NOCTILUCA March 2018

SPORTS Appleton, Wisconsin March 2018 Volume XXlll

Issue IV Page 11

Brekke and Levy: A historic duo for North

that [points] record has always been a goal of mine. It was nice to see my hard work pay off,” said Levy. “Obviously it is an honor, that [points] record has always been a goal of mine. It was nice to see my hard work pay off.” Levy will be taking her tre- mendous talents to nearby UW-Milwaukee where she will, locally, be playing divi- sion one basketball! Even though Brekke and Levy have all of these indi- vidual accomplishments, she credits her teammates for helping her get there. Being humble is a great trait to have and clearly, Brekke and Levy have that trait, which will add to their success down the road. That success just might include another state champi- onship for an already historic duo at Appleton North. “We were able to show everyone we are here to fight too, and to never count us out” Interested in writing for sports? Contact Kyle Hoffenbecker at HOF600040@stu. aasd.k12.wi.us if interested!

The historic duo of Kari Brekke (2) and Sydney Levy (24) celebrating during a game. Photo cour- tesy of the Appleton Post-Crescent.

By Kyle Hoffenbecker

her sophomore year. She also holds some school records as well. She is the all-time leader in assists in a career, most as- sists in a game, and recorded the most three-point shots in a year.

as my team wins -- but scor- ing 1,000 was pretty sweet,” Brekke said. On top of all her accom- plishments, Brekke will be taking her amazing talents to the University of New Hamp- shire where she will be play- ing division one basketball! Sydney Levy has been just as successful too. She has con- sistently been one of the top- ranked players in Wisconsin. Last season, she set North re- cords in points, rebounds, and three-pointers for a single sea- son. She also holds the records for career rebounds, three- pointers, and points. “Obviously it is an honor, Levy standing with her com- memorative ball recognizing her career points achieve- ment. Photo courtesy of @AN- LightningGB on Twitter

There is still a lot of basket- ball left to play. However, for two of Appleton North’s star girls’ basketball players, they have accomplished something they never thought would be possible. A pair of seniors, Kari Brekke and Sydney Levy have contributed so much to a recently dominant program during their four years at North. That includes two-state appearances, one of which ended in a state title for North. While the culture of the pro- gram has stayed away from promoting individual success, instead highlighting the ac- complishments of the team as a whole, there is always a time to look at what individ- ual players have meant to a team. Look no further than the Brekke and Levy. Over the 20 year history of Appleton North, just one player, Emily Johnson, scored 1,000 points. During the 2017- 2018 season, North saw that number double, with three girls basketball players re- cording 1,000 points. Seniors Brekke and Levy were able to achieve the eluding 1,000 point mark.

“Scoring 1,000 points was a mile- stone I hoped to achieve this year and I could not have done it with- out my team”

Both girls have been highly successful during their time at North, individually. The list of accomplishments for the two of them is outstanding. Talk- ing about them all would take forever to do. For that reason, spotlighting just a few accom- plishments for each will have to do. Over her four years at North, Brekke has been named to the First Team All-FVA confer- ence team twice, and an hon- orable mention once. She was named the FVA conference co-player of the year during Brekke holding her commem- orative 1,000 points game ball. Photo courtesy of @ANLightning- GB on Twitter. the subpar season, however. Before Rodgers went down the Packers were once again Super Bowl favorites and were riding high with a 4-1 record before Anthony Barr crushed Rodgers collarbone and our hopes of another deep playoff run. Backup quarterback Brett Hundley was able to give the Packers life for a couple of weeks, and he had some good moments too, just not enough of them. It was hard to see the Packers struggle without Rod- gers but there were a few shin- ing stars within the rough that

One accomplishment that was truly amazing for her was recording 1,000 points. “It was incredible! As soon as the ball passed through the net my teammates went crazy for me,” said Brekke. “Scoring 1,000 points was a milestone I hoped to achieve this year and I could not have done it with- out my team,” she added. It was surprising to hear that it was not something she dreamed of, compared to a state championship. “I did not know I was close until my coach told me. As a point guard, it does not matter how many points I score as long was the 2017 Green Bay Pack- ers season. Anyway, here are the ten best moments from the 2017 Green Bay Packers season.” You can read the rest of this piece and many other great articles highlighting college and pro sports teams in Wisconsin on www.creamcitycen- tral.com

“There is room for improvement, but the honor is great”

Highlights of the 2017 Packers Season An excerpt from Top 10 Mo- ments of the Packers 2017 season

By Kyle Hoffenbecker

“For the Green Bay Packers, the season didn’t go as planned. A 7-9 record kept the Packers out of the playoffs for the first time since 2008. Aaron Rodg- ers broke his collarbone for the second time in his career, the defense looked pitiful again, and the free agent acquisitions in the offseason didn’t really pan out for the Packers. There were some great moments of