UPPER LAKE — Take all their career numbers, all their team records and every other statistic associated with the great Upper Lake High School girls” basketball teams of the early 1990s, throw them into an industrial strength blender and this is what you”ll end up with: 4, 30, 31.
Those three uniform numbers, 4, 30 and 31, are now forever part of Upper Lake”s sports tradition and school lore. They belonged to Annie Pivniska, Jen Bryant and Laura Wilder during the 1990-91, 1991-92, 1992-93 and 1993-94 sports seasons and they were officially retired on Tuesday night as part of a halftime ceremony during the Upper Lake-Clear Lake varsity girls” basketball game.
Pivniska and Wilder, who were able to attend, and Bryant, who was not, led the Upper Lake Cougars to three straight undefeated North Central League I championships, four straight appearances in the North Coast Section Division V championship game (winning three titles), and four consecutive trips to the Northern California Division V playoffs, including two appearances in the NorCal championship game, which is just a a win away from the state final.
They were 116-16 overall in four seasons and they never lost to another public school in the playoffs.
Collectively they scored 4,025 points. More importantly, they owned the Lake County sports scene and the Redwood Empire sports scene four years running, no more so than in 1990-91 when as freshmen — that”s right, as wide-eyed, ninth-graders — they made it all the way to the NorCal finals in a Cinderella-like season.
And they only got better from there. After going 25-6 in 1990-91, they followed up on their initial success by going 25-4 in 1992-93, 27-5 in 1992-93, and 29-1 in 1993-94, winning their first 29 that final season.
Pivniska, Wilder and their coach during those years, Craig Kinser, took turns addressing a full house for Tuesday”s ceremony.
Pivniska and Wilder thanked their family members, especially their moms and dads, for all their support. But they also thanked the community, including law enforcement, for their four memorable high school seasons.
Wilder talked about the time her brother, speeding to make an Upper Lake game before tip-off, was pulled over. As the officer checked his license and noticed the name Wilder, he asked if he was related to Laura. When he said he was and that he was trying to make it to her game on time, the officer sent him on his way sans ticket.
Pivniska had a similar law enforcement story with a happy ending. While her mom and dad, Marilyn and Butch, were also pushing the speed limit to get to a game in time, they noticed red lights in their rear view mirror. Before they could pull over, the cruiser passed them, the officer waved, and that was that.
Maybe he was on his way to the game, too.
No one had a better seat in the house during Pivniska”s, Wilder”s and Bryant”s run than did Kinser, who has served several tours of duty as Upper Lake”s coach, but never one as enjoyable as 1990-94.
“No, absolutely not,” Kinser said when asked if he thought his three freshmen back during the 1990-91 season were going to end up playing defending state champion and powerhouse Menlo for the NorCal championship. “We were looking to win half our games that season. At (age) 14, we didn”t know they had that in them. But all of a sudden we were playing in fourth quarters of major games, hitting front ends of one-and-ones and winning those fourth quarters.”
Using what he described as the “KISS” coaching method (Keep It Simple Stupid), Kinser said the Cougars played only one way — all out.
“It was sweet and simple ? we were playing man defense, we were pushing the ball and we were pressing whenever we could,” Kinser said. “That”s all we knew.”
Their physical talents aside, Kinser said the reason his “Big Three” excelled, not only on the basketball court but also on the softball diamond, the volleyball court and on the track, was a mental toughness they all possessed.
“That”s something you have or you don”t and it can”t be coached,” Kinser said. “We didn”t know they had that when they were freshmen, but we found out pretty quick.”
Until Tuesday night, Pivniska and Wilder said the last time they visited the Upper Lake gym was in December of 2000 when their numbers were unofficially retired during a ceremony held as part of the Lake County Winter Classic tournament. Now they have reason to come around more often. So does Bryant. There their numbers sit affixed to the east wall overlooking the gym floor, and there they will remain until most of us are long gone.
They own the place now, not that there was ever much question.
