A look at some milestones Daily Chronicle athletes have achieved already this season

To 1,000 points and beyond, athletes in the Daily Chronicle coverage area have achieved a lot of personal milestones so far this season.

We take a look back at some of the achievements those players have reached.

Ally Poegel, Genoa-Kingston

The senior guard set the Genoa-Kingston career scoring record with a 29-point performance Friday against North Boone. That put her at 1,461 career points, 21 ahead of former leader Julie Galauner.

Poegel also is the career leader in field goals made (559) and steals (329). She’s at 99 steals this season, one away from the school’s single-season record. She’s at 367 points this year, with the single-season record being 512. And with 22 more made free throws she’ll surpass the school’s career mark of 221.

“I’m not focused on those career records. I’ve had enough of those,” Poegel said. “I’m focused on making my teammates better, and if those records come, great. That’s a good thing. But I’m more focused on team goals.

Poegel said having a lot of people make the trip to Poplar Grove to see her set the record, including Galauner and former coach Brandon Royalty, made it even more special.

“It was surreal. It was actually unreal,” Poegel said Tuesday. “It meant so much that Julie was by my side and my old coach was there. All that support really helped me reach that milestone.”

Anna Herrmann, Hinckley-Big Rock

The junior guard reached the 1,000-point mark in a win over Indian Creek on Jan. 13. She’s been the career 3-point record holder since last year when she was a sophomore.

Herrmann entered the IC game a point shy of the record. It took her 2:24 to get there, but then, like Poegel, she put up a 29-point performance in her record-setting game.

“It was literally just any point,” Herrmann said. “I just needed one. And I went into the game, I never have been so nervous in my life. I couldn’t stop shaking. I finally hit, and I could breathe. I was like, ‘OK, let’s just focus on winning now.‘ ”

Hayden Hodgson, Genoa-Kingston

The senior forward for the Cogs reached the 1,000-point plateau on Jan. 7 in a loss to Hinckley-Big Rock.

Hodgson had 10 points and five rebounds while reaching the career milestone.

“It means a lot,” the 6-5 senior guard said. “Shout out to my teammates who made it happen. It just shows the hard work I’ve put in over four years.”

Martin Ledbetter, Hinckley-Big Rock

Ledbetter had a monster game to help the Royals beat the Cogs in Hodgson’s milestone game. But three weeks earlier, the senior center reached the 1,543-point mark to become the school’s all-time leading scorer.

The last of his 30 points in the Dec. 13 game against Somonauk pushed him past 2010 graduate Brian Michaels.

He needs to average just more than 18 points per game in the Royals' final 21 regular-season games to reach 2,000. He also has a chance to finish between 1,300 and 1,400 career rebounds, which Sanderson said would put him in the top 15 in the state all-time.

“It definitely gave me an ego boost, and I’m looking to score 2,000 this year,” Ledbetter said. “That would definitely be great.”

Davon Grant, DeKalb

The junior forward achieved the 1,000-point mark Dec. 4 in a 56-51 loss to Glenbard West.

The loss sent the Barbs to a 2-3 start, but they’ve won 12 of 14 since.

Grant reached the mark just five games into his junior season.

“It means a decent amount,” Grant said, “but I always want more. I always want to strive to be better. So that’s what I’m aiming for.”

Bonus: Ernie Colombe, Kaneland

The longtime coach of the Knights boys and girls basketball programs picked up his 300th win at the school.

The Knights beat Sycamore on Dec. 11 as Colombe achieved the milestone. Colombe got his 101st win with the boys program after winning 199 as head coach of the girls team from 2006-19.

Colombe said the 300 wins is a testament to the players as well as the staff he’s had over the years.

“I know how hard these kids have worked,” Colombe said. “To me, it’s all about the kids we’ve coached and the coaches we’re coaching with. It’s a great group of staff I’ve been blessed to work with that I would call friends. And the players have been outstanding. They just come in and bust their butts.

“This is for them.”