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George Ferguson Column: There's nothing mundane about covering the great Natalee Faupel

From the Fringe...

I've often expressed about how much I love my job. And it's not just lip service. Or, in my case, writing service. It's always true.

Sure, like everyone else, in every other profession, I have my bad days. In the immortal words of Rocky Balboa "Life ain't all sunshine and roses."

But there comes a point, even on my worst of days, when I remember just how lucky I am, and how fortunate I am to do what I do.

And last Thursday night in the Armory Gymnasium was one of those moments.

Yes, there's no other way to put it - I am very lucky for getting to cover, and to get paid to watch, Montana State University-Northern senior Natalee Faupel play basketball.

As sportswriters, there are times when we take what we see for granted. Sometimes we get bogged down in the mundaneness of athletics. Yes, like everything else, there are times when covering sports can be a grind, no matter how much you love it. And make no mistake, I love sports, and I love to write about them.

However, just when January seemed to be getting me down, just like I'm sure this wretched month does to so many of us who live in the frozen reaches of Havre, I get to cover, write about and express to all of you a special moment in local sports history.

And Thursday night, when Faupel hit a running bank shot over UGF's Steph McDonagh in the third quarter of the Skylights' win over the Argos, that was a special moment. It was certainly the most special to Faupel because it was the moment when she became the greatest scorer in Northern women's basketball history, passing the great Sheila Green, who held the record for over two decades. But that moment was also special for the Northern team, the program, head coach Chris Mouat, and for all of you who support and love being Skylight fans.

Yes, it was special to me, too. That's because, in my profession, moments and players like Faupel don't come around every day. What Faupel did by breaking the scoring record last Thursday night is etch that moment into immortality. It was a seminole achievement in the annals of local sports history, and it was one I'm so thankful I was there for. I'm so thankful to be even a small part of it.

It's a moment I didn't, and won't, take for granted. Just like I don't take getting to cover Faupel for granted. And I haven't taken getting to watch her for granted for a long time now.

No, I saw it early on. I saw when she was just a freshman, working her way into the starting lineup, that the Skylights had something very special. And that's not to take anything away from the great players who have come and gone during Faupel's time at Northern, and it's not to take anything away from the greats teams, including the current Skylights, that Faupel has played with. Covering Northern basketball is special in general.

But there's no denying that Faupel is one of those players, the ones a coach and a fanbase dream about having, and then all of a sudden, they do have one.

That's what Natalee Faupel is for Northern. She's a star player, she's a go-to player, she's a player that can take over a game when the need arises. She's the player you just know, is going to do something great every time you watch her. She's already done so many of those great things, including becoming an All-American, winning the Frontier Conference MVP and much, much more.

Faupel is also a leader, she's unselfish, she's works her butt off, and she's a tremendous representation of what a student-athlete should be.

Natalee Faupel is all of those things and more, and I hope, in fact, I know, that Northern fans feel lucky that they get to see her play and have gotten to see her play inside the Armory Gymnasium the last four winters. I hope Northern fans, no, I know Northern fans appreciate what they saw last Thursday night, too. Because, when you look at the list of players Faupel passed on her way to becoming the all-time leading scorer, you really understand how special she is. That list is literally a who's who of some of the best women's basketball players to ever play in Havre, and for that matter in the Frontier Conference, and for that matter, all of NAIA women's basketball.

And now Faupel stands above them all. That's the greatness of Natalee Faupel, and I know I'm a very lucky guy for having been able to witness that greatness. I'm a lucky guy for having had a front row seat to the career of Natalee Faupel.

I'm lucky, I'm thankful, and trust me, there is nothing mundane about it. No matter how much time passes, and no matter who comes next, I will never take for granted the four years I got to watch, write about, Tweet about and express what I saw during Faupel's career. No way.

It's been special, incredible and awe-inspring, and the only thing I can continue to say about it, I'm just one very lucky sportswriter.

 

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