Athlete of the Week - Lilly Meister, John Marshall Girls Basketball

ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – John Marshall basketball is full of historic moments.

It’s latest though took even Head Coach Phil Schroeder by surprise.

“26 points is a lot of points so normally you talk to the opposing coach and let them know they’re close, I didn’t do that,” Schroeder said.

26 points was all Lilly Meister needed before she reached 2,000 career points and she scored 29.

“I’d been counting down for some time, but I wasn’t specifically trying to get it, like I need to get it this game. I was just going with the flow ya know,” Lilly Meister said.

2,000 was a personal goal for Meister ever since she saw Jamie Ruden, the only other Rocket girl to do it.

“She was always one of my big role models. I just remember my mom telling me one day, ‘She scored 2,000″ I was just like that is so cool,” Meister said.

Schroeder was roaming the sidelines when Jamie reached the mark and he’s something similar in the two Rockets.

“They all shoot the ball extremely well naturally. I mean they have just a beautiful shot, if you wanted to take a video of their shooting style or their form, its perfect,” Schroeder said.

You ask Meister though, the first people she thinks of for this mark is her teammates.

“It’s just been honestly my entire team my entire life. They’ve always looked to give me the ball and they’ve done a really really good job of that. So honestly I have all them to thank its really not me as much as it is them,” Meister said.

2,000 is mark her younger self wouldn’t believe.

“She’d be like no way, me. I’d be like yep you.”

It is one that means a lot even for someone who wants her legacy to extend beyond plaques or banners on a wall.

“Obviously I’m not finished here, but it did leave me with a little bit of like yeah I did something, I didn’t waste my time here,” Meister said.

“If someone were to remember me, I’d hope it be for leadership and kind of just taking the team and leading them to wins and losses, but also I guess just being a great leader and a good friend.”

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