History is made every day across the globe, but it’s not everyday that a University’s scoring record gets broken, especially one that has stood for 35 years.
Enter Katelyn Young: the senior forward who has officially passed Sheila Smith to become the all-time scoring leader in Murray State women’s basketball history.
In the Racers final game of the season against the University of Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles, Young needed just two points to break the record. She scored in the first 19 seconds of the game, sealing her name in the record books forever.
“In the moment of the game, I didn’t really think about it too much,” Young said just a few days after the game. “Afterwards, I started to think about everything that I have been able to do over the years. It is a huge honor to have my name next to people that have had the same accomplishments.”
It was a special moment for the All-Missouri Valley Conference player, one that she says still hasn’t quite set in yet.
“I don’t think the thought will set in until I start looking back at all of the memories,” Young said. “I am most looking forward to having proof to show my kids that I was good at basketball!”
Young came to Murray State University from Oakwood, Illinois, a town of roughly 1,300 residents and a highschool of around 300 students per-year. She earned All-State honors in each of her four years in high school, and finished her high school career with 2,361 points.
She said that never in her wildest dreams did she think she would see her name atop the record books before her time at Murray State.
“As a little girl in a small town, I never dreamed of breaking a school record at Murray State,” Young said. “I think it shows that anything is possible if you are willing to put in the work.”
At Murray State, Young has recorded 2,312 points and over 1,000 rebounds, becoming the first Racer to record 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds. She has been named an All-Conference First Team in each of her four years at Murray State and won Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year in her sophomore year of 2021-22.
“This journey has been long and hard at some points,” Young said. “But it is all worth it. I think back to all of the hard work that I have put in for so many years. It is nice to see how far I have come.”
After the Racers senior day game on Sunday, March 3, Head Coach Rechelle Turner showed love and respect to each of the seniors on the team, but she said there may never be another player quite like Young.
“Her career speaks for itself,” Turner said. “Just an amazing player that can do all kinds of things. All the time, people ask me ‘what are you going to do when she’s gone?’ and I say ‘I don’t know that we’ll ever find another Katelyn.’ But we were blessed to get this one. What a program changer she has been for us.”
Turner not only talked about Young’s career as a player, but also mentioned just how good her character is off the court.
“The thing about Katelyn is that she is just as good of a human as she is a basketball player,” Turner said. “Most selfless, humble ‘best player,’ 2,000 point scorer, soon to be 1,000 point rebounder, ever. She’s a great teammate. Everybody loves her, and she’s made all the other players on the floor better. And I think that is one of the best compliments you can give a kid.”
As for Young’s future, it’s still up in the air. She’s a senior and has played for four years at the college level. However, she is able to play fifth season, due to a rule implemented by the NCAA that allows an extra year of eligibility to players who played during the height of COVID-19. She said she’s talking with her family and coaches about what her next steps will be.
After school Young plans to remain in athletics, looking to work around the team in whatever way she can. Macey Turley, a former Murray State teammate of Young, took a similar path and is now an athletic trainer at the University of Evansville.
If this season was the end of Young’s career at Murray State, she made sure to leave one last message to all of the Racer fans who have watched her career, as well as her teammates and coaches over the last four years.
“This journey has meant so much to me,” Young said. “I have been able to create so many relationships that will last forever. I am forever grateful for the community, coaches and players that have been a part of my journey here at Murray.”
