UPPER LAKE >> When the Upper Lake High School girls basketball program holds its awards ceremony on Wednesday, among those being honored will be a senior who has written her name into the school’s and Lake County’s record books.
Natalie Karlsson’s four-year career with the Cougars, every minute of which was spent at the varsity level, ended last month with Upper Lake’s loss to Argonaut in the opening round of the Northern California Division V playoffs. Between her first game on Nov. 22, 2013 against Kelseyville and her final one on March 8 of this year, she scored 1,846 points, second on the county’s career list behind another Upper Lake great in Laura Wilder who went on to play for Washington State.
Wilder and teammates Jen Bryant and Annie Pivniska formed the nucleus for the great Upper Lake teams of the early 1990s (multiple section titles, two NorCal championship game appearances) and all had their numbers retired by the school, an honor that no doubt awaits Karlsson in the near future.
As a member of the Cougars, Karlsson’s teams compiled an overall record of 68-43 and a league mark of 37-17.
In her final season, the 2016-17 campaign, Karlsson set a record that may stand for some time. Her 737 points scored in one season broke the old single-season record of 710 by Clear Lake’s Jenny Schaal (1989-90). Karlsson and Schaal are the only two county players to reach 700 points. Wilder’s best was 648 during her senior season of 1993-94. The boys record belongs to Clear Lake’s Ryan Richardson with 652 in 2009-10.
Among the honors to be bestowed on Karlsson at the team’s awards ceremony next week will be the presentation of a 1,500-point career scoring pin, the first to be awarded to a current player. Only four county players — two boys and two girls — have accomplished that feat. The Record-Bee currently awards 1,000-point pins for players reaching that milestone and the 1,500-point pin was added at the end of the 2016-17 season.
