H-S Athlete of the Week: Emma Larkin, Geibel Catholic
Submitted photo
Name: Emma Larkin
School: Geibel Catholic
Class: Senior
Sport: Basketball
Larkin’s week: The Lady Gators’ point guard opened her season last Friday with a 30-point effort in helping her team to a 71-16 victory before putting in 27 against Beth-Center in a 72-24 triumph the next day in the Donna Furnier Invitational at Jefferson-Morgan High School.
Larkin, who has committed to continue her academic and basketball careers at Belmont Abbey College, a Division II institution, poured in 26 points on Monday in Geibel Catholic’s 70-27 win over Southmoreland at “The Swamp” on the campus of Geibel Catholic Junior/Senior High School.
Larkin also accomplished a feat that was 33 years in the making against the Lady Scotties when she nailed a three-pointer from the far corner that was her 12th point of the contest and 1,978th of her career, which passed Shelley Bortz, who put in 1,977 while playing for the Lady Gators in the 1991-92 season.
Larkin was not only chasing Bortz’s record on Monday, but she was dealing with the lingering effects of a cold and facing a box-and-one against Southmoreland, although she battled through to earn the record.
Although she set the record, Larkin has stated numerous times that she would trade away all her points for a WPIAL championship.
“The record is great, and I never thought I would be in this position, but it really is all about the team,” Larkin said. “I want us to get to the Pete and win a WPIAL title. I wouldn’t care how I did, scoring wise, if we won a championship.”
Academics come first: Larkin, who is also a two-time state medalist in track & field in the 400-meter dash and 300 hurdles and a four-time cross country state qualifier, is interested in studying pre-med at Belmont Abbey, and knows that academics come first in the Larkin household.
“My parents would not allow me to play any sports if I didn’t do well in school,” Larkin said. “My mom is the basketball coach here, but she would be the first one to not let me play if I didn’t do well in school. She is also ‘coach’ when we step onto the court and not ‘mom.'”
No free time: Playing three sports and concentrating on studies that will help her in college should be enough for Larkin, but she also works on weekends at TJ Maxx.
“After work, I really have no free time,” Larkin said. “It is interesting working at TJ Maxx. I check people out and stock shelves, but it is good to have a job and that responsibility.”