Senior Kate Bergen recently had a significant accomplishment by setting the new Heartland Girls Basketball Career Scoring Record. Mikaelyn Dick held the previous record set in 2013 with 1,169 points. Kate took some time to answer questions for us about her basketball career!
When did you start playing basketball?
I started playing basketball when I was in second grade. I always played with the class above me, so I started at a younger age than most kids. We played in winter tournaments every year, and playing together became very natural for all of us. It allowed us to build great friendships but also grow together as a team. At a young age, we knew that being successful in high school would take lots of time and effort in elementary and junior high. As I grew older, I participated in several different traveling teams during the summer.
Have you always enjoyed the sport or when did that begin? What do you like about it?
For as long as I can remember, I have always loved the sport of basketball. It allowed me to do the thing I love with the people I loved most. Some of my closest relationships have come from the sport of basketball, and I’m mostly grateful for that. Most of my time practicing was spent with my dad which allowed us to become closer over the years. He would, and still does, take me to the gym on any given night. Every Sunday afternoon was spent at open gym when I was younger with him and my brothers.
Did you have a goal to break the career scoring record? What was your response to that accomplishment? Do you have a total you’d like to end at?
I always knew breaking the career scoring record would be something I wanted accomplish in my four years at Heartland. Once I got into my senior year, I knew it was a realistic goal and that if I kept working hard, I would be able to reach that goal sometime during the season.
After breaking the record, I was obviously pretty excited to finally have my name on the board but knew I couldn’t have done it without the help of my teammates over the last four years. Without them, getting the record would have been impossible.
I don’t necessarily have an amount of points I would like to end with, I just want to do my best to help my team by scoring as much as possible.
What are some highlights of your basketball career for you?
One of my favorite basketball memories is when we made it to state my sophomore year. It was the first time a Heartland girls team had ever made it, so it was an exciting accomplishment for the whole team. It was fun to see the town come out and support us during that time.
I would say another one of my basketball highlights is setting the school career scoring record this year. Right now, it is easy to just push it aside and focus on the next game, but in the future, I think I will be really proud of it.
Lastly, choosing to continue my basketball career at Hastings College is one of my greatest accomplishments. It’s super exciting to know I will be able to continue playing at such a great school.
Tell us about your future plans:
I am continuing my basketball career at Hastings College next year! I am super excited for the opportunity to continue playing and become a Bronco. I could not picture myself giving up all the extra time and work I have put in for so many years to get to this point. I am so thankful for everyone who pushed me to pursue my dreams and work hard everyday in order to continue my career. It’s really rewarding to know that all my hard work has paid off.
