Marlowe’s Girls Basketball Team Ends Middle School Career Undefeated

The song We are the Champions by Queen was recorded decades before the Marlowe Middle School girls basketball team members were born.

Yet, the song exemplifies the team’s amazing records over the last two years.

Marlowe’s girls basketball team had an 11-0 record for the 2012 season then went on to win the Fox Valley Junior High Conference — for the second year in a row. It marked the second year the team was undefeated. Last season, the team also won a title in the conference.

“The interesting thing about these girls is not only are they obviously talented when it comes to basketball, the girls are leaders in the building, solid academically and have great family support,” Marlowe Principal Scott Rowe said. “They were a joy to watch throughout the season.”

This season ended March 8. The team has played together for two years. Members include: Brie Anderson, Ali Andrews, Kayla Barreto, Annika Bushman, Jocelyn Buster, Brittany Carlson, Morgan Czarnecki, Kate Dougherty, Amanda Gaston, Emma Jonen, Nicki Mangler, Danielle Nichols, Tori Padal, Teagan Papka, Winona Sullivan, and Ally Sunter. Managers were Cydney Adams and Jackie Dorin and the coaches were Matt Elder and Chris Danner.

Elder said the entire team is talented and will make its mark on high school sports. Ali Andrews is one of the members.

College recruiters already have approached the eighth-grader, he said. Andrews played with a traveling team and on a boys basketball team during the offseason, too, he said. Kayla Barreto is another player who is one of the team’s strongest, he said.

Andrews is a “very unselfish player. She was always looking to score but she found ways to get her team involved,” Rowe said. “She sees the big picture, for the team to be successful it has to involve all (the) players on the floor, including those on the bench.”

Middle school sports teams do not place emphasis on winning or records; it’s about the exposure to the sport, the experience and learning the fundamentals, Rowe said.

But Marlowe is proud of its girls basketball team’s record.

“I haven’t ever seen anything like this, to go undefeated two years in a row in middle school is almost unheard of,” Rowe said.

“The most important thing to emphasis is while they were getting used to winning, they still did it with poise and good sportsmanship, which are characters we try to emphasize here,” Rowe said.

The seventh-grade coaching staff is very good and the team had a winning season. The eighth-grade coaching staff, including Elder and Chris Danner, built on the girls’ skills, working on fundaments and defense, Elder said. The basketball team has the most talented team members Elder has coached, he said.

The girls have also become role models through their hard work, Elder said.

“What they did was really amazing,” the coach said. “I was glad to get to ride on their coat tails a little bit and get to be part of something so cool.”