H-S Athlete of the Week: Kendra Tharp, West Greene
NAME: Kendra Tharp
SCHOOL: West Greene
GRADE: Senior
SPORT: Basketball
THARP无毛视频橲 WEEK: Two games after scoring her 1,000th career point on Jan. 9 at Avella, Tharp tossed in 15 points in a 62-9 win over Mapletown on Jan. 19 that improved West Greene无毛视频檚 Section 2-A record to 6-3. The Lady Pioneers fell to Cameron in a non-section game, 40-36, on Friday despite 21 points and 14 rebounds from Tharp. It was the ninth double-double of the season for Tharp, the 17-year-old daughter of Cory and Natasha Tharp of Wind Ridge, and upped her career rebound total to 901 as she attempts to become the first Lady Pioneer to reach 1,000 in both points and rebounds. Craig Weaver for West Greene无毛视频檚 boys team is the only player to hit that double-1,000 milestone. It would be quite an accomplishment for a 5-foot-6 player.
SPRINGING INTO ACTION: Tharp is a three-sport athlete who also plays volleyball and softball and is a cheerleader as well. According to head coach Ben Brudnock, Tharp无毛视频檚 unique jumping ability helps her in all of her athletic endeavors 无毛视频淜endra is, by far, the best 无毛视频榠n the air无毛视频� female athlete I无毛视频檝e ever coached,无毛视频� Brudnock said. 无毛视频淚n volleyball, she无毛视频檚 above the net as an outside hitter. In softball, she无毛视频檒l climb the ladder and snag a line drive that everyone thinks is headed for the gap. In basketball, she无毛视频檚 off the ground to grab a rebound before most players even think to jump. It无毛视频檚 pure instinct and she makes it look easy no matter what season it is.无毛视频�
BASKETBALL IS TOPS: Tharp has excelled in all three sports but basketball is No. 1 for her. 无毛视频淚 definitely like basketball the best,无毛视频� she said. 无毛视频淚无毛视频檝e played it since I was in fourth grade and it无毛视频檚 always been my favorite. It无毛视频檚 just such a good feeling to step out on the court, it just makes me forget everything else. Softball is next. It无毛视频檚 starting to grow on me the more I play it. But I无毛视频檝e always loved basketball.无毛视频� Tharp improved through the years on the hardwood. 无毛视频淚 was alright at first but I couldn无毛视频檛 really dribble that well until about middle school. Right about then I kind of realized I无毛视频檓 pretty good at this. When I was in seventh grade I got to play up and started on the eighth-grade team.无毛视频� She ended up being a four-year varsity starter.
AN ALL-TIME GREAT: Brudnock ranks Tharp amongst the best Lady Pioneers basketball players in school history. 无毛视频淲e无毛视频檝e had a lot of outstanding girls无毛视频� basketball players at West Greene through the years, and Kendra will rightfully be in that conversation,无毛视频� Brudnock said. 无毛视频淧lus, she无毛视频檚 earned everything the hard way. Most of her points have been fought for in the lane and the fact that she无毛视频檚 5-foot-6 and approaching 1,000 rebounds is beyond impressive. She无毛视频檚 a special athlete that无毛视频檚 for sure.无毛视频�
TEAM GOALS: West Greene has reached the WPIAL playoffs nine years in a row, reaching the quarterfinals in each of those seasons, and has won at least one playoff game eight times. Tharp wants to keep that streak alive and maybe add something to it. 无毛视频淚 want us to keep that going, win a playoff game and then we无毛视频檝e never won a state playoff game so that无毛视频檚 a goal I want for us, get to the states and win,无毛视频� Tharp said.
COACHING GUIDANCE: Tharp has qualified for the WPIAL playoffs in both basketball and softball every year of her high school career, and she无毛视频檚 appreciative of her coaches, Brudnock and Bill Simms in softball. 无毛视频淭hey both helped a lot,无毛视频� Tharp said. 无毛视频淭hey always have something to critique and tell you. Sometimes I might not want to listen to what they无毛视频檙e saying but I still always take it in and then I find it无毛视频檚 useful. It无毛视频檚 corrective criticism and it无毛视频檚 helped me improve a lot over the years.无毛视频�
MOST MEMORABLE: Tharp puts the game in which she scored her 1,000th point against Avella and a competitive playoff loss to Geibel Catholic last year at the top of her list as far as being most memorable. 无毛视频淭he 1,000th point is definitely one,无毛视频� Tharp said. 无毛视频淏ut the game that stands out the most was last year when we played Geibel in the playoffs. There were so many people there that there weren无毛视频檛 enough seats for everybody and it was so loud and so energetic and so much fun. We don无毛视频檛 get to play a lot of games where there无毛视频檚 a full gym.无毛视频� Tharp poured in a game-high 31 points but West Greene fell to the section champion Lady Gators, 60-48.
TEAM LEADER: Tharp is the Lady Pioneers无毛视频� team captain, an honor she无毛视频檚 earned, according to Brudnock. 无毛视频淪he无毛视频檚 definitely a leader by example. With her, it无毛视频檚 a combination of hustle and fearlessness. When she gets a rebound over a much taller player and then beats the guards down floor on the break, it rubs off on her teammates.无毛视频�
ODDS AND ENDS: Tharp is interested in extending her basketball career. 无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 considering playing basketball in college,无毛视频� she said. 无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 still looking into colleges.无毛视频� 无毛视频� Tharp is involved in Future Farmers of America and received a Keystone degree during a Pennsylvania Farm Show in Harrisburg. 无毛视频� Tharp loves joining clubs. 无毛视频淢e and a couple of my friends join as many as possible,无毛视频� Tharp said. 无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 part of our prom committee. I无毛视频檓 in floral design which is one of my favorite things. We make flower arrangements and do Valentine无毛视频檚 Day sales. We were supposed to do a floral competition but it got snowed out so we did one virtually at school and Facebook voted for it.无毛视频� 无毛视频� Tharp has one older sister, Marissa, 18, and two younger brothers, Layden, 14, and Kolstyn, 10. Kendra and Marissa were teammates in volleyball, basketball and softball last season.
Compiled by Rob Burchianti