Many athletes have the dream of continuing their athletic career in college in any level let alone the top level of NCAA Division I which only so many athletes get the opportunity to compete at.

Behind plenty of hard work, multitude of time in the gym and games on top of games Nemaha Central Thunder senior, Laura Macke has earned the opportunity to play college basketball at the Division I level recently committing to Kansas State after receiving offers from the Wildcats along with KU, UMKC and Creighton.

As a junior last year Macke helped Nemaha Central to a 21-5 record and fourth place finish in Class 3A at State. She filled the stat sheet in several ways averaging 15.4 points per game while shooting 54% from the floor, while adding 6.8 rebounds per game, 2.2 assists per game, 2.4 steals per game and one blocks per game to her stat line as a junior. Her strong year earned her first team All-Big Seven League and first team All-State honors.

Nemaha Central Thunder girls’ basketball Head Coach, Hadden Hiltgen knows just how good Macke is and can be. “Laura is a tremendous athlete and basketball player that comes along once in a coaching lifetime. Not only is she a great player, but she is a better teammate and person. We are excited for Laura and her commitment to Kansas State University,” said Coach Hiltgen.

As a sophomore she also snagged first team Big Seven League honors and enters her senior campaign with 700 career points. Macke also has logged plenty of time on the basketball outside of high school as part of the Nicole Ohlde Basketball Academy competing on the Elite teams for the past years going against top flight competition at the AAU level and putting together a strong summer to pick her interest from DI schools.

She ranks in the Top 50 in the Region by FiveStateHoops and during the summer with Ohlde Elite was selected an All-Star at the USJN Battle at the Border an event that the 2018 Ohlde Elite claimed the title. Scouts and evaluators gave their scouting report on Macke at the tournament - “Active player…Nice size and instincts….decent ballhandling….efficient off the cut…smart and reads….touch pass…scraps defensively.” 

Laura is set to join a Lady Wildcat program that finished 25-11 in 2016-17 season and 11-7 in the Big 12. The Wildcats current roster features four athletes from State of Kansas.