The high school basketball season is officially in the books. It was one that looked drastically different from years past, but also a season that saw Johnstown senior Anna Lee close a historic career on an all-time high.

“I’ve been on this team since eighth grade, so I’m just glad to see all of my accomplishments,” Lee said.

It all started a year ago, March 2, 2020, to be exact.

Lee became just the second player in program history to score her 1,000th point. But it was something that was never guaranteed following the school's budget crisis in 2019 that saw sports and extracurriculars on the chopping block.

“When I saw it on the TV, I just started crying to my mom because I was just like, how can this be happening? Our community is always behind us when it comes to athletics. They’re always at our games, especially when field hockey went to states. They lined up on the streets," she said. "It was just so disappointing to see that had to be the outcome.”

But Lee and her fellow classmates wouldn’t let their activities go quietly, and helped raised north of $300,000, saving sports and extracurriculars.

“It was the best feeling in the world, honestly.”

But adversity struck again when the coronavirus pandemic threatened the winter sports season.

But once again, they fought to bring them back. And when they did, Lee had one goal in mind.

“I need to be the best I can, be the best teammate and leader I can, and that’s all I was focused on,” Lee said.

She entered the shortened season 48 points away from becoming the program's all-time leader in points scored, and she hit that mark March 4, nearly a year after her 1,000th point.

“It was never my intention to become the leading scorer," she said of the milestone. "I wanted to be the best teammate I could be. And if it came from me getting a pass and scoring, it was a win in my eyes. I'm just happy my hard work finally paid off.”

Lee is the ultimate team player, always wanting her teammates to succeed and be their best. It's a perfect mindset to have when she enters the medical field at SUNY Brockport next fall.

“I’ve always wanted to help others," she said. "I think I’ll be the best nurse I can be if that’s what I choose to pursue, just because I've been a leader here so many years. And I'm going to take those skills and characteristics that I've learned and take them with me into my work.”

Lee will always look back on her high school athletic career as the best time of her life as she continues to help others around her.