Milestone Achievement: Oak Forest Girls Basketball Standout Swanson Gets in On Sister Act

Four years after watching her sister Jenny score her 1,000th career point, Oak Forest senior Katie Swanson returned the favor. In front of family, friends and fans, Swanson let the Bengals to a 55-8 victory over Evergreen Park on Friday night and scored her 1,000th career point of her own. Swanson said that the milestone came as a bit of a surprise.

“I actually had no idea I was even close until my whole family was here, then I had some idea,” she said.

The Bengals' coach, Steve Schanz, who also coached Jenny, added that the two sisters have left their mark not only in the record books, but also at the high school.

“They're both tremendous players and they're both two of the best players to come through Oak Forest,” he said.

When Swanson used a nifty scoop layup early in the third quarter to break the 1,000-point barrier, Schanz quickly called a timeout and let his player soak in the applause and cheers of all the fans in attendance. Sprinkled among the crowd were signs congratulating Swanson, including one from John Crumback, a family friend, that lit up.

“It's just something special for her, she's a great kid,” Crumback said. “She's got a lot of friends, a lot of family support. They're just a great family to be around.”

As for how Swanson reached the 1,000-point milestone,  Jenny had an idea.

“It' feels good (to see her do it)," she said. "Obviously, she learned something from me."