ANGOLA, Ind.-- In the spring of 2011, Ben Syroka was just finishing up his senior season as the starting point guard on one of the best high school basketball teams in the state at Whitmer High School (Toledo, OH).
He had also just decided to attend NCAA DIII Wittenberg University as the place to begin his college basketball career. After two successful seasons at Wittenberg, in which Syroka played a valuable role on a team that made it all the way to the Sweet Sixteen in 2012, he suffered a lingering knee injury that caused him to second-guess his situation within the Wittenberg basketball program. Syroka's decision to leave the program and sit out the 2013-2014 season left him with a lot of uncertainty on whether or not he would ever have the opportunity to play college basketball again.
Syroka struggled with the decision to remain at Wittenberg for one more year to finish his degree or to transfer to another institution so he could fulfill his remaining two seasons of college basketball eligibility. The extra year of school would mean that he would be taking on larger academic and financial responsibilities in order to complete his undergraduate requirements for a diploma but would provide him with the opportunity to compete once again on the basketball court playing the game that he loved.
"I felt that I still had a lot to offer from a basketball standpoint," said Syroka, "but I knew that I had to find the right program that would help maximize my contributions."
During the winter of 2014, Syroka and his legendary high school basketball coach, Bruce Smith, began contacting a couple of colleges and universities to see if they would have any interest in recruiting Syroka for the following season. One of those calls went to Trine University Head Coach Brooks Miller who was elated to find out that Syroka was looking for a new place to call home.
Coach Miller first saw Syroka play as a junior in high school back in 2009 when he was an assistant coach at South Plains College in Levelland, Texas while recruiting another player.
"I was there to watch a young man that went on to have an excellent career at Bowling Green State University but after the game I told Ben's coach that Ben is the type of kid I wish I was here to see," said Miller. "He just played the game with so much more intensity than the guy we were recruiting at the time. Ben is the type of young man that leaves a lasting impression on people that's not based on WHAT he does but rather HOW he does it."
Five years later, that wish would come true when Syroka decided that Trine was the place where he wanted to continue both his academic and basketball careers.
"Trine seemed like the best fit for me because of the relationships I was able to build with the coaches through the recruiting process and their unique brand of basketball really fit my style of play," said Syroka.
Syroka proved to be a perfect fit for the Thunder, starting every game last season as the team's point guard. He helped lead the program to its most successful season since making the transition to NCAA DIII with a 17-9 overall record which also included a 2nd place finish in the MIAA Conference.
Syroka went on to say, "It was a bit difficult early on, but as the season progressed, I feel I became more comfortable with my role and was able to lead the team with the ball in my hand."
Coach Miller can't say enough positive things about what Syroka has added to the Trine Basketball Program. "Ben has brought a contagious Both Feet In mentality to our locker room. He forces those around him to be held accountable and committed to the task at hand by the way he approaches every challenge. His impact on the culture of our team gives us a chance to compete at a championship level both on and off the floor."
Syroka's impact at Trine University and the Angola community here in Northeast Indiana extends well beyond the basketball floor. He currently carries a 3.8 GPA as a pre-law major and has been offered a number of full scholarship opportunities to various law schools throughout the Midwest to continue his education.
Syroka, along with his teammates also spend their Thursday afternoons in the fall volunteering at the local Steuben County Humane Society as a way of giving back to a community that has provided so much for them.
"Trine University has really allowed me to grow as a player but more importantly as an individual," said Syroka. "Our basketball program really believes in accountability and the way we carry ourselves which has carried over to my studies. I feel my decision to come to Trine has opened up opportunities for me after graduation that would not have previously been available."
The Trine Thunder Men's Basketball team opens up on November 16th at home in Hershey Hall against Heidelberg at 7pm.