REBOUNDING ROYALTY

MARTENSDALE — It’s another example of a small-town girl doing very big things.

Emma Boswell of Orient is now Iowa girls basketball’s all-time 5-on-5 career rebounding leader.

A senior playing for Nodaway Valley, Boswell corralled an offensive rebound following a teammate’s miss with 1:04 remaining in the first half of last Friday’s game at Martensdale-St. Marys. That rebound — her 1,534th — broke a 20-year-old record of 1,533 set by Highland Riverside’s Rachel Yeggy in 2006.

Other notable names on the all-time rebounding list include Audi Crooks, who played at Bishop Garrigan of Algona and now competes at Iowa State University, and Exira’s Hallie Christofferson, a 2010 graduate who also played for the Cyclones before spending several seasons playing professionally overseas.

A quiet leader who lets her play do the talking, Boswell said she knew she was close to breaking the record after recently passing 1,500 rebounds. She didn’t realize she had eclipsed it, however, until Martensdale-St. Marys’ public address announcer made the announcement at halftime.

“It felt good,” Boswell said. “It was a record that I had been wanting to break since my freshman year, when I realized I was on pace for it.”

Boswell is one of three players — along with her sister, Ella, and teammate Mattie Thompson — who joined Nodaway Valley’s program this season after previously playing at Orient-Macksburg.

While rebounding is often described as a matter of heart and wanting the ball more than anyone else, coaches say two other components set Boswell apart: her jumping ability and her hands.

At 5-foot-9, Boswell isn’t always the tallest player on the court, and she certainly isn’t the tallest among the state’s top rebounders. That hasn’t mattered. She has qualified for the state track and field meet twice in the high jump and once in the long jump — all while competing for Orient-Macksburg — making her athleticism impossible to overlook.

“She’s really great at positioning herself for rebounds,” Nodaway Valley head coach Brian Eisbach said.

Former Orient-Macksburg head coach Dave Hartman echoed that sentiment, noting her positioning often allows her to come down with the ball more times than not.

Hartman remembers a moment early in Boswell’s high school career when the light seemed to turn on. The Bulldogs were facing Lenox, which featured Sadie Cox — now the state’s fifth-best all-time rebounder. The two players are friends.

“Sadie kind of beat her up a little bit in the first quarter,” Hartman said. “I remember calling a timeout and telling Emma she was going to have to get in the fight, because that girl was stealing your lunch money — just bullying you.”

If Boswell wasn’t fully in the fight before then, she was afterward.

Seeing Cox’s success, along with other opponents such as Diagonal’s Taylor Lumbard, who reached 1,000 career rebounds, inspired Boswell to keep pushing.

“Credit to her — it wasn’t anything we taught her,” Hartman said. “It was just something she did. Rebounding requires effort. It’s extreme effort and tenacity.”

Time spent in the gym with former club coach Travis Turner also helped Boswell refine her craft. She’s had a lifelong rebounding partner as well: her father, Justin.

Over time, Boswell said she’s had to expand her rebounding repertoire so she has more tools than simply outjumping opponents.

“I’ve had to learn how to box out — that’s really what they taught me,” she said. “I jump higher than other people, but when I get the ball, I’ve got to bring it down to my chest.”

In the Martensdale-St. Marys game, Boswell collected 17 of her game-high 25 rebounds in the first half, limiting the Blue Devils to one shot per possession. The 25 rebounds also set a Nodaway Valley single-game record. Of her career rebounds, 34% — 523 — have come on the offensive end.

Boswell finished her freshman season with 404 rebounds and has led the state in rebounding each of the past three years. As of Monday, she ranked second statewide this season.

Her scoring ability hasn’t gone unnoticed, either. Boswell is averaging 14.7 points per game and became a 1,000-point career scorer Jan. 24, 2025. Usually attacking the basket, she has also added a reliable outside shot, knocking down multiple 3-pointers in recent contests.

Boswell’s impact extends well beyond the stat sheet, Eisbach said.

“There’s a huge difference in what our team looks like when she’s on the floor versus when we’re resting her,” Eisbach said. “There’s a lot to be said for her work ethic, but I think the coolest thing about Emma is she’s a great teammate. You can always count on her, and you can hear her trying to keep kids up in tough times. That’s invaluable to a team’s atmosphere and culture. She’s been a great addition and a big part of our success.”

Boswell understands what continued success requires — both individually and as a team. With playoff pairings expected to be released Thursday, the Wolverines believe there is still plenty ahead.

“We’re really excited for the rest of the season and to see how it all plays out,” Boswell said. “We’re going to work really hard in practice, and we’ll get there.”