By Eva Holzl
As Brooke Carlson wraps up her last high school season playing basketball and reflects on her season, she got to experience the joy and excitement of reaching it to the super-sectional game. And getting to celebrate with her teammates for all the accomplishments and milestones they reached brought happiness and excitement to the team.
Brooke Carlson, a senior at Batavia High School, has had an eventful high school sports career. She has been a part of the Batavia soccer team for three years, playing varsity all three years. She has also played basketball all four years and made the varsity team each year. She even started as a freshman on varsity.
Carlson has participated in three regional championships, one sectional championship, one sectional championship appearance, one conference championship, and one super-sectional appearance. She was also the captain of the basketball team.
Despite graduating this year, her basketball career is only just beginning. Carlson is attending college at Colorado State University, a Division I school, where she received a basketball scholarship. Being a Division I athlete is a challenging goal to achieve. The odds of receiving a Division I offer are 81:1. “Only two percent of high school students get to play at a Division I level once they graduate, and only 1.2 percent of high school girls’ basketball players play at the Division I level. This is one of the lowest percentages in women’s sports”, according to NCSA college recruiting.
Even during practices, Carlson plays as if it were a game. She is always willing to work hard and go the extra mile to help others.
“Practicing with Brooke made me truly a better player,” Payton Haslett, a teammate of Brooke, said. “The way she lifted everyone up at practice if we were down about ourselves really showed how much she cared about the team.”
Carlson was named the DuKane conference player of the year in her junior and senior years, unanimous all-conference her sophomore, junior, and senior years, and nominated for the IBCA first-team all-state. She broke Batavia’s all-time scoring record and hit a 2,000-point milestone on a history-breaking 29-6 team. She has a total of 2,225 points in her high school career.
Carlson’s performances have also been very entertaining. In her junior year, she scored a career-high 42 points against St. Charles North to help the Bulldogs win.
“Watching Brooke has been super fun,” Haslett said. “She is an amazing player.”
Carlson showed what being a captain meant and was there for her teammates in every circumstance.
“I would describe Brooke as a very talented basketball player who can do anything at any time,” Ali Thomas, a teammate of Carlson, said. “She is a person that you can just click with, and she is always there for you when you are going through different types of emotions.”
Many people can look up to Brooke in many different ways. These include on the court and even off the court. She sets good examples for the people around her.
“Brooke turned into a great leader for our team and the younger players in our program,” Coach Kevin Jensen said. “On and off the court, Brooke has set a great example for other players. For all that she has accomplished on the floor, she has proven to be an even better person. She treats everyone around her very well.”
Carlson can be proud of what she has left behind at Batavia. She’s now the all-time leader in career points, career steals, and career assists at BHS.
When teammate Mya Henderson was asked to describe Carlson in one word, she said: “Kind-hearted.”
“Brooke is an amazing player but an even better person and teammate,” Henderson said.
A big part of Carlson’s high school career was making memories with her teammates, having fun, and living in the moment, she said.
“Some of my favorite memories from this season was going to Florida with the team and beating Geneva on our home court,” Carlson said.
Overall, Brooke’s leadership and hard work are very recognizable and have had an impact on many people. Her teammates will quote, “Miss her more than anything,” but her accomplishments will never be forgotten.