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Carroll grad hopes to earn Ivy title

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By Sean McClelland, Staff Writer 8:33 PM Friday, January 13, 2012

Kathy Berry had sent care packages to her daughter before, but this was a first: Chocolate-covered strawberries.

“I’ve already eaten about half of them,” Brogan Berry (Carroll) said. “And I’m sharing.”

While unsure why, Berry said reminders of home have become more important as her decorated Harvard University basketball career has advanced.

“It’s funny,” the Beavercreek native said this week from the Cambridge, Mass., campus. “As a freshman, I didn’t miss home at all, but each year I’ve missed it more and more. I think I was so excited to get out of Ohio and do my own thing, but as the years go by, you start to realize home is pretty special.”

Special, too, is how Berry has been playing as she attempts to lead the Crimson to an Ivy League title and the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2008, the season before she arrived. Monday, Berry was named Ivy player of the week for the second time this season (fifth career) after moving into ninth place in assists (457) and 10th in points (1,236) on the league’s all-time lists.

She averaged 14.5 points and 5.5 assists in wins over UMass and TCU (shooting 47.1 percent from the floor and 57.1 percent from 3-point range) and produced her first career double-double, 12 points and 10 assists at UMass.

From her sport to her studies, Harvard mostly has been what Berry expected. The psychology major enjoys Boston, notably the Italian restaurants in the North End and Mike’s Pastry, where the lobster cannoli is to-die-for.

And she’s seen the Boston Celtics play several times in person, paying close attention to point guard Rajon Rondo, of course.

“When I first came here, I was the most intimidated I’ve ever been, but you get into the flow of things,” Berry said. “You wake up, go to class, practice, and sometimes you just walk around and look at the buildings and you pinch yourself. It’s very exciting.”

Berry, who played for her dad, Rob Berry, at Carroll, said she envisions a pro basketball career overseas, at least for a few years, then perhaps a front-office position with a sports team.

For now, though, it’s all about the Ivy. Harvard (7-6), picked second to Princeton in the preseason poll, begins league play tonight at Dartmouth. The Ivy champion earns that coveted NCAA automatic bid.

“What a great topper to the season it would be,” Berry said, “if we could get there.”

Campus tour

• It’s easy to overlook soccer players, especially at smaller schools, but there isn’t much more Danny McCarthy (Alter) could have done at Capital. A physical therapy major, McCarthy completed a four-year career during which he was voted all-conference three times, all-region Division III three times and academic all-conference twice. Oh, and he was his team’s leading scorer as a senior.

• Marcus Foster (Troy), a 6-foot-1, 190-pound safety, graduated in December and is already taking classes at the University of Cincinnati, where he has a football scholarship. Foster is one of 10 UC recruits to enroll early.

If you have information about an area athlete in college, please send an email to smcclelland @DaytonDailyNews.com.

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