Nome-Beltz Middle High School senior BrookLynn Crowe signed a letter of intent to play basketball at North Central University in Minnesota Thursday.
“Thank you all for showing up and for your support with the team and your support for me as an individual, it really helped,” Crowe said as she fiddled with a pen.
On the table before her were two copies of a celebratory signing form declaring her intent to play for the Rams. Flanking Crowe was her mother, Ashley Crowe, her grandfather Scott Crowe, who she calls “Papa”, and her great-grandmother, Jay Peterson.
“My grandma, she struggled with Stage 4 lung cancer when I was younger, and she's always telling me to be strong and to push myself past any limit. So that's what I've done,” Crowe said. “And then my Papa, we're literally the same person. He just always had to support me, and he's my number one person to talk to.”
Crowe served as a captain for three seasons and finished her senior campaign with a team-high seven rebounds per game. The 5-foot-6 forward also averaged eight points, three steals, and two assists per game.
Crowe will join a NCU program that has won the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) North Region Championship four times in a row. Crowe said she hopes to bring her leadership with the Lady Nanooks to the college game.
“I'm bringing a lot of leadership, and I think I'm definitely bringing a positive attitude,” Crowe said. “I think I'm also bringing a unique perspective being from Alaska and not having the exact opportunities that a lot of the girls there had.”
She said she’s not placing any expectations on her freshman season, and is instead focused on her offseason workouts that begin next week.
“I think a lot of it is earned there and showing up and showing out every time at practice. They had a lot of girls that were really good, so I know that just being ready is a big thing,” Crowe said.
Crowe said she chose NCU because of the four year degree she could earn, something she said her grandmother valued. While the DIII school can’t give athletic scholarships, she said a $20,000 Presidential Scholarship will cover the bulk of her first-year tuition.
The Lady Nanooks’ head coach, Tracy Gregg, called Crowe a “beast underneath the basket” for frequently earning double-digit rebound games. She said Crowe’s coachability and understanding of the game sets her apart, on top of her calm attitude during tough times.
“She is very selfless, but she works really hard. I feel like this last year too, she put in a lot of time and effort and working on her shot and working on her game,” Gregg said. “And I think it just really paid off for her. She's going to do great things.”
The Lady Nanooks’ season ended at the regional tournament in Kotzebue in March. Crowe said walking off the court for the last time as a Lady Nanook was bittersweet.
“They're my best friends, and they I think they always will be. They pushed me to be the best version of myself no matter what's going on, and they're just ready to show out every day, which helped me just want to be a better player, a better captain.”
Crowe will share the court with her high school teammates one last time when she accepts her high school diploma in the Nome-Beltz gym on May 27.
