Needing one point to reach 1,000 in her basketball career, Grandview senior Anna Belle Wakeland stepped up to the free-throw line for two attempts in the fourth quarter of a tight game at St. Vincent Jan. 12.
She missed the first.
“I was like, ‘Are you kidding me?” she said later.
Wakeland, a 6-2, four-year starting forward, made the second try to secure the milestone. The host Indians graciously paused the game so Wakeland could receive a hand-painted basketball emblazoned with her name, jersey number 23 and “1,000 points.” Her friend and former teammate Lilly Patterson, a 2022 Grandview grad, did the paint job.
St. Vincent went on to win 30-28 to improve to 13-2 overall and 2-0 on the small-schools side of the Jefferson County Activities Association. Grandview dropped to 7-7 and 0-1 but gave the best team in the league a tough contest on their home floor. Also there for Wakeland’s big moment was her sister Catherine, a sophomore guard, who assisted her older sibling for a few hundred of those points.
“I’m thankful for all the people who’ve supported me for all these years in whatever I do,” Anna Belle said. “Especially my family, team and coaches.”
“She has put in the time and effort to deserve such an achievement,” Grandview head coach Tim Winkler said. “If not for us losing several games her sophomore year due to COVID, she would have reached this milestone much sooner.
“Since her sophomore year, she has been the focus of our opponents when they game plan. She continues to prepare with this in mind. She has been a pleasure to work with and we’ll miss her when she graduates.”
Going into the Eagles’ conference game at St. Pius X on Monday, Wakeland had scored 1,006 points, pulled down 830 rebounds and blocked 300 shots. She leads Grandview in scoring (14 points per game) and rebounding (13). Those numbers and her size should have college coaches checking their smart phones for directions to Grandview. My advice is to beware the many caution signs along Butcher Branch Road.
Wakeland said while she’s had some interest from NCAA Division III and junior college programs, she doesn’t plan to play college basketball. She’s interested in the dental hygiene program offered by Missouri Southern State University in Joplin.
“I’m focused on my academics right now,” she said. “Maybe if they have an intramural team, I might play.”
I could climb on my soapbox and rant about how our county athletes are too often overlooked by the larger colleges, where basketball is big business. But I’m not surprised Wakeland is not preoccupied with taking her skills to the next level. It happens all the time. Several years ago, Micheal Keller walked away from football after incredible junior and senior years at running back for Hillsboro. It’s a full-time job to be a college athlete, with classes thrown in.
On Wednesday, after the Leader deadline, Grandview visited West County, the team that squeaked by the Eagles 30-29 in the Class 3 District 3 championship game a year ago. It was a classic low-scoring, defensive battle like last week’s game at St. Vincent, underscoring that Grandview will go as far in the postseason as their defense will take them.
“At the beginning of the season, (Grandview head coach Tim Winkler) had us run box-out drills incorporating that into our defense, and that’s helped a lot,” Wakeland said. “I think that helps us keep the other team’s score low.”
Reaching 1,000 points has lifted some pressure, and now Wakeland can just concentrate on winning games. Kirstin Sparks (2017 Grandview grad) and Macy Ketcherside (2018) are the two other Eagles to reach 1,000 points in their careers.
“It’s a neat personal milestone and it’s the icing on the cake after four years,” she said.
After basketball season ends, the Wakeland sisters will join the track and field team. Anna Belle competes in the 400, 4x200, 4x400 and high jump. The Eagles finished fourth in the state (Class 2) in the 4x200 and 4x400 last year.
January kicks off conference basketball action and it got off to a roaring start at Herculaneum on Friday night. After covering the first-ever JCAA boys wrestling championships at Hillsboro, I raced down Hwy. A, linked up with I-55 North and within minutes pulled into a packed parking lot at Herky, where the St. Pius X boys and girls were visiting for a full night of hoops that included JV games before the varsity.
I backed into the last available parking spot and hurried inside. The gym was packed to the rafters on both sides, student sections cheering lustily. I’ve said before there’s nothing quite like Friday night JCAA basketball.
One thing I love about county prep sports is how the superintendents of the school districts cheer on and support their schools’ athletes. I’ve seen Jefferson R-7 chief Clint Johnston hand out water for thirsty basketball players during timeouts. Dunklin R-V Superintendent Clint Freeman was in the crowd Friday, taking videos and updating the Blackcat faithful through social media.
Come join us for some barn-burning games. I promise you’ll have fun and smile a lot.