Sandburg has been playing girls basketball since the 1970s, and had six 1,000-point scorers in program history.
Then Zoe Trunk and Ellie Driscoll came along.
Trunk became the Eagles’ seventh 1,000-point scorer in a win against Stagg on Jan. 20 and Driscoll became the eighth in a loss to Andrew on Jan. 29.
The seniors have shared plenty of special moments on the court, both at Sandburg and before. So hitting 1,000 points days apart is just another memorable chapter in their shared history.
“Zoe and I have been playing since we were like, in fourth grade together,” Driscoll said after a loss to Lincoln-Way East on Jan. 27. “It’s really cool that we’ve been able to play alongside each other and then also accomplish it at the same time this season.
“So I’m really super excited to be able to do that with her, and it will just be super rewarding for both of us.”
Trunk sees the milestone as a reward for years of effort.
“It just means … how much hard work I have put into this sport and and I have put in throughout my four years (of high school),” she said. “It’s really awesome to just see those results.”
Trunk, a 5-7 point guard, is a two-sport standout who will be playing Division I softball at Dayton. Driscoll, a 5-6 shooting guard, does not plan to continue her athletic career in college.
“I’m just excited for what’s ahead for me,” Trunk said. “I’m also excited to just continue out my last few weeks of basketball, which is going to be really exciting and really fun.”
Driscoll will leave basketball with no regrets.
“I’m really happy with the way it’s coming to an end,” she said. “It’s been really awesome. And I’ve been able to play with great people, great coaches and I have a really good support system. … I’m just gonna finish the season out strong and hope for the best.”
Neither of them necessarily came into high school thinking they’d join the 1,000-point club. But it became an increasingly more realistic goal.
“Honestly, I had a really good sophomore year,” Driscoll said. “And I knew that if I kept that up, I’d be doing well. And ironically, me and Zoe are two people that don’t like to know (our stats). We don’t focus on points.”
“It was kind of like a goal in the back of my head because my older sister Charlotte hit a thousand points here at Sandburg, too,” Trunk said. “So I just thought, ‘Oh, it’d be kind of cool to also do it.’ But it never really was my main focus.”
Nonetheless, she’s reached the milestone and now she is in the Sandburg record book along with her sister and her longtime friend.