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Deja Burns, a senior at Sierra High School, is a defensive powerhouse who's making waves on the basketball court.
She ranks fourth in the state for blocks with nearly six per game, and she's only 22 blocks away (as of Friday, January 16) from setting the school record for career blocks, even though she sat out her sophomore year.
In a recent win, Burns finished with a triple double, scoring 12 points, grabbing 11 rebounds, snagging 13 steals, and nearly earning a quadruple double after coming away with 9 blocks.
"I was kind of shocked because my grandma texted me and she was like, 'you were one block away,' and I was like, 'oh a quadruple double?' I never thought that anybody could possibly get something like that before... it was kind of crazy to me," said Burns.
Her coach, Joe Williams, was equally surprised by how close she came to the rare achievement.
"When I looked at the stats, I was mad because I'm pretty sure I can look back and there may have been an opportunity for her to get that block. She missed it by a block which is her specialty," said Williams.
Burns describes herself as someone who lets the game come to her as she gets into a rhythm, rather than focusing on stats and trying to force her way into big numbers.
"When I'm out playing, I really don't know what I'm doing out there. I kind of just play. So, after games when I see stats it's kind of like a shock to me, but I kind of just play to have fun," said Burns.
Having fun seems to be working for her, because Burns leads the team in points, rebounds, blocks and steals, while also being second for assists. But these stats still mean nothing to her. Her priority is being a great teammate.
"When we're in the back locker rooms, I just tell everybody they need to keep their heads up and honestly, we don't go out playing to win. We go out playing to have fun, and if we end up winning, then that's a win, but I try to hold everybody together and make sure everybody stays out of their head," said Burns.
Burns recently signed to play at Seward Community College in Kansas, taking the next step in her basketball career.
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News5 works to honor the high school Athlete of the Week throughout the school year in our Wednesday evening newscasts. We’re looking for that special teen who is working hard and playing right all while making parents and coaches proud.
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Department of Local Affairs designates four cities as Main Street Communities
Cripple Creek and Woodland Park join more than 30 cities statewide with the "Main Street community" designation.
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