Saturday, November 29, 2003
The Hubbard senior guard could graduate with four school records.
By JOHN BASSETTI
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
HUBBARD -- Usually, a career spans a lifetime.
For Lynle Cornell, it's four years.
The Hubbard High senior basketball player could complete her four seasons with four school records.
The guard has 802 points, 86 3-pointers, 85 percent in free throws in a single season and a career free-throw percentage of 84.
"Realistically, she has a chance of walking out with four school records," coach Dave Konczal said.
If Cornell breaks the records held by Brian Conklin and Katy Jo Mroski, who are regarded as two of the school's best, then what status does that give the 5-9 guard?
Mroski is the school's top scorer with 1,143 points. Conklin is second on the list, Kacie Coonce is third and Cornell next.
"If she averages 17.1 points for 20 games, she'd break Katy's record," Konczal said.
In reach
Cornell should surpass Mike Polan's mark from the 3-point-line (109). She's made 55 percent of her 3-point attempts to this point.
If she makes a few more free throws this season than she did last, Cornell would bump up her career percentage of 85 enough to overcome Conklin's single-season record of 89 percent.
"I think the record is well within reach," the coach said.
With 84 percent for a career, she could also beat Conklin's 82.
"She just has to shoot what she normally shoots and she'll make it," Konczal said of the career mark.
Also, the teams on which she's started for three seasons have a 51-15 record and won two Trumbull Athletic Conference championships.
"It's not like there's a bunch of individual awards with no team success," Konczal stressed.
Hubbard was TAC champion ahead of Girard last season, second to Girard in the TAC the year before and TAC champ when Cornell was a freshman.
It all began when she came off the bench early in her first year, then started against Badger -- the seventh game.
Since becoming a force, Cornell draws double teams and box-and-one coverage.
"It'll happen quite a bit," Konczal said. "But she still scores with it."
He finds it amazing that being within striking distance of the scoring mark comes on the heels of Mroski's total.
"What's so impressive is that Katy had a majority of the shots. So to have a player come right behind someone who scored 1,143 and have a chance to break it is rare. Usually, those people are spread about five years apart."
Cornell is a three-time first-team All-TAC, two-time first-team All-Trumbull and second-team All-NEO Inland District last year.
Versatile player
Although she is a shooting guard or swingperson, Cornell can also play point guard.
"Her strength is scoring," Konczal said. "She's a strong penetrator along with being a great shooter. She's physically strong in the upper body, too. If Cornell is covered by a forward, she's too quick; if a guard covers, Lynle is too strong. She presents tough matchups for opponents."
She's been Hubbard's top defender and should be the team's top rebounder this season, although she doesn't have a chance at Mroski's rebounding mark.
"We'll ask her to shut down an opposing team's best player and expect that she could do that," Konczal said.
After receiving honorable mention all-state in soccer as a junior, Cornell vacated the net.
"She wanted to concentrate on basketball," Konczal said.
She's also all-league in softball as catcher and third baseman.
An all-around all-leaguer.
That's Lynle Cornell.
bassetti@vindy.com