Lucero Arreola, a senior at the Wisconsin School for the Deaf was recently named Indian Trails Conference Girls Basketball Player of the Year – a big honor for the entire WSD community, according to her coaches.
Some of Arreola’s highlights from this season were:
– Great Plains Schools for the Deaf (GPSD) All Tournament;
– Indian Trails Conference First Team and Player of the Year;
– She broke three school records this past two seasons
– Most three point shots in a season (28);
– Career high total three pointers (49);
– Three pointers in a game (6);
– Led the team in the most wins of a season this year with 14.
Lucero was one of the great all around player on WSD Girls basketball team since Kori Koss, according to coaches Matthew Eby and Leslie Eldred.
“She is all around athletic and worked hard on Firebirds team the past four seasons,” they said. “She is also a 3-point threat on the team.”
Arreola led the Firebirds team to the Kentucky Classic championship and runner up at Great Plains Schools for the Deaf basketball tournament, one of the few games that the opponent team used box 1 against including WIAA first round game.
“She could play two to three different positions. The team’s successful season with school record 14 wins this season. With her unselfish player on the team as WSD have many great support cast on the team made this team successful,” the coaches said.
She said it’s a great honor to receive the award.
“I feel proud with my ability to give to coaches and teammates. Honestly, I never thought that I would receive ITC player of the year. I just played basketball with all my ability,” Arreola said.
“My teammates, of course, helped me be a great player. I can’t do it without my teammate,” she added.
Arreola said she wasn’t even going to play this year but her teammates and coaches encouraged her.
“I’m not engrossed in basketball. For my senior year, I didn’t want to play basketball but they kept encouraging me, (telling me) that I have good talent in basketball. I decided to join them and it ended up that I really enjoyed my teammate and season,” she said.
Arreola said she’s appreciative of the support.
“I’m grateful for my coaches who believe in me. They help me build my character in and out the court. They are (the reason for) my success in basketball.”
In addition to ITC player of the year, she was named National Deaf Interscholastic Athletic Association Division II 1st Team All American.
Arreola was also selected to the United States Deaf Basketball girls all star game and will play in Indianapolis on April 12.
Her coaches said they are very proud of her accomplishments.
