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The Leader & Kalkaskian



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PUBLISHED: Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Krause credits team



ĘKatie Krause had just become the all-time leading rebounder in Kalkaska school history, and yet the first thing she did was thank her teammates for helping her set the record.

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Coach David Dalton let out a chuckle as he heard her comment and said, "Your teammates don't get you the ball in rebounding."

The fourth player in school history, in boys or girls basketball, to score over 1,000 points - a feat she accomplished two weeks before Christmas - Krause could justifiably credit her teammates with giving her an assist (excuse the pun).

But, try has she might to deflect some of the credit to her teammates after hauling down 6 rebounds in the Blazers' 52-39 win over Lake Michigan Conference rival Traverse City St. Francis last Friday night, it wasn't possible.

Krause got this record all on her own.

With her 6 boards against the Gladiators in a victory that lifted the Blazers to 3-2 in the league, and kept them in the race for the title, Krause now has 566 career rebounds.

The Blazers, 6-2 overall, still have 12 regular season games left and hopefully a long tournament run ahead of them.

Krause could finish her final season wearing the Blazers' colors with a rebounding record that may stand for some time to come.

"It feels pretty great,"Krause finally admitted. "My teammates are awesome getting me the ball ... even though the rebounds don't have much to do with that.

"They're encouraging in that sense, so they have something to do with it (her rebounding record). They're the best." She can score just as effectively on mid-range, and even long range, jump shots and taking the ball inside.

What makes her particularly dangerous is her ability to take the ball back up to the hoop after an offensive rebound.

Her aggressiveness is a key component in the Blazers' game. But, there's a little more work to rebounding than there is to scoring - even when Krause has to muscle her way inside against the opposing team's taller players.

Krause says there's only one command Dalton preaches on rebounding.

"Grab the ball,"Krause said. "Just, really, grab the ball. No bobbing ... just grab it."

That she does with consistency, and if she isn't in position to go up to the hoop with the ball herself, Krause will find an open teammate. She didn't get the game ball for the rebounding record, as she did for reaching the 1,000-point plateau.

But the public address announcer made the accomplishment known to the home crowd, who reacted accordingly with applause and shouts of congratulations.

Krause has two other goals she'd like to achieve. Neither of them concern herself, but the team.

"Win the conference championship, and making it past the first game of the district (tournament),"she said. "That would seal the deal for me." If she can help the Blazers capture the district title as well, that would be even sweeter.

Now, that would seal the deal for sure.





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