They say home is where the heart is, and Megan Bergerud’s desire to play basketball near home worked out well as she blossomed into the University of Illinois Springfield’s top player.
“My parents, (Dan and Sandy Bergerud), have been at every game and they’ve enjoyed watching me play, and I was glad to have them there,” she said. “It would have been a lot different if I would have chose to go farther.”
It would’ve been different for the Prairie Stars and Bergerud, who will leave as the program’s all-time leading scorer. She is a poster child for student-athletes who choose to play at the college level in their “hometown.” Her reward for sticking around was a standout career at UIS.
The 5-foot-11 junior guard/forward and four-year starter plays her final game for the Prairie Stars (7-18, 3-14) at 5:30 p.m. Thursday against visiting McKendree (8-17, 3-14) at The Recreation and Athletic Center.
“My life is changing this week, but when I look back I have to appreciate that I was given the opportunity to play at this level and have success at it,” she said.
Bergerud attended Virginia High School located 34 miles west of Springfield. She set the all-time scoring record there — male or female. She accomplished a similar feat at UIS after selecting the local school over fellow NCAA Division II schools Lewis and Kentucky Wesleyan.
Bergerud was featured by The State Journal-Register on February 27, 2014.
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