Basketball phenomenon Carolyn Binder shattered the career scoring record at Rye Country Day — now 1,567 career points and counting. Binder broke the two-year-old record of 1,476, held by a former teammate, on a three-point shot last week.
By Melanie Cane
Basketball phenomenon Carolyn Binder shattered the career scoring record at Rye Country Day — now 1,567 career points and counting. Binder broke the two-year-old record of 1,476, held by a former teammate, on a three-point shot last week.
The one-two punch of Binder, a senior captain, and Tara Berger, the Wildcats’ leading rebounder as a sophomore, has assured an undefeated season so far — with seven wins.
The season began last month with a 61-25 win over Marymount. The Wildcats took the Fieldston Tip Off Tournament by defeating Staten Island Academy, 61-45, and Fieldston, 49-34.
In their home opener December 5, the day Binder broke the scoring record, the Wildcats beat Hamden Hall, 58-43. They won two more home games last week, triumphing over Dwight, 52-34, and Millbrook 54-33. Tuesday, Rye Country Day topped Riverdale, 63-26, with Binder scoring 21 points.
“It felt amazing to break the record because I have been working toward that goal for so long,’’ Binder told the newspaper. “I had asked my Dad not to tell me I was close to the record, but unfortunately, somebody did tell me before the Hamden game so I was nervous the whole game. I missed a foul shot and some other shots I would normally have made before I finally broke it. My Dad wanted me to achieve that goal because he said it will be something to be remembered for when I leave’’ Rye Country Day.
Binder has accepted an offer to play and study at Columbia University — among 15 Division 1 colleges that recruited her. Carolyn’s sister, Stephanie, a 2011 Rye Country Day graduate, plays basketball for Johns Hopkins.
She said she chose Columbia because she felt an immediate affinity for the coach, the players and the campus. “Columbia seemed like the best fit because of my rapport with the coach, Paul Nixon, and the team’s speed of play,” she said.
Last season, Binder’s goal was to score her 1000th point, which she did on a three-point shot against York Prep on December 9, 2011. Shortly thereafter, she helped bring home the gold as part of the 2011 USA National Team for the 12th Annual Pan American Maccabi Games in Brazil. Her Wildcat teammate, Tara Berger, has been invited to play in the Maccabi Games in Israel next summer. (Read more on that in the January 11 issue of The Rye Record.)
Binder has been a shooting guard on Rye Country Day’s varsity team since she was in 8th grade. She credits her success — on and off the court — to working harder than everybody else, sacrifice, and setting goals.
Binder plays basketball year-round. In the summer, she trains with Gerry Powell WHO IS WHAT on Long Island. “When my friends are hanging out and going to the beach, I am getting up at 5 a.m. to drive an hour everyday to train with a collegiate coach.” She also trains with her father Steven who played basketball for Curry College. “He works me out doing drills, sprints and helping me with my technique.” In the spring and summer, Binder plays for the AAU travel team, The Philadelphia Belles. Her workouts include weight training and shooting hundreds of shots before and after practice.
As for future goals, Binder says, “The team comes first and I would love for us to win the State Championship.” The Wildcats last qualified for States when Binder was a freshman.
In addition to being a stellar student athlete, Binder dedicates her spare time to community service. Binder, her sister Steph, and Liz Judd — a Columbia-bound soccer star from Rye Country Day — operate a nonprofit program called “Lucky Laces.” The program raises awareness and money for research on spinal cord injuries.
