Walpole High School alumnae Kelly Fogarty picked up her first basketball in preschool, playing recreational games with her older brother Ryan and her father. After transferring from Bishop Feehan to Walpole High her sophomore year, Fogarty stepped onto the court as a key player for the Rebels. In her senior year, she reached the 1,000 point benchmark, making her the seventh Walpole High graduate to ever achieve this award. Her success at Walpole High School led her to pursue basketball at the Division I level at University of Maine.

“I have played basketball my whole life, and it is something that I have sacrificed a lot for throughout the years,” Fogarty said. “I dedicated a lot of time and worked really hard at the sport, and I wanted to be able to continue to play for another four years.”

Like many college athletes, Fogarty found the adjustment between high school and college basketball a challenge.

“The biggest difference between high school and college basketball is the intensity and time commitment. The speed as well as attention to detail all come with intensity and focus; that for me was not the same in high school,” Fogarty said. “For me, I think you have to buy into the process 100 percent in order to see success, and that is what my team does best.”

Fogarty owes much of her success to her brother, who continued his victorious basketball career at Wheaton College and always motivated her throughout high school.

“He is the toughest on me and most honest; however, all of his tips and advice, as well as hands-on workouts, have made me a better and tougher player over the years,” Fogarty said, “Having an older brother to always play with led me to really falling in love with the sport.”

One of the aspects that makes college so special for Fogarty is the bond between her teammates. Not only are her teammates from states all across the country, but six of them are from different countries around the world: Spain, Sweden, Turkey, Israel, Germany and Slovakia.

“Playing Division I basketball comes with a lot of travel and long hours in the gym,” Fogarty said. “My teammates and I spend almost all of our time together, and we are a really close knit group.”

Throughout her college career, Fogarty has continued her reputation as an outstanding shooter, which originally began when she was crowned champion of the A Shot For Life competition three years in a row in high school. The competition consisted of the top 15 shooters in the state, all competing to win the Best Shooter in Massachusetts while raising money for cancer research.

Last year, Fogarty contributed to her team’s success in winning the America East Conference on March 9, finishing off the post-season with an overall record of 20-9. So far this season, she logs around 15-20 minutes per game and has made 18 three-pointers.

As of now, the Black Bears are coming off a tough non-conference schedule, playing some of the top teams such as UNC Chapel Hill, North Carolina State, Duke and Green Bay; however, as the conference games are just beginning, they look to improve their current 11-6 record.

“Right now, we are ranked in the top 50 over 351 teams,” Fogarty said, “My team is coming off a year of winning our league, the America East, and we look to defend that title again this year.”