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The student news site of St. Teresa's Academy

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Bound to ball

Bound+to+ball
by Emma Willibey

Since grade school, senior Becca Lueke fantasized about a place in basketball’s major leagues. Yet she did not seriously consider the collegiate level until recovering from knee surgery before junior year. Although Lueke could have chosen an unproblematic procedure to heal her knee, she opted for treatment that supported long-term athletics.

“Since sports have been a huge part of my life, I don’t want to leave [them],” Lueke said.

However, committing to basketball guaranteed Lueke a minimal social life due to nonstop traveling.

“In the summertime, my basketball teammates become like my friends,” Lueke said. “In July, I think I was home ten days. It was hard balancing work and basketball and being out of town every weekend.”

However, Lueke never abandoned her schedule of hectic tournaments and homework on car rides. After two years of zigzagging between Midwestern campuses with her family, Lueke signed her national letter of intent to Atchison, Kan.’s Benedictine College.

“[Benedictine] reminded me of St. Teresa’s,” Lueke said. “When I toured, I did a practice with [the basketball team]—it just felt right.”

Off-court, Lueke plans to study physical therapy or athletic training. According to Lueke, pursuing a career unrelated to sports never occurred to her, especially considering basketball’s impact on her high school experience.

“[Basketball] made me feel more important to [STA],” Lueke said. “If I didn’t have basketball, I’d feel like another person walking through the halls. [With basketball], I get to represent the school in a positive way.”

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