Catching Up With Chandler Eddleton '20

We are what we repeatedly do.
Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.
                  ~ Aristotle
 
.
Excellence doesn't happen randomly.

Achieving it requires hour upon hour in the lab, regardless of the form that the lab takes.
 
Truly achieving it requires not just time but diligence, uncommon work ethic, commitment, laser-focus, and iron will.
 
Sure, innate ability and aptitude play a role, but in the final analysis, the true determinant of excellence is the painstaking, sweat-inducing process that leads to the desired result.
 
That said, the result can be elusive. The road to excellence, the adage goes, has no finish line.
 
Chandler Eddleton is a 2020 Collegiate School graduate who plays basketball for Marymount University, which is located in Arlington and competes in the Division III American East Conference.
 
Her freshman season, abbreviated by Covid protocols, she played in four games, all off the bench, and averaged 4.5 points and 3.8 rebounds.
 
A great believer that success is the by-product of hard work, she doubled down on her offseason preparation, and her dedication when few were watching proved worthwhile both for her and the Saints.
 
This past winter, playing mostly guard (at 5-9) but sometimes power forward, she increased her output to 13.5 points, seven rebounds, 1.6 steals, and 1.9 assists as her squad went 16-8 and won the Mid-Atlantic region-based conference regular season title (11-1).
 
She recorded career highs of 28 points (against Centenary, February 17) and 17 rebounds and six assists (against Gwynedd-Mercy, February 12).
 
She recorded five double-doubles and was twice named conference player of the week. For her body of work, she was voted American East rookie of the year and first-team all-conference.
 
Her joie de vivre is palpable, not just because of past accomplishments but for the possibilities ahead which, she firmly believes, will be the upshot of the effort she expends between now and next season when no one is looking.
 
Recently, Chandler, a health sciences major who has three years of eligibility remaining, shared thoughts, insights, and observations about her academic and athletic journey since her days on North Mooreland Road.

Why Marymount?
Location was a big thing for me.  It’s not too far but not too close. I like that because my parents are able to come see me often. Also, location in terms of the workplace, so after college there’re great opportunities for jobs. They had my major so I could prepare myself for the future. Basketball was a big part too. I was really excited about coming to such a high-level program. That kind of sealed the deal once everything else was checked off the list.

Were you prepared for the academic challenges?
I felt like I was overprepared, honestly. Collegiate really preps you from the standpoint of course rigor and basic skills like time management and knowing what courses you need to take.  Collegiate prepares you to be independent and responsible for your academics. In the Covid year (spring 2020), Collegiate kept pushing. I learned how to navigate academic life on Zoom.   My first semester (at Marymount) was completely remote. I was on campus, but all my classes were from my dorm room, so I was prepared to learn on Zoom and take tests online.

Speak about the transition from highly-decorated high school athlete to college freshman.
College is like the fishbowl because everyone was the best where they played in high school. It was really exciting coming to a place where everyone’s fully invested in playing basketball and super talented. I was just excited to be on the team of girls I knew wanted to compete and get after it and give effort every single day.  Once I got here, I just worked really hard. As a freshman, I was given the opportunity to play in a few games. The coaching staff and players made the transition easy for me. I was just glad that I was able to get some experience. I knew that eventually my time would come, but I wasn’t rushing it. I was just going with the flow.

You’ve always prepared thoroughly and left nothing to chance.
My dad (Ray Eddleton) and I work out all the time, especially when I was going from high school to college. I wanted to be super prepared, super in-shape. A big goal of mine has been to keep getting stronger. As someone who likes to attack the basket, I want to be able to finish and hold my own against bigger people. I’ve always been a hard worker and wanting to go the extra mile every single day and be the best I can be. I feel like this (2021-2022) season spoke for itself. It was rewarding to see my work is paying off.

Did you expect to start and play such an important role?
Coming off last year, I knew we were losing three seniors (who started), so I definitely envisioned myself in a starting role. Starting is nice, but it’s really important to be in the game as it’s winding down because that means your coach trusts you to get the job done.

Were you surprised by your success in your first full season?
A big thing for me is I don’t speak a lot about what I’m doing, when I’m going to the gym, when I’m doing this or that, how many times I’m working out a day. I keep my head down. I do what I need to do. I’m not super flashy. I’m really humble.  When the rewards come, I know that I put in solid work and countless hours that nobody might know about, but I know within myself that I earned them.

What area of your game have you improved the most?
Getting stronger. That was my main focus in the off-season. I wanted to be able to hang in there with the bigs. I could definitely envision going into the lane. I’m so much stronger. I stay on my feet more. I’m able to move through the contact and finish through it. It’s always nice to get three points over two. Also, I’ve been working on a mid-range from the high post and the wing, which has been really beneficial, especially when opposing teams want to pack it in and force us to make shots from the outside. I might not be consistently knocking down 3’s, but the mid-range and the elbow…that’s my bread-and-butter…I can hit that pretty consistently.

What are you focusing on in the off-season?
My biggest thing is extending that range even more. Once I get that done, people will have a really hard time stopping me. If you want me to shoot, I can make that. If you play up on me, I’ll drive by you. I think that’s something that will take my game to the next level. It doesn’t have to be consistently knocking down 3’s but just moving that range back a little bit more.

What’s been the hardest part of playing college basketball?
The pace of the game. The speed in college is so much more accelerated than I would have ever thought. It’s just up and down the floor and high intensity defense and in-your-face. Another thing was that this was the first year with our new head coach (Margaret White), but I feel like that has opened up a lot of opportunities for my team. We had to adjust to a different coaching style, but we made the best of that situation. I feel like the future is really bright.

What would you tell a younger athlete with dreams of playing college sports?
If you think you want to play, the thought is in your head for a reason. Commit to it. No hesitation. Then work hard, so hard, to get the results you want. Even if you don’t see the results now, in a couple of years they will definitely be there. Even though there’re days when you might not want to work out, you have to make sacrifices. When you have passion and drive, sacrifices really aren’t sacrifices. They’re opportunities to get better.
   ~Weldon Bradshaw


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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