Fontbonne sophomore Noelle Polanco was one of eight league players to receive the 2023 Girls CHSAA Tier 2 varsity basketball All League Award, which was given out during the season-ending playoff finals at St. John’s Prep.
“I’m very happy to have received this award,” Polanco said. “To be acknowledged by my coaches for the hard work I put in along with the ups and downs of this season is an honor.”
As 539-point scorer this season, Polanco was an obvious selection for the All League Team. With 305 points already scored during her freshman year, she is on the trajectory of scoring 1,000 points by the middle of her junior year.
Polanco has relied on a three-pronged scoring approach. First, she uses a long arcing shot for the three-point basket, often seizing the opportunity to use it when the defense gives her too much space on the court. Second, once open inside the arc, she routinely hits the mid-range jumper. Finally, for one of her more exciting plays, she routinely drives the middle to the basket with a left to right hand reverse dribble for the lay-up.
“I have to be honest, 1,000 points never crossed my mind when I made the team in freshman year,” Polanco said. “When my first season ended, I was very surprised at my point total of 305 points. As the first freshman to ever score over 300 points, that set the tone for me and I loved that I had that record.
“Then as I approached my second season as a sophomore, I knew if I pushed myself I could reach a 500-point goal that I had in my head for both seasons. But never did I think the season would end this way with a total of 844 points for the two seasons.”
Even though the high school season is over, Polanco’s spring basketball season is just beginning. Returning to play for the New York Heat Amateur Athletic Union travel team, she will continue to sharpen her court skills in competition around the northeast.
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