By Skip Hunter –

Last Tuesday Maren Nerem became the seventh player to become a 1000-point scorer in Eagle girls’ basketball history. She will join an elite group that includes Jazlynn Prins, Kara Van Dyke, Brooklyn De Kam, Jada Vander Veen, Chantel Groen, Amber Pater, and Megan DeRuyter. Already this year Nerem has jumped over sister Hannah and Brianna Spronk on the career scoring list to join the club.

Her milestone came in the Worthington game. In the first half she took a pass from Rylie Fey and made a 2-point bucket. On the play she was fouled and with 10:49 left in the first half she stood at the foul line with 999 points. She dropped in the free throw; the game was halted in order for her coach and mother, Denise Nerem, to present to her the customary ceremonial ball. She quickly gave it to her dad, Joel, who watches from the stands, and then the game continued.

She has a chance to move up on the all-time scoring list with the games that remain. The center with the winsome smile is not one to gloat over her accomplishment, though maybe over older sisters Emily and Hannah. She has already moved atop the career rebounding list. Her hope is to attend Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa, and take part in its nursing program and play a little basketball.

Her reaction in accomplishing this goal was “I am extremely humbled and grateful to have achieved this goal that I have dreamt of accomplishing. I’m thankful for my teammates, present and past, who have encouraged me and helped me improve and become the player I am today.”