White River standout Kara Marecle joined an elite club of Hornet hoopsters the evening of May 17, surpassing the 1,000-point barrier during her illustrious career.
The senior is just the seventh player to connect for more than 1,000 points in the history of girls’ basketball at White River – and she accomplished the feat in just a bit more than three seasons.
The milestone points came during the team’s second game of the season, which allows Marecle time to climb the ladder among Hornet greats. She scored a game-high 18 points in the milestone contest, a White River rout played at the NW Sports Hub in Centralia due to COVID-19 restrictions.
A four-year member of the Hornets’ starting lineup, Marecle has already secured a scholarship to continue her hoop journey at Whitman College. She will head to Walla Walla as one of five new players recruited by head coach Michelle Ferenz.
Here’s what Ferenz had to say about her new recruit, who happens to be the reigning MVP of the South Puget Sound League 2A: “Kara has proven she can score at the high school level in a variety of ways. Her shooting touch and shooting range are impressive. She is another player who has been well-coached and understands how to work at the game and will make a quick adjustment to the collegiate level.”
As a member of the Whitman Blues, Marecle will compete in the eight-team Northwest Conference. The NCAA Divion III conference counts five member schools from Oregon (Pacific, Willamette, George Fox, Lewis & Clark and Linfield) and four from Washington (Pacific Lutheran, Whitworth and he University of Puget Sound, plus Whitman).
IT’S AN IMPRESSIVE LIST
Now, with more than 1,000 points to her credit, Marecle finds herself among a “Who’s Who” of White River stars. The first to crack the magical barrier was Helen Mills who graduated in 1981, totaled 1,083 points during her four-year prep career and played one year of college ball, averaging 16 points per game at Western Baptist. She had her Hornet jersey retired and was inducted in 2020 as an inaugural member of the White River High Athletic Hall of Fame.
Others on the 1,000-point list are more recent. All played under Hall of Fame coach Chris Gibson, who remains in charge of Hornet girls’ hoops, and all spent time in a collegiate uniform. That list includes Trisha Hermanson (who played at White River from 1998-2001, then for Seattle Pacific University); Kendall Bird (2014-2017, University of San Diego); Kennedy Hobert (2010-2013, George Fox University); Amanda Lance (2012-2015, Western Washington University); and Brooke Paulson (2008-2011, St. Martin’s University).
