Highland Illinois Bulldogs Women’s Basketball Player Heads to Big Season

Four years ago, Grace Wilke entered the Highland girls basketball program as an unheralded freshman who was set to be little more than a backup and role player for the Bulldogs.

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Now Wilke — who just graduated from HHS a month ago — has left a legacy of success that’s helped reset the program’s high standards.

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In her senior season at swing guard, Wilke averaged 14.8 points per game and helped Highland roll to a 26-8 record with an IHSA Class 3A super-sectional appearance.

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As a senior, Wilke thrived under the pressure of knowing this would be her last run on the court playing basketball.

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“I feel like just knowing that you never know when your last game will be and the leadership that the team had — we were all together as one — I thought really brought the team together to have such a successful season and make it so far in the postseason,” Wilke said.

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Highland coach Clint Hamilton praised Wilke’s work ethic and leadership on and off the court as major factors in her successful career.

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“She’s one of those kids that was around for four years and you could just tell that the leadership role really took over this year. She did a nice job of getting our younger girls kind of bought in to what we were doing (on the court),” Hamilton said. “Whenever you start to see a little success, it makes it that much easier to be a leader.”

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After playing through a COVID-shortened 13 game season in 2021 and then struggling though an 8-24 season as a junior, everything came together for Wilke as a senior. She was the Bulldogs’ leading scorer who became adept at knocking down threes from the outside and getting to the basket and knocking free-throws. Wilke shot 39.3% from beyond the arc as a senior and hit 76% from the foul line.

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“Sophomore year, I was still young and it was my first time playing varsity and I wasn’t used to much. And then you only have 13 games in one season so you really didn’t get much experience and that didn’t help,” Wilke said. “Then, going into junior year, we were all inexperienced because we lost four great graduating seniors that played before us and it was a developing year.

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“That’s what helped my senior year (in) being able to lead the team and feeling the experience and helping us win.”

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3-point record setter

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Wilke also put her name in the record books thanks to breaking 2020 HHS alum Meghan Kronk’s single season 3-point record (61 made) with a blazing 79 made triples.

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Wilke broke Kronk’s record with a pair of treys in Highland’s 54-33 win at Triad on Feb. 2.

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“I would have never expected anything (like that) and I was surprised I was even close (to it), but I feel like shooting the three is the one thing that was part of my game so any time I got the opportunity to shoot the three, I did,” Wilke said.

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More accolades for Wilke

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In addition to breaking the single season 3-point record, Wilke also passed HHS grad Ellie Brown’s career-made threes mark of 121 set in 2020 with 137 triples.

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“If we didn’t have the COVID year I think she would definitely have been a 1,000 point scorer (as well),” Hamilton said.

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Topping off the individual accolades for Wilke this winter was being named to the AP Class 3A All-State Honorable Mention team in early March.

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“It felt pretty special (to get this honor as a senior),” Wilke said. “I would have ever expected something like that … it was just a well-played season and (it shows) that hard work pays off.”

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Lasting legacy

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As Wilke departs Highland, Hamilton believes she has left a legacy of success that will keep future Bulldogs players hungry to achieve and succeed as she did at HHS.

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“I think with the things she was able to do this last year with some of those girls that came in with her, they will remember some of the stuff she did. So she’ll always have that kind of aura about her when she comes back (to visit) the kids. They will see her and just kind of bring back some of those memories, so that always will be cool for her.”

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Wilke agreed.

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“I feel like I’ve helped them set up a winning program and having a successful year having the young kids — the two freshmen and the sophomore that played — to set the role model experience and what it should be and how it should keep continuing,” she said.

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Basketball is over for Wilke as she will attend the University of Kentucky this fall and major in accounting.