Junior Carleigh Paup is shown in the Rockets home versus Boyer Valley. Paup scored 36 points in this game and followed that with a 42 point performance on the road at Woodbine the next day. Her point totals in those two games raised her over 1000 points for her high school career.

PAUP IS SCHOOL’S FIRST FEMALE TO BREAK 1000

By SUE RIEDER
sports@beeherald.com

Paton-Churdan junior Carleigh Paup became the school district’s first girl to score 1000 varsity points while playing five on five girls basketball. The three year starter for the Rockets connected for 210 points her freshman year, 524 her sophomore year, and scored 190 so far this season through the Jan. 2 game versus Glidden-Ralston. Her coach, Chris Petersen, estimated that she would surpass 1000 at a home game on Jan. 16, but she surprised everyone and put up 36 and 42 points on back to back nights to raise her career total to 1002.

“Some of my family members were keeping track, but I never felt any pressure from anyone,” said the talented three sport athlete. “ I don’t really think about my scoring average much, I just go out and play and try to win.”  

Carleigh has been a first team all conference selection both her freshman and sophomore years, and her 22.8 scoring average last season ranked 4th in Class 1A. She also ranked fifth among 1A competition in steals with 115 and was named to the Iowa Girl’s Coaches Association’s third all-state team and the Iowa Sports Spotlight Magazines second all-state team. Her opponents are well aware of her capabilities and plan their defensive strategy around her. Although she appears very confident being the “go to” player who is expected to make crucial plays at the end of games, she would rather tout the importance of other team members and credit her coach for keeping her calm and focused than discuss her accomplishments.

“There is no one more deserving of this achievement than Carleigh. It is a direct reflection of the amount of time she has put into the game,” said Coach Chris Petersen. “She is a very special player that doesn’t come along very often. She has been a strong team leader on and off of the court, and she never ceases to amaze me. It’s been a privilege to get to coach a player as talented as Carleigh, and I look forward to what the rest of this season brings as well as next season.”
 

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