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Just under a minute left in the third quarter, Homer High School senior Catherine Apker crashed the glass for an offensive rebound and put it back up without hesitation, securing her 1,000th career point.

Apker immortalized herself in the record books on Jan. 26 by becoming the all-time leading scorer in school history. Former Trojan star Gracie Patriarco held the previous record of 990 points.

“I was immediately trying to get back on defense,” Apker said of the play. “I didn’t even know it happened until (head coach Brad Sovocool) called a timeout. But once I realized, after all of those years, it felt amazing.”

Apker, a three-sport athlete in basketball, soccer and softball, has become “truly your do-it-all player,” Sovocool said. Alongside breaking two milestones within the same basketball game, Apker recently signed her letter of intent and is committed to play Division-I soccer at Lafayette College. At one point, she played six sports at one time. She was pulled up the varsity for both soccer and basketball in eighth grade. Earlier this year, she broke a single-season record for 3-pointers made with over 60 in 20 games. She’s on track to break the single-season scoring average and almost leads the state in steals, Sovocool said.

“It’s incredible to have seen Catherine grow over the years and become a primary ball-handler,” Sovocool said.

Apker first picked up a basketball when she was about 2 years old. Having three older brothers and a hoop in the backyard, she was raised in a basketball family, playing pickup games constantly.

Apker said her siblings always challenged her, never taking it easy. Her father, Chris, heavily supported her basketball career, coaching her on the AAU circuit. Apker said Chris was the main reason she fell in love with basketball. Her parents enrolled her in gymnastics at a young age, which benefited her athletically. She competed in the sport for ten years before having to prioritize soccer.

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“I’m very glad my parents put me in gymnastics as a kid,” Apker said. “It just kicked off my muscle growth and athleticism from a very young age.”

Although Apker allocates lots of time to three sports – basketball, soccer and softball – her focus is soccer. Mainly a goalkeeper, she has been an essential part of Homer’s program, totaling 750 career saves in net. She is also a very dominant field player. In her senior season last fall, Apker totaled seven goals and seven assists to complement her 91 saves.

“As an athlete, it’s important to be as adaptable as possible,” Apker said. “I would always train everything equally…a big part of playing goalie is being able to play with your feet.”

Aside from practicing at least 20 hours a week, Apker wakes up nearly three hours before school to begin her day by working out, ensuring her strength, fitness and conditioning for all sports.

“In sports, it truly is you reap what you sow,” she said.

Taking that extra step has allowed Apker to compete at a higher level with the Olympic Development Program for soccer. The ODP produces regional teams across the United States and provides high-potential youth players a platform to display and develop their skills.

Apker has been a part of the ODP for around seven years now, occasionally traveling domestically a few times, but rarely internationally. In 2019, Apker got to travel to Iceland with her regional team to compete against other countries and top-tier competition. She was also one of two goalkeepers selected to compete in London with the U.S. ODP team.

“With everything I get to go to, I have more information that I can bring back to my club and school team,” Apker said. “The more they improve, the more I can as well. It’s all full circle.”

Courtesy of Mark Barnett

Sophomore Catelyn Ensign, co-captain of the basketball team, plays both basketball and soccer with Apker, learning under her on how to be a captain of the program and building her confidence.

“She’s really taught me how to be more confident in myself and trust my team,” Ensign said. “(Apker) showed me that being a captain isn’t just a title, it means you’re a large part of the team and you always have to support your teammates. She’s always done that for all of us.”

Sovocool said how beneficial it was to have Apker captain such a young program. Sovocool described Apker as “vocal” and never quits on the play, something the “girls rally behind.”

With the basketball season coming to a close, Apker will now switch gears to softball in the spring. But it’s bittersweet, as this softball season will be the final sports season of her high school career.

“I’m extremely excited to further my soccer career,” Apker said. “But, I’m not quite ready to say goodbye to these other sports I’ve played my whole life.”

Published on February 14, 2023 at 11:27 pm