BRODHEAD - Erin Nyhus isn't the tallest player to go through the Brodhead girls basketball program. Nor is she the fastest. But according to head coach Brian Kammerer, no one works harder.
"She's been one of the hardest-working individuals that I've had an opportunity to coach throughout my career - and we've had a lot of great male and female athletes come through," Kammerer said. "She's been nothing but a tremendous asset to our entire program. She's left her mark in Brodhead school history."
On Feb. 13, Nyhus scored 27 points to lead her team to victory over conference rival Evansville. She also passed former teammate Kylie Moe as the new program leader in points scored at 1,434.
"She wants success for her team more than for her own individual awards. We saw that with the scoring record - she didn't even know she was that close," Kammerer said. "I think she was happier that night that we found a way to beat Evansville."
Nyhus has averaged double-digits in scoring throughout her career - 11.2 as a freshman, 15.3 as a sophomore, 16.8 as a junior and now 20.1 as a senior.
"I was surprised when I hit Kylie's record. She's a great player," Nyhus said. "And before her was Carli Mohns. Both of them I looked up to immensely."
Kammerer coached the boys basketball team for several seasons before switching to girls basketball for 2014-15, replacing coach Brad Pickett, who took over as head coach at Stoughton. That season - Nyhus' freshman year - the Cardinals lost in the sectional semifinal and finished with 20 wins.
"She's made an impact since her freshman year," Kammerer said. "She hit some big shots against Big Foot in the regional final.
"When I took over for Brad Pickett, this was our freshman class. I've seen them come through for four years. Kids like Erin Nyhus don't come around here often. It's been an enjoyable four years. Without a doubt, from a coaching perspective, when that day comes that you have to tell your seniors goodbye, it's going to be a rough one."
Moe graduated after the 2015-16 season, which again saw Brodhead reach 20 wins. Then last year as a junior, Nyhus and the Cardinals won just 11 games.
This season hasn't been the easiest for Brodhead, which entered the playoffs with a 9-12 record overall and a sixth-place finish in the Rock Valley. But that doesn't mean the team hasn't had its share of successes.
"Our work ethic and our defense has improved throughout the season. We've always been a speedy, scrappy kind of team," Nyhus said. "I think we are getting more looks on offense as well."
Though opposing teams focus on Nyhus, she has still been able to find ways to score - most notably by working the ball to open teammates.
"With other teammates stepping up and hitting shots, their confidence goes up. The other team then has to respect them more, and that helps me get open," Nyhus said.
Kammerer said the Nyhus' ability to score from anywhere on the court adds to her dynamic. Though she has only made 19 3-pointers this season, she's averaged nearly double that number in each of her first three seasons and has begun to hit more jump shots and work the paint.
"She has an explosive first dribble, and I think she picked that up from playing with Kylie for years," Kammerer said. "Erin has been drawing double teams, triple teams, and she's still finding a way to score amongst all that traffic. That goes back to all the hard work she's put in."
Following in the footsteps of her predecessors, Nyhus has gone from a freshman trying to fit in to a senior who has all of the younger players looking up to her.
"Coming in freshman year, I just wanted to earn the respect of my older teammates. I just wanted to work hard like my older role models and improve each year on every aspect of my game," Nyhus said. "The people that I looked up to always worked hard - every drill, every practice, every game. They always want to be the best that they can be, which means 100 percent effort. And that's what I try to bring to this team every year - always constantly working hard to improve on things."
Nyhus found her love of basketball in elementary school, playing in a league in Illinois. In fifth grade, she began AAU, and continued that through last year.
"(AAU) really just pushed me out of my comfort zone," Nyhus said.
Nyhus graduates in the spring, but her basketball career isn't ending. She plans on attending Wisconsin-Stevens Point to major in communication science and disorders and play on the women's basketball team.
"I'm really looking forward to that. It's a new chapter," Nyhus said, noting the challenge of facing tougher competition is something that drives her. "It makes me want to work out more and to constantly practice. College will be a different type of pace. It will be faster; the girls will be stronger."
Brodhead plays Poynette tonight in a WIAA Division 3 playoff game. It could be Nyhus' last time on the court with her current teammates if the Cardinals were to lose.
"I have to give every game my all now, because it might be my last," Nyhus said. "The season always goes by so fast. I just try to savor every moment.
"When I look back I'll just remember all the great times I've had with my teammates and coaches over these past four years and the impact we made," she said.
"She's been one of the hardest-working individuals that I've had an opportunity to coach throughout my career - and we've had a lot of great male and female athletes come through," Kammerer said. "She's been nothing but a tremendous asset to our entire program. She's left her mark in Brodhead school history."
On Feb. 13, Nyhus scored 27 points to lead her team to victory over conference rival Evansville. She also passed former teammate Kylie Moe as the new program leader in points scored at 1,434.
"She wants success for her team more than for her own individual awards. We saw that with the scoring record - she didn't even know she was that close," Kammerer said. "I think she was happier that night that we found a way to beat Evansville."
Nyhus has averaged double-digits in scoring throughout her career - 11.2 as a freshman, 15.3 as a sophomore, 16.8 as a junior and now 20.1 as a senior.
"I was surprised when I hit Kylie's record. She's a great player," Nyhus said. "And before her was Carli Mohns. Both of them I looked up to immensely."
Kammerer coached the boys basketball team for several seasons before switching to girls basketball for 2014-15, replacing coach Brad Pickett, who took over as head coach at Stoughton. That season - Nyhus' freshman year - the Cardinals lost in the sectional semifinal and finished with 20 wins.
"She's made an impact since her freshman year," Kammerer said. "She hit some big shots against Big Foot in the regional final.
"When I took over for Brad Pickett, this was our freshman class. I've seen them come through for four years. Kids like Erin Nyhus don't come around here often. It's been an enjoyable four years. Without a doubt, from a coaching perspective, when that day comes that you have to tell your seniors goodbye, it's going to be a rough one."
Moe graduated after the 2015-16 season, which again saw Brodhead reach 20 wins. Then last year as a junior, Nyhus and the Cardinals won just 11 games.
This season hasn't been the easiest for Brodhead, which entered the playoffs with a 9-12 record overall and a sixth-place finish in the Rock Valley. But that doesn't mean the team hasn't had its share of successes.
"Our work ethic and our defense has improved throughout the season. We've always been a speedy, scrappy kind of team," Nyhus said. "I think we are getting more looks on offense as well."
Though opposing teams focus on Nyhus, she has still been able to find ways to score - most notably by working the ball to open teammates.
"With other teammates stepping up and hitting shots, their confidence goes up. The other team then has to respect them more, and that helps me get open," Nyhus said.
Kammerer said the Nyhus' ability to score from anywhere on the court adds to her dynamic. Though she has only made 19 3-pointers this season, she's averaged nearly double that number in each of her first three seasons and has begun to hit more jump shots and work the paint.
"She has an explosive first dribble, and I think she picked that up from playing with Kylie for years," Kammerer said. "Erin has been drawing double teams, triple teams, and she's still finding a way to score amongst all that traffic. That goes back to all the hard work she's put in."
Following in the footsteps of her predecessors, Nyhus has gone from a freshman trying to fit in to a senior who has all of the younger players looking up to her.
"Coming in freshman year, I just wanted to earn the respect of my older teammates. I just wanted to work hard like my older role models and improve each year on every aspect of my game," Nyhus said. "The people that I looked up to always worked hard - every drill, every practice, every game. They always want to be the best that they can be, which means 100 percent effort. And that's what I try to bring to this team every year - always constantly working hard to improve on things."
Nyhus found her love of basketball in elementary school, playing in a league in Illinois. In fifth grade, she began AAU, and continued that through last year.
"(AAU) really just pushed me out of my comfort zone," Nyhus said.
Nyhus graduates in the spring, but her basketball career isn't ending. She plans on attending Wisconsin-Stevens Point to major in communication science and disorders and play on the women's basketball team.
"I'm really looking forward to that. It's a new chapter," Nyhus said, noting the challenge of facing tougher competition is something that drives her. "It makes me want to work out more and to constantly practice. College will be a different type of pace. It will be faster; the girls will be stronger."
Brodhead plays Poynette tonight in a WIAA Division 3 playoff game. It could be Nyhus' last time on the court with her current teammates if the Cardinals were to lose.
"I have to give every game my all now, because it might be my last," Nyhus said. "The season always goes by so fast. I just try to savor every moment.
"When I look back I'll just remember all the great times I've had with my teammates and coaches over these past four years and the impact we made," she said.
