“It was very exciting,” Kelsey Schneider said when her name was announced as recipient of the Class 2A mental attitude award at the girls basketball state tournament at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Saturday afternoon.

“I was definitely in shock,” the Brownstown Central senior said. “I was just standing in back with my teammates, just bringing it all in, looking at what the score was. I was looking at the other team, then my teammates were reacting. It was just a complete shock. It’s very nice, and I’m glad the money goes back to our school.”

Farm Bureau Insurance will present to a school in each class a $1,000 scholarship.

Schneider, who ranks in the top 20 in the senior class at BCHS, said, “I’ve been in AP (Advanced Placement) classes throughout my entire high school career. You have to work hard and just find a way to cope and find help from your teachers and your classmates, and just finding the right connection with your teachers is helpful.”

Schneider plans to attend DePauw University and said she is undecided about her major.

The Braves lost the championship game to Fort Wayne Bishop Luers 44-36.

Schneider was the only senior on the team.

“(Coach Brandon) Allman told me at the beginning of the season that we needed leadership,” she said. “I tried to take the role on, and I realized that it was going to be a big one. I was really shocked at how big it was, but I was trying my hardest. I tried to keep the team up, just really tried to help the team out and keeping them positive all the time.”

Allman said Schneider did a good job of filling the leadership role this season.

“What an award to take home,” he said. “It talks about her and her maturity, and the growth I’ve seen in her in the four years is as much as growth as anybody I’ve been able to coach. If you would have told me her freshman year that she would have a chance to win that award, I would have said, ‘There’s no way. You’re dreaming.’

“But her teammates, her coaching staff continued to push her and make her believe in the possibilities she had and accepted her role to a T, defending the heck out of people.and just being really disciplined and just showing the growth and maturity she has shown this season.”

Schneider spoke about the postive attitude the team demonstrated in practice all season.

“We did a lot of drills, and some of the drills got us down, but we kept building off people’s energies whenever we were shooting, and making them we’d say, ‘Nice round, good shot,’ and just keep positive words,” she said.

Schneider is a three-sport athlete at BCHS as she also ran cross country and plays softball.

“I just enjoyed being able to come into the tournament, any game honestly, and just being able to see our fans and parents,” she said. “The student section is a big part. My expectations were definitely met just being able to be here. Gainbridge is amazing.”

The team held an hour workout on the Gainbridge floor Friday, then attended a luncheon.

Allman said Schneider is the fifth BCHS athlete to be named a mental attitude award winner with the others being Josh Brewer, Chris Baker, Blaze Ayers and Sammie Bane.