Two-sport standout earns the top athletic honor for Shakopee | Shakopee Sports
Kate Cordes has been a standout on two courts at Shakoppe High School in her athletic career.
The senior led the Sabers’ girls basketball team this past winter to the Section 2AAAA title and a sixth-place finish at state. She set a school record for three-pointers made in a season, leading the team to a 27-5 overall record.
On the volleyball court, Cordes helped Shakopee to a 22-7 campaign last fall.
Cordes was selected Shakopee’s Athena Award winner, which is given to each metro area school’s top senior female athlete. Cordes will receive her award at the 50th annual banquet May 6 at the Earle Brown Heritage Center in Minneapolis.
The last two banquets were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“There are a ton of great female athletes at Shakopee, and it’s a complete honor to be named among them,” Cordes said. “I’m lucky to have been able to represent the city of Shakopee alongside these women, who are not only amazing athletes but great people too.
“I’m beyond grateful that I was given such a prestigious award, and that I will be able to stand alongside top athletes from other schools,” she added.
Cordes has had many highlights in her stellar career. The one that may stick out the most is in the Section 2AAAA title game March 11 at Eden Prairie.
Cordes made a three-pointer from just beyond halfcourt to give her team a 50-47 upset win and a trip to state. She led the Sabers in scoring at 14.2 points per game.
Cordes will play at the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics level next year at the University of Jamestown in North Dakota. She’s hoping to contribute right away playing in the Great Plains Athletic Conference.
“I m super excited to attend UJ and play more basketball next year,” she said. “I would say that my biggest goals for myself next year are to contribute and win games. I’m super excited to get to work with the team and coach (Thad) Sankey.
Cordes’ older brother Will just finished his sophomore year on Jamestown’s men’s basketball team.
“It will be cool to play for the same school as him again,” Cordes said.
Cordes said she’ll miss playing competitive volleyball. She was a two-year letterwinner for the Sabers, playing setter. Cordes said playing volleyball helped her as a basketball player.
“Both sports complement each other really well,” she said. “I think playing both basketball and volleyball has helped my development a lot, not only in the athletic sense of things, but also in being a leader and becoming a better teammate.
“Both of my coaches have also been super supportive and encouraging of the fact that I play multiple sports,” she added. “That has been a huge reason why I have been able to play both volleyball and basketball and be successful in both.”
On the basketball court, Cordes can shot the three-pointer and has an ability to get into the lane and score. She averaged 10.6 points as a junior and 7.8 points as a sophomore.
She didn’t play much on the varsity as a ninth-grader, but was on the bench for the Sabers at the Class 4A state tournament. Shakopee also finished sixth that season.
“My last seasons at Shakopee, in both basketball and volleyball, was amazing,” Cordes said. “Our volleyball team had a great season and, even though we didn’t make it to the state tournament, we definitely had a lot to be proud of and it was a ton of fun.
“Basketball was pretty great as well. We got a conference championship and we won the section,” Cordes added. “It was pretty cool to win a conference and a section with as much talent as ours. Being able to play in such a tough section and make it out on top was a humongous accomplishment.
“This basketball season was a culmination of what my senior teammates and I have been working towards since the fourth grade. Both of my seasons this year were so much fun and I’m so proud of what my teammates and I were able to accomplish in both sports.”