By CONOR NICHOLL
Uniontown senior point guard Danielle Howard and coach Dustin Miller have been highly instrumental in the Eagles’ vault up the Class 2A ranks. On Thursday, the duo each delivered historical milestones in a key 42-27 win versus Erie.
Howard reached 1,000 career points, and Miller won his 100th career game at Uniontown.
Howard has enjoyed an exceptional multi-sport career, especially in basketball and track. She has been featured on SIK several times.
She now stands at 1,001 career points, fourth on the all-time list. Howard finished with 17 points, nine rebounds, seven steals and five assists in another complete performance.
She already holds the school’s career steals and 300-meter hurdle records. At 2A track last spring, Howard finished fifth in the 100-meter dash in 13.08 seconds and fifth in the 200 in 26.85 seconds. She was third in the 300 hurdles in 47.06 seconds.
Last winter, Howard delivered 19.8 points, five rebounds, 5.5 steals and 5.2 assists, along with 56 percent shooting and 76 percent from the foul line. She was a SIK 2A Player of the Year finalist. Howard is known for her hard work and great effort.
Howard has committed to Peru State (Neb.), a NAIA squad that is 8-5 this season. She played for Wheat State Elite summer basketball. Her older sister, Alyssa, is at Emporia State, an Emporia High assistant volleyball and basketball coach, and a WSE coach.
As a sophomore, Howard collected 2A honorable mention (top-23) by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association.
Last winter, Howard was 2A second team all-state (top-10). Howard and Karleigh Schoenberger were the Three River League’s only two unanimous selections. They were the lone two Eagle all-conference selections. Schoenberger, who graduated, became the third Uniontown player to clear 1,000 points. Howard is the fourth.
Last winter, Uniontown went 16-4 and had its best winning percentage in more than 14 years. The Eagles’ best-ever record is 22-2 in ’91-92. This season, Uniontown is unranked in Class 2A. The program has already flipped two results from last season. Uniontown beat Humboldt, 48-41, in the season opener before the 15-point margin versus Erie.
Uniontown split with Humboldt last year with a 55-38 win on Dec. 8, 2020 and lost, 50-41, on March 5 in a sub-state defeat. Uniontown fell, 32-29, in overtime to Erie in the second game last winter. The Eagles have consistently struggled against the Red Devils. Uniontown was 5-17 in the last 22 matchups versus Erie.
Uniontown is now 34-10 since the start of Howard’s sophomore year, per MaxPreps. Before then, Uniontown had oscillated back and forth in the previous seven years with four seasons hovering around the .500 mark, two years that combined for a 9-33 record, and a 15-8 season. Overall, Uniontown was a collective 66-82, per MaxPreps archives.
While Uniontown graduated Schoenberger, the Eagles have multiple highly experienced players. Freshman Reese Gorman delivered 10 points, four steals, two rebounds and two steals in the Erie win. Sophomore Rylee Coulter had seven points, four rebounds and an assist.
Senior Gwen Fry had four points, nine rebounds and an assist. Sophomore center Addisyn Hall, and senior Kaydra Woods combined for four points and six rebounds.
