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Southeast Girls Basketball Standout Breon Gunnels is the Hy-Vee 41 Five-Star Athlete of the Week

Posted at 7:53 PM, Jan 05, 2017
and last updated 2017-01-05 23:37:53-05

Nothing has come easy for Southeast Girls Basketball senior forward Breon Gunnels. She has worked incredibly hard to achieve the success she has attained. 

During her junior year last season, Breon averaged 26 points and 10 rebounds. She has followed that up with an equally strong senior season averaging 19 points and 8 rebounds. She recently signed with Northern Iowa this past November. And, she is this week's Hy-Vee 41 Five-Star Athlete of the Week.

It's certainly been one heck of a ride for Breon, but it's one that she said wouldn't be possible without her teammates.

"They helped me win it. I wouldn't have won it without them," Breon said of her success and earning Athlete of the Week honors. "Well, my teammates mean the world to me. I've been playing with most of them like two or three season now. So, they saw me get better and I saw them get better, too."

Knights Girls Basketball Head Coach Reginald Ramsey knows how important Breon's success is to helping other young ladies behind her gain confidence. 

"I don't think it only sent her confidence and raised her confidence level, it raised her teammates and the school as a whole," Ramsey said. "Coming from the African-American community, a lot of our kids have hoop dreams. And, they have the dreams, but a lot of them don't believe that the dreams can come true. And so, she's a symbol that the dreams can come true."

Breon has been impressive literally from day one of her high school career. In her first game as a freshman for the Knights (formerly AC Prep), she scored a triple-double with 27 points, 18 rebounds and 14 blocks. Everyone took notice almost immediately of her skills including Northern Iowa. She said that she is happy and excited to attend Northern Iowa on a full basketball scholarship in the fall. 

"[I'm happy to] be going to Northern Iowa to play basketball for the next four years. I'll be nervous like in May or April," Breon said.

Ramsey has coached Breon for three years prior to her senior season. He knows opportunities like playing for a Division I school don't come every day. 

"She's probably the only female player from an inner city school going to a Division I school in the last three, four [years or maybe longer]. So, it's been a lot of pressure on her to stay on top of her game, on top of her classwork and, you know, just continue to be the great person she is," Ramsey said.

NOTE: The Hy-Vee 41 Five-Star Athlete of the Week segment airs every Thursday night during the 10 p.m. sportscast for the entire school year.

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Ryan Marshall can be reached at Ryan.Marshall@KSHB.com.

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