Just about a month before reaching the milestone herself, Parkland senior Madi Siggins watched and celebrated as her classmate and teammate, Talia Zurinskas, netted her 1,000th career point, back on Dec. 27.

On Monday, Jan. 22, Siggins joined the 1,000-point club on a free throw during a win over Allen.

“I just think of how lucky I have been to have the right people in my life to help me reach this basketball milestone,” said Siggins. “[Head] coach [Ed] Ohlson took a chance on me and gave me the opportunity as a freshman to be a varsity player. I practiced against Lindsey Berger every day and I learned so much from her - how to be a better player and leader. That time was so important.

“I am thankful for all the teammates that I have had over the years that contributed to this achievement by giving up the ball for me to score. I am thankful for the time and sacrifices that my family has made to give me the opportunities to pursue this sport and be successful. There were a lot of people involved and I am so thankful for them.”

Parkland has a had a great regular season, boasting a 17-2 overall record and a 12-1 mark in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference, to date. Siggins, a team captain, has been a big reason for the success.

“As a senior, I just try to lead by example,” Siggins said. “I always try to be upbeat and positive with the team. Our main objective at the beginning of this year was to improve defensively and I feel that everyone has done that. Offensively, we have a number of players that can score and that makes it difficult for other teams to defend us.

“The basketball season is long and demanding. To get to where we want to go, we all have to be working toward that same goal. Our goal is to be playing in meaningful games at the end of the season.”

With the postseason in front of her, Siggins hopes to mimic the success she had during her volleyball senior season in the fall, winning both conference and district titles.

“This year was really special to me,” said Siggins. “Our coaches are incredible people who really care about us as players and the success of the team. So, to keep the tradition going of winning the EPC and District 11 titles again was truly exciting. It also meant a lot to do it with people that made me a better player, but also a better person. All in all, it was a great season and I have made lifelong friendships through this experience.”

This fall, Siggins will follow the footsteps of her brother, JT, and will be a student-athlete at East Stroudsburg University, where she will play basketball.

“The recruiting process was fun, and I had the chance to meet a number of nice people,” Siggins said. “Making the final decision was really difficult. But once I did, I felt a huge relief and I knew that I had selected the right school for me. My older brother, JT, will be a senior next year at ESU. He is a nursing major and plays football. So, I have spent a good amount of time on the campus attending his football games and watching basketball games during the winter season.

“The coaches and players on the women’s basketball team are welcoming and have generated that family atmosphere which made me feel comfortable. While I am excited to start a new chapter at ESU, I am so excited to be playing with my current team and seeing how this year finishes.”