Showcase Q&A: Palmyra’s Compton discusses pre-med degree, attending QU and family pride
The fourth annual Muddy River Showcase takes place June 21 at John Wood Community College’s Student Activity Center. The girls game will tip at 2 p.m. with the boys game to follow at 4 p.m. General admission is $10.
PALMYRA, Mo. — Sydney Compton hasn’t taken a college course yet, but she’s already redefined her major and given herself options.
And for good reason.
Enrolled at Quincy University, where she will be a member of the women’s basketball team, Compton plans to pursue a degree that will lead her to medical school, but the exact field of study is influenced by a life experience.
“In the beginning, I was saying I wanted to major in biology and I was going to go into their pre-med program,” the Palmyra graduate said. “I’m still going to do the pre-med program, but I’m changing my major and I haven’t even started college yet. I’m going to do health science instead.”
Specifically, she wants to study cardiology or become a nurse practitioner where she can focus her efforts as a labor and delivery nurse.
“Right now, the goal is cardiology,” Compton said.
It goes back to a condition discovered when she was an infant. Compton had a heart murmur, which doctors found was caused by a small hole in her heart. She was cared for at St. Louis Children’s Hospital before being moved to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., where the condition improved and her heart strengthened to the point she can be a college athlete.
“So now I go once every four years to get it checked,” Compton said.
And nothing can hold her back.
As a senior with the Panthers, Compton earned first-team All-Clarence Cannon Conference honors as she averaged 19.7 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. She was selected to represent Missouri in the fourth annual Muddy River Showcase, but recovering from knee surgery will keep her from playing. Still, she’ll be on the Missouri bench and part of the Show-Me State squad.
Compton chatted with Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman about her offseason surgery, the adjustment to college life and the impact of her family for this Muddy River Showcase Q&A.
Q: How’s the recovery from knee surgery going?
A: Pretty good so far. I’ve been trying to get in the gym to stay in shape and doing a bunch of therapy to keep my knee strong and my quad as strong as possible. Right now, I’m waiting for the second one to come around, which I’m pretty sure will be in July I hope.
Q: What was the surgery for?
A: I had missing cartilage. So the first surgery they had to do a scope to figure out how much cartilage they would have to grow in order to replace what’s missing. Luckily we did the scope instead of going straight into the replacement surgery because they actually found a torn meniscus, too.
Q: Is the second surgery then to replace the missing cartilage?
A: Yes, they took cells during the scope and have been growing it into cartilage so they can replace it.
Q: What will the recovery time be?
A: This is actually a long recovery time. It’s going to put me out for next season. It’s a six- to nine-month recovery.
Q: Nutrition has to be important during a recovery, so what’s your favorite meal?
A: I say I have a favorite, and then I eat something and I go, “This is my favorite meal.” I have at least five. Right now, I’d have to say it’s roast, potatoes and carrots. I like to eat my vegetables.
Q: How disappointing is it to not be able to suit up next season for the Hawks?
A: I’m not too happy about it. It’s pretty bumming because as a freshman I want to get that college basketball experience. I’m so antsy to play. I haven’t been able to play since our high school season ended. But I like it will be good to know college life and learn what college basketball is like and get to know my new coaches and teammates.
Q: You’re in one of those weird situations where you committed to QU before Courtney Boyd resigned as the head coach. Have you gotten to know Ali Schwagmeyer-Belger since she was hired as the head coach?
A: We’ve had some open gyms, and since I’m not able to participate, I’m just sitting back and talking to them. I love them so far. They seem like great people, great coaches. They really know what they’re doing. I’m really excited.
Q: What has you excited about playing for them?
A: Everybody knows they are great basketball players, but they are so in touch with their players. They are player coaches. They are so kind and want the best for you always. Whenever I first talked to Coach Ali, I let her know about everything going on with my knee. She really reassured me that everything was going to be OK and everything happens for a reason. Just hearing that, especially with how stressed out I was about the whole thing, just hearing she was so confident in me and put faith into me, that was so helpful. I’m excited to see where they can take our team. It’s going to be really great.
Q: How important has it been to be around the program this summer?
A: It’s been really good. Especially without being able to play next year, it’s important for me to engage a lot more. I’m watching from the outside and watching how they run everything.
Q: What do you do for fun away from basketball?
A: I really like to play volleyball. I like to swim and just hang out with friends and family. I always tell people if I couldn’t play basketball the other sport I’d play is volleyball, which kind of stinks because we don’t have volleyball (at Palmyra). But I love volleyball. It’s so fun. I like going to play pickleball, even though I can’t really play right now. I just sit there and watch, but it’s fun watching it.
Q: Had Palmyra offered a varsity volleyball program, you would have played, right?
A: Of course. I don’t know how that would really work because I feel it would go into basketball season.
Q: What did you enjoy about going to school at Palmyra?
A: I loved the atmosphere. Everybody was always so friendly. We’re not a really big school. We’re not the smallest in our conference, but we’re definitely not the biggest. So it’s a tight community. Everybody knew everybody and was so nice. There were a couple of teachers, during my free periods, I’d go hang out in their classroom. It was just really nice to have that type of atmosphere to go to school at.
Q: What was the atmosphere like around the Palmyra girls basketball program?
A: Every game, we had such a big crowd, especially home games. There was such a good feeling with it and everyone was so positive and uplifting towards our team. Even with losing all of the seniors from last year and having a really young team this past season, they were still so positive and went to all of the games and cheered. It was great. The community of Palmyra when it comes to basketball is the best I’ve ever seen.
Q: What was the best piece of advice you gave those younger teammates?
A: Be confident. It’s really hard when you go into high school and you’re part of such a young team. Most of them are going to be on varsity, and that’s really hard to go from middle school basketball and make the jump to varsity basketball. It can mess up your confidence and your mind. You’re not only playing against girls your own age, but you’re playing against juniors and seniors, girls who are basically grown women. I tried to tell them to stay confident and know your game of basketball and just play. Go out and have fun and don’t think of it as pressure where you have to be perfect.
Q: What’s the best piece of advice someone has given you?
A: I’d say it’s about leadership. I’ve also gotten the confidence speech. I can struggle with confidence, and hearing other people pour love into you always helps me. I want to say leadership because you’re not only trying to have leadership for the girls on your team, but when you look in the crowd, you’re always being looked up to by younger girls. So showing leadership and showing younger girls what it’s supposed to look like is crucial. Being a good teammate, a good attitude, good effort, just showing them how a true Lady Panther is supposed to act.
Q: Who has been the biggest influence on you?
A: I want to say my parents. That’s probably a common answer, but it’s true. My mom played college basketball. My dad didn’t go to college, but he was a really good athlete. He played football and baseball in high school. All the time they’ve spent on me and all of the money they’ve spent to help me get to the point I am in my life, I’m just very grateful for it. I wouldn’t be at this point without them. I get my height and athleticism from them, so I have to praise them for that.
Q: Do you get your toughness from dad?
A: Oh, definitely. He always makes fun of me because I have his attitude. It can be a really good attitude, showing the love you have for the game, but you have that other side you have to keep in check. It’s that competitive fire. It’s a really good thing to have, but sometimes you can get too competitive where it becomes nasty.
Q: What’s it like to watch your siblings have success?
A: I love it. My sister played a little bit of basketball, and I loved whenever we got to play with each other. My older brother played football and I loved going and watching him play his senior. I was younger and at that point in my life I wasn’t really interested, but whenever I did go, I always loved watching him. And Rylan is still in high school. He’s the little brother. He plays baseball and football. I wish he played basketball because he’s really competitive and he’s really good, even though I make fun of him and say I’ll beat him in a 1-v-1 every single time. I love watching him play everything.
Q: How much did you look up to your older brother and sister?
A: A lot, and I still look up to them. They are my biggest fans, and I can say I’m one of their biggest fans. I love seeing them achieve every goal that they set their mind to. They are both great people. They’ll help anybody. They’re selfless. They’re determined. They have a goal and they go for it. They’re just really good people in general and good people to look up to.
Q: What are they doing now?
A: My sister is in cosmetology school. She’s amazing at it. And my brother is a lineman. I don’t know too much about that, but I know it’s a good job.
Check out more of the Muddy River Showcase Q&As at the links below:
Payson Seymour’s Blake Schwartz
South Shelby’s Callie McWilliams
West Hancock’s Lewis Siegfried
Quincy Notre Dame’s Alex Dance
Central-Southeastern’s Lauren Miller
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