The swish of the net. The cheers of students and spectators alike echoing across the court. The pounding and telltale squeaks of sneakers across wooden flooring. These are only a few of the sensations that could be felt on the two nights that seniors Talia Zurinskas and Maddie Siggins scored their 1000th point.
On December 27th, 2023, during the Parkland Girl’s Basketball team’s games against Blue Mountain, Zurinskas scored her 1000th point in her basketball career with a three-pointer. When asked how she felt in that moment, Zurinskas said, “It felt amazing. It felt great to be supported by my teammates, family and friends. It was great to share the experience with all of them.” The team ended up winning the game 51-35.
A few weeks later, on January 22nd, 2024, Siggins achieved the same incredible feat, earning her 1000th point in a win against William Allen.
The team camaraderie has also played an important role in the athletes’ basketball journey. According to Zurinskas, her team has “helped so much along the way, both on and off the court.” This full-fledged support was obvious: as soon as Zurinskas’s 1000th point was made her fellow teammates leaped off the bench in a flurry of claps and cheers for their friend. The team also had an arsenal of handmade signs celebrating the event. “The support they have shown me on my journey has been incredible. They always have had my back and I will always have theirs.” The same reinforcement was felt on Siggins’ night as well, with jumping and cheering from her fellow teammates.
This support is especially important when juggling being a high school student and a star athlete at the same time. Zurinskas’s advice for others handling the same workload? Your mindset. “I think finding balance in your life is very important. Making sure that you do all your homework and get your workouts in to be the best in the classroom and on the court, but also doing things outside of that. This helps with your mental state of mind.”
So what’s next for these two stars? Zurinskas plans to attend Lafayette College in the fall and will continue playing basketball there at the collegiate level. When asked about her decision to attend, she answered, “When looking at schools to commit to I first made sure that I loved the campus, second was that there was a strong connection with the people there. The relationship I had made with the players on the team and the coaches made me feel at home.”
Siggins plans to continue her basketball and scholarly career at East Strousburg Univeristy. She plans to major in Early Education.
Best of luck to Talia Zurinskas, Maddie Siggins, and the rest of the girl’s basketball team as they continue their season. A final thought from Zurinskas about this achievement, “This was something that I wanted to accomplish since I was a freshman. I never really thought about how close or far I was. I just played.”
This article previously ran in the February print edition.
