As a freshman, senior Lauren Gilbert started her basketball career on varsity as a starter, something that is unusual for a high school basketball player. Now, as a senior she has reached something that only a few Baldwin basketball players have ever accomplished: scoring a thousand points.
Because of that accomplishment and her overall career as a Fighting Highlander, Gilbert is the 2016-2017 Purbalite Female Athlete of the Year.
Gilbert finished her high school career with 1,247 points and became the third female athlete in Baldwin to score a thousand total points.
“It’s cool being one of a few students able to get this goal,” Gilbert said. “I am happy that I completed it.”
Gilbert averaged the most points on the team for the past three years. She also started her first playoff during freshman year, something that only a few Baldwin athletes have done.
“I feel proud of the amount of points that I have scored throughout my high school career,” Gilbert said.
Her teammates said Gilbert had a huge effect on the team this year.
Freshman Jenna Lutz talked about a time in the season when Gilbert took control of the game and showed leadership against Mount Lebanon, when Baldwin was trailing with two minutes left.
“She energized the team and just was a coach on the court,” Lutz said. “She made us want the game more.”
Sophomore Jessica Remlinger said Gilbert was a leader both on and off the court.
“She is always in the game 100 percent of the time even if we are up 10 points or down 10 points,” Remlinger said. “She also helped me become a better person off the court and always was a person that I could talk to.”
Gilbert’s basketball career started at an early age, as she learned the game from various basketball coaches especially her AAU coaches, who continued to challenge her and made her better.
“They helped me get to my goals,” Gilbert said. “The lessons they taught me let me reach my potential today.”
Her coaches were Spencer Stefko, who is the head coach at North Allegheny and Curtis Williams, who is now the head coach at Gateway.

Gilbert credited Baldwin varsity Coach Nikki Presto with getting her prepared for games.
“I think that she gave me the fuel I needed every game to get me to where I am today,” Gilbert said.
Gilbert said she also hopes to reach the 1,000-point mark at Washington & Jefferson College, which she committed to attend toward the end of the basketball season.
“I know that the next level will challenge me and make me better,” Gilbert said. “I believe that my teammates will help me reach my goal of 1,000 college points. While she is continuing her basketball career, she also plans to major in pharmacy. After college, she hopes to play overseas in the future. If not, she plans to get a job in the pharmacy field.
“I would like to play overseas if I am given the opportunity,” Gilbert said. “I think it would be cool playing with some of the best players throughout the world.”