Through her 3-sport background, Catherine Apker is Homer High School’s all-time scorer

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With just under a minute left in the third quarter, Homer High School senior Catherine Apker smashed the glass for an offensive rebound and put it back up without hesitation, securing her 1,000. career point.

Apker made her mark in the record books on January 26 by becoming the all-time top scorer in school history. Former Trojans star Gracie Patriarco held the previous record of 990 points.

“I immediately tried to get back on defense,” Apker said of the game. “I didn’t even know it happened until (head coach Brad Sovocool) took a break. But when I realized it felt great after all these years.”

Apker, a three-sport athlete in basketball, soccer and softball, has “really become your jack of all trades player,” Sovocool said. In addition to breaking two milestones within the same basketball game, Apker signed her letter of intent and committed to play Division I football at Lafayette College. At one point, she played six sports simultaneously. She was drawn to the varsity for both soccer and basketball in the eighth grade. Earlier this year, she broke a season record for 3-pointers with over 60 in 20 games. She’s on track to break a season average and nearly leads the state in steals, Sovocool said.

“It’s incredible to see how Catherine has grown over the years and become a top-notch ball handler,” said Sovocool.

Apker first picked up a basketball when she was about 2 years old. With three older brothers and a basket in the yard, she grew up in a basketball family and played pickup games constantly.

Apker said her siblings always challenged her and never made it easy. Her father Chris was very supportive of her basketball career and coached her at the AAU circuit. Apker said Chris was the main reason she fell in love with basketball. Her parents signed her up for gymnastics at a young age, which benefited her athletically. She competed for ten years before she had to prioritize soccer.

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“I am very glad that my parents took me to gymnastics as a child,” said Apker. “It kickstarted my muscle growth and athleticism from a young age.”

Although Apker devotes a lot of time to three sports — basketball, soccer, and softball — her focus is on soccer. Mainly a goaltender, she was an integral part of Homer’s program with a total of 750 saves on the net. She is also a very dominant outfield player. In her senior season last fall, Apker totaled seven goals and seven assists to add to her 91 saves.

“As an athlete, it’s important to be as adaptable as possible,” Apker said. “I would always train everything the same way… a big part of goalkeeping is being able to play with your feet.”

Aside from exercising at least 20 hours a week, Apker wakes up almost three hours before school to start her day exercising to ensure her strength, fitness and conditioning for all sports.

“It’s really like in sport, you reap what you sow,” she said.

This extra step has enabled Apker to compete at a higher level with the Olympic football development program. Assembling regional teams across the United States, the ODP provides a platform for young, high-potential players to showcase and develop their skills.

Apker has been part of the ODP for around seven years now and occasionally travels a few times domestically but rarely internationally. In 2019, Apker traveled to Iceland with her regional team to compete against other countries and high-profile competitors. She was also one of two goalkeepers selected to compete in London with the USA ODP team.

“With everything I can achieve, I have more information to give back to my club and school team,” Apker said. “The more they improve, the more I can do. It comes full circle.”

Courtesy of Mark Barnett

Sophomore Catelyn Ensign, co-captain of the basketball team, plays both basketball and football with Apker, learning under her how to become a captain of the program and building her confidence.

“She really taught me to be more confident and to trust my team,” said Ensign. “(Apker) showed me that being captain is not just a title, you are a big part of the team and you always have to support your teammates. She always did that for all of us.”

Sovocool said how beneficial it was to have Apker as captain of such a young program. Sovocool described Apker as “vocal” and never quitting the game, something “the girls get behind”.

With the basketball season over, Apker will now switch to softball in the spring. But it’s bittersweet, since this softball season will be the last sports season of her high school career.

“I’m really looking forward to advancing my football career,” said Apker. “But I’m not ready to say goodbye to these other sports that I’ve played my whole life.”