Shelby Megyeri looks to add to her family’s legacy in 3A girls basketball tournament
[dropcap]S[/dropcap]helby Megyeri was not the first member of her family to put on a Manitou Springs basketball jersey. But she just might be the best.
The junior guard has been outstanding for the Mustangs during her three-year career at the varsity level. In fact, with every bucket she gets, she adds to her own career scoring record for the Mustangs. She broke Amelia Schofield’s career mark of 1,025 points earlier this season and still has another full year to add to it.
It’s just another ho-hum for the Megyeri family. Shelby has three older brothers, Josh, Jesse and Chase, that all suited up for the Mustangs. Each one was a standout player and they all had their defining moments.
Josh was the first (and thus far the only) one to dunk the ball. The boys weren’t overly tall and the eldest insisted that it was a feat that he could and would accomplish.
“Josh dunking the ball is something I’ll never forget,” Jesse said. “It defied the odds, what he did. He kept telling us and our parents that he could dunk and he would and we always shrugged it off.”
Jesse soon found his own moment as his 2010 team reached the Class 3A Great 8 before falling to Aspen. But his team fought on and ended up winning the consolation bracket, an achievement that he his teammates from that year remain proud of to this day.
All Chase did was knock off the No. 1 team in the 3A bracket back in 2014. With only seconds remaining he found himself open for a 3-pointer and buried it at the buzzer to beat Jefferson Academy, which came in as the favorite to win state that year.
“Growing up and watching them was my favorite thing to do,” Shelby said. “It’s so much fun and exciting and I wanted them to win a state championship to see what it was like.”
That feat is now up to Shelby. The Mustangs enter the 3A tournament as the No. 3 overall seed and have played all year like a team that could walk away with championship gold.
“Knowing that maybe we have a chance to do it is pretty amazing,” she continued. “It’s a good feeling.”
But it won’t come easy. During the Tri-Peaks district championship game, the Mustangs — and the rest of the field — learned a tough lesson. They learned that they can be beat. Manitou lost to St. Mary’s 38-37 Saturday, putting a blemish on what had been their perfect season to that point.
The youngest sibling in a family with mostly boys, the loss was hard for Shelby to take. The reason that she has become the player that she is is because she has spent her entire life competing against her brothers and trying to keep up with their pace.
“It’s all exploded into Shelby,” Josh said. “It’s the grand finale. She has a whole other year ahead of her, but in most senses she’s proven herself.”
And she’s proven herself as a complete player. This year, she also set school records in steals and assists. The old assist mark of 204 from Shira Spielman was set in 2005 and Jill Keaveny ended her career in 2002 with 203 steals.
But Shelby isn’t in it for the records. She wants a championship. And there’s nothing more that her brothers want than to see her make major accomplishments at the highest level. They’ve lived through theirs, but they can’t wait for hers.
“From the experience I had, I would love to see that happen for her,” Chase said. “I know how fun and exciting it is to get your name out there and I really want that for her benefit.”
The Mustangs will begin their quest for a state title Friday against Manual. As the No. 3 seed in the tournament, Manitou plays host for the first two rounds. If the Mustangs advance through this weekend, they’ll head to the Denver Coliseum for the Great 8. The Mustangs took fourth place in 2015 and with the entire team returning, can taste a state title.
“I think (my teammates and I) have the same mindset,” Shelby said. “We want to win state. That’s the main goal.”
