest and averaging just 2.0 points and 2.9 rebounds per game.
This season, she was a member of the starting lineup right away, but was hampered by a knee injury after just two games. She returned to the floor after missing three games, but then suffered an Achilles tendon injury that kept her on the bench for two more contests.
"It's definitely been a new experience for me," Loberg said of battling back from these injuries. "I've never really been a player who's been injured before. But I feel like it's just part of the adversity of basketball. It's really just made me stronger as a person and as a player, and it's really made me appreciate the game so much more."
Loberg wants to stay healthy and in the lineup, but she said she does not think too much about her status as a starter and one of the team's key contributors.
"It's exciting, but it doesn't really matter to me where I contribute on the team, as long as we all play together and are having fun together," she said. "That's the main point for me. As long as we're doing that, that's what makes me happy and that's what we all enjoy doing."
Loberg may want to focus on the team overall more than her own role, but she does acknowledge some of the reasons why she has been able to contribute more this season than last.
"People have been starting to see I've been moving my game out from the paint to more outside shooting and facing up," she said. "I feel like that's one of my strengths, and I'm really just improving on that and making that a stronger point in my game."
Loberg helped the Gophers to a three-game Big Ten winning streak, which started with a win against Northwestern at Williams Arena on Jan. 27.
"The first win was definitely pretty indescribable," Loberg said. "It was such a great feeling. We just have to take it one day at a time and never be satisfied and keep working hard and keep striving to do bigger and better things."
The third game of that streak came at Indiana on Feb. 3. It was a special day for more than one reason. In addition to celebrating another victory, in which Loberg scored 14 points, the Gophers celebrated Katie's 20th birthday.
"I think I remember saying something along the lines of, 'Best birthday ever,' after the game," she said. "And I think that would probably be true. It was one of the best and most exciting for me, even though I didn't get to spend it at home with my family. My team is my second family, and I really enjoyed spending a lot of time with them on my birthday."
In addition to horses and basketball, Loberg also has an interest in broadcast journalism. She said she has enjoyed being the spotlight from a young age, even in home videos. Her mother, Lori, told her she might be good at on-camera work, and she agreed. Loberg has applied to the School of Journalism and Mass Communication and is working on meeting with local sports broadcaster, Marney Gellner, to learn more about the field.
"Marney's been one of my role models, and I've always looked up to her, as a woman in the sports broadcasting world," Loberg said. "I think it's really cool what she's done, and I would like to do something like that someday."
Despite playing basketball on the big stage and thinking about a career in the spotlight, part of Loberg's heart will always be on the farm. Horses have still remained important to Loberg through the years. She does not get much time to ride now, but horses are always in the back of her mind.
"That's just always been a passion of mine, and I've always enjoyed it," she said. "It's something that I will probably go back to later on in my life after my basketball career is finished."
