Greatness oftentimes goes hand-in-hand with overcoming adversity. When excellence is achieved with a great appreciation and genuine humility, it’s something truly special.
Kali Peschel graduates this spring as the Sauk Centre Mainstreeters’ career leader in points, assists and steals. She achieved those laurels despite missing the better part of her senior season while recovering from knee surgery.
Peschel may be remembered most by those outside the program for her records, including surpassing the 2,000 point mark during the state tournament, but her impact to the team was much greater. She was a model teammate, student and friend who just happened to posses Division I basketball ability.
“You put others before yourself,” Peschel said. “You want success not just as an individual but with a group of people.”
The team came close to achieving the ultimate success, falling 46-40 to Providence Academy in the Class 2A state final last month.
All things considered, Peschel thought being able to play after tearing her ACL last summer and finishing runner-up to the top-ranked Lions was a perfect ending to an illustrious high school career.
“I have all great memories playing here at Sauk and couldn’t have asked for a better way to end it,” said Peschel, who was named to the Minnesota State High School’s Class 2A All-Tournament Team. “I mean, being second in state out of the 140 2A schools is amazing.”
The soon to be Iowa Hawkeye gives credence to her coach Scott Bergman for instilling in her valuable life lessons at every opportunity and for overseeing a state-bound basketball team two years running.
“’If you do the little things right, what you deserve you’ll get, which is an appearance at the state tournament,’ is one piece of advice coach gave,” Peschel said.
Putting others before the self is another.
Bergman also helped put her late June 2011 injury in perspective while she worked back into first using her knee for everyday purposes and then playing condition.
Early projections had her missing six to nine months. She split the difference, returning to the court for the first time on Valentine’s Day.
“It was the greatest feeling in the world going back out on the court with the Sauk Centre girl’s basketball uniform on playing with my teammates,” Peschel said.
Initially, her excitement level to be back playing dwarfed her explosiveness. Getting her body to respond at full speed was a process, one that only now is nearing where it was before the injury.
“Getting into shape was probably the hardest part,” said Peschel, who still rehabilitates the knee three times per week.
When it came down to choosing where she wanted to bring her talents, Peschel said almost immediately she settled on Iowa after paying the campus a visit a couple years back. Open to other options, she is thinking about majoring in communications or psychology.
One more accomplishment awaits Peschel before she departs from Sauk Centre for good, remembered by the banners affixed with her good name aloft the high school gymnasium floor. She will graduate May 25.
Beyond that lies the opportunity to fulfill a long-held dream of playing Big Ten basketball.
No comments:
Post a Comment